KC Royals Rumors: MLB insider pitches 'difference-making trade' with Marlins

As the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaches and the Kansas City Royals are in a much better place then they were at this time last week, after after a midweek series sweep over the Texas Rangers and a series opening victory on Friday versus the San Diego Padres.

This week has brought with it a lot more optimism around the thought of the Royals being buyers at the deadline.

And with that comes the predictions from MLB insiders across the industry on who J.J. Picollo and Kansas City's front office should target. The latest is from former MLB executive and insider for The Athletic Jim Bowden, who's tabbed Miami Marlins' outfielder Kyle Stowers as a potential "difference-making trade" the Royals could pursue.

MLB insider pitches Marlins' Kyle Stowers as trade target for KC Royals

After MLB.com's Mark Feinsand pitched another Marlins outfielder in Jesús Sánchez, Bowden's now suggested Stowers - who is no stranger to being dealt at the trade deadline, having been part of the Trevor Rogers deal to Baltimore last season - as solution to solve their current outfield issues.

They currently sit dead last amongst MLB outfield units in collective wRC+ at 66 as well as RBI at 56 and homers at 11. They also rank just 29th in OPS at .613 and T-23rd in AVG at .233.

Outfield has long been a need for the Royals dating back to the offseason, so it makes complete sense as to why the Royals would be projected to focus their targets accordingly.

Stowers would be quite the fish to reel in (no pun intended) as the 27-year-old is in the midst of a breakout campaign. In 267 plate appearances so far, he's slashing .273/.342/.462 with 10 HR, 34 RBI and a 121 wRC+.

Along with his surface level stats, his underlying metrics would suggest he could be the power-hitter Bowden suggests the Royals are looking for. He sits in the 90th percentile in hard-hit rate at 51.8%, the 96th percentile in barrel rate at 17.1% and 82rd percentile in xSLG at .510.

Despite a recent surge in power over the past week, with nine homers in their last four games, the Royals still sit second-to-last in baseball in homers at 55, only besting the 30-47 Pittsburgh Pirates. They also sit tied for 24th in SLG at .373 and within the bottom half of the league in hard contact rate in a tie for 18th, while simultaneously ranking tied for seventh in soft contact.

Now given his four-and-a-half years of remaining control, the return would be steep, and that's precisely what Bowden predicted as well, projecting the likes of LHP David Shields and C Ramon Ramirez the other way to Miami.

Both rank within Kansas City's Top 10 prospects according to MLB Pipeline and are in the midst of decently strong campaigns. Shields (KC's No. 8 prospect) has spent seven of his eight starts this year in Low-A Columbia throwing to a 2.39 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and .184 BAA. Ramirez (KC's No. 10 prospect), who's currently on the injured list, is slashing .252/.366/.472 with nine homers, 39 RBI and a 132 wRC+ in 194 plate appearances in Low-A Columbia.

If there are two things the Royals' farm system is top heavy with at the moment, it's pitching and catching, with eight of the Top 10 being either of those two positions.

Bowden references the their catching depth in particular as something that could be enticing for the Royals to shop from given their current logjam at the position.

"The Marlins would also acquire Ramirez, who could become available because the Royals have two better catching prospects in Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen," Bowden wrote.

Time will tell what Kansas City's strategy ends up being, but after their recent hot stretch of form, the hope will surely be that these rumors start to turn into reality with the Royals gearing up for a stretch run in hopes of reaching their second straight postseason.