KC Royals: 3 potential trade partners for RP Ian Kennedy

A former No. 6 overall pick is still plenty young enough to develop into a catching option for the KC Royals.

Alex Jackson was drafted early in the first round from Rancho Bernardo HS out of San Diego by the Seattle Mariners way back in 2014.  After three seasons in the M’s farm system, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves where he has put together a couple of decent power number years in Double-A and Triple-A.

His lack of hitting for average (the last two minor league seasons were .201 and .229, respectively) plus an 0-13 cup of coffee with the Braves last year showed he still needs to improve in that area.  Striking out 118 times in 345 plate appearances gives cause for concern as well, but it is hard to ignore 29 homers in the International League in just 85 games.

Truth be told, the verdict is still out on Cam Gallagher and MJ Melendez to see if they will be able to take over from Salvador Perez, which needs to happen sooner than later.  It appears Atlanta is leaning towards a Tyler Flowers and Travis d’Arnaud combination behind the plate, leaving Jackson as the odd man out.

Since the Royals will not have much to offer in a Kennedy trade except for a few months as a rental, they will need to take flyers on players who are young and still have the potential to turn into serviceable players.  A catcher with six seasons of professional ball experience and a former very high draft pick would be a solid add for the organization.