Kansas City Royals: Potential Trade Targets
By Paul York
St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay (19) Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Cardinals: Jon Jay
Nothing spectacular here, but Jay has proven to be an adequate left-handed bat vs. right-handed pitching throughout his career. The Cardinals have a very crowded OF situation, and like the Dodgers, have a hotshot prospect they’d probably like to clear the way for in Oscar Taveras.
Jay would be under team control through 2016 as he’s just now into his arbitration years. He’s currently making $3.25 million, which makes him affordable by Royals standards. Again, he’s nothing great, but he may offer a better option than what the Royals have now.
He’s not a slugger, but he can play RF and platoon with someone who can hit left-handed pitching–maybe a return of Justin Maxwell from triple-A Omaha? Or even a platoon with Aoki, since he’s one of the rare left-handed hitters that hits left-handed pitching well.