Kansas City Royals: Lucas Duda traded to Atlanta Braves for cash

The Kansas City Royals are looking to rebuild. They took another step today towards that dream becoming a reality. The Royals traded first baseman Lucas Duda to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations.

It was no secret that the Kansas City Royals were looking to trade away some of their veteran players. It was rumored that many players from the Royals were going to be traded away before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. But, most of the rumors never came to fruition, including trading Whit Merrifield and Danny Duffy. But, it was expected that Lucas Duda would be traded away at some point in time.

It was announced earlier today that Lucas Duda has been traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash.

Career Statistics

Duda was drafted by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the MLB Draft. 2018 was his first season with the Kansas City Royals. He has slashed .242/.311/.415 on the season, playing first in 61 games and taking on the designated hitter role in 23. He hit 13 home runs in his time with the Royals and knocked in 48 RBIs.

The 32 year old has played in the Major Leagues for nine years. He began with the New York Mets, where he remained for eight years before playing the second half of the season with the Tampa Bay Rays after being traded. On his career, Duda has yielded a slash of .242/.337/.452.

Was this a good trade?

For the Kansas City Royals, it definitely was. It seems like they are now a step closer to cleaning out the veteran players and shifting in favor of the youth movement. For the Atlanta Braves, who are currently leading the National League East, Duda may be able to help them as they move through the postseason.

It seems like the logical option to fill Lucas Duda’s spot on the 40-man roster is Jorge Soler, who will soon be activated off of the disabled list.