Kansas City Royals: Team should make a push for Mookie Betts

The Kansas City Royals could benefit greatly this offseason from the Red Sox luxury cap issues and should send a trade package for Mookie Betts.

While it would appear that the Kansas City Royals are still a couple of seasons away from fielding a competitive team, they could certainly accelerate the process. The 2018 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox fired their president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski on Sunday just 10 months after winning the Fall Classic.

The Red Sox are well over the luxury tax limit for the second consecutive season, having to shell out $12 million in fees last season and will have to cut another check this offseason too. They’ll be looking to shed payroll and both Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez could find themselves playing elsewhere next season.

Betts, 26, is the American League’s reigning MVP after a spectacular 2018 season in which he slashed 0.346/0.438/0.640 with 32 home runs and 80 RBI’s (185 wRC+). The Nashville native is under contract for just one more season and has expressed the desire to test the open market but the Royals would be smart to put together a trade package for him.

The Royals will be under new ownership this offseason for the first time since 2000. We’ve heard the endorsements for John Sherman already by Kansas City’s former mayor, Sly James, as well as the current owner David Glass. He’s hand-picked because Sherman lives in town and is a fan of the team. What better way to show you are committed to winning than acquiring one of the best players in baseball?

Certainly, the acquisition would come at a hefty cost, potentially having to part with at least one (maybe two) of the fab-five and that’s likely just so the Red Sox don’t hang up the phone. Add in a couple of other players and maybe they have something, but the Red Sox are also desperate to get under the luxury tax threshold. It would also be wise on the Royals part if the trade included a long-term extension otherwise it doesn’t make any sense for a rental.

The current roster has several holes and we aren’t even sure how Sherman will approach his first free agency, but I feel like he is going to make a statement in an attempt to win over the fanbase. As I said, Sherman is a fan of this team and wants to win. It’s time to change the small market narrative and, quite literally, step up to the plate and get a big-name player.