Kansas City Royals could use a new designated hitter
If the Kansas City Royals want to go on a run for the American League Central title, then they might have to consider becoming buyers at the deadline and getting themselves a new designated hitter.
The role of a designated hitter in baseball is simple. That player does not take the field defensively, but steps up each time his turn comes up in the rotation to try and hit the baseball. Usually this guy is the team’s best hitter, hence the term “designated hitter”.
The Kansas City Royals‘ designated hitter, Brandon Moss, isn’t really filling that role all that well.
Moss, signed by the Royals this past offseason, has been incredibly disappointing as the designated hitter in Kansas City. It was no secret that his batting average had dropped over the past few years, but his home run totals are what drew Royals fans in and got them excited about signing Moss.
A true DH might be just what the Kansas City Royals need to push them further in the contention category.
In 158 at bats this season, Moss is slashing a lousy .184/.261/.380 with nine home runs and just 15 RBI. He has not been what the Royals were wanting him to be and now Dayton Moore and the front office might want to look into trading for a slugger at the deadline.
The trading aspect will only occur if the KC Royals stay hot and continue to win games through the end of July. If they hit any type of bad streak again, however, then becoming buyers will be off the table.
Some of the potential DH names on the trade market this July are guys like Yonder Alonso, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Curtis Granderson, J.D. Martinez, and Justin Upton. Now none of those guys are actual designated hitters for their respective teams, but they are power guys and could easily slide into that role should the Royals opt to trade for one of them.
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Frazier, Martinez, and Upton are all doubtful, as they play for division rivals, and Alonso could very well get an extension from the Athletics. Granderson would be an intriguing option, however, as the Mets outfielder is slashing .290/.393/.572 since May 1st, according to CBS Sports.
That same CBS Sports link is where I gathered these names, as they put out their top 15 players who are likely going to be shipped off to another team. If the Kansas City Royals decide there’s a guy on the market who is worthy of sending off a prospect for who can DH, then I’d be all for it.
We’ve been waiting for Brandon Moss to “figure it out” at the plate this season, but he hasn’t done much at all. He hasn’t hit a home run in what feels like months and his batting average is painfully low for a designated hitter.
A true DH might be just what the Kansas City Royals need to push them further in the contention category. What made them so scary during their run in 2015 to their World Series title was that Kendrys Morales, their designated hitter at the time, was on fire at the plate. The Royals wouldn’t have a World Series Championship if Morales hadn’t been on the team that year.
What do you think? Should the Royals look to trade for a designated hitter if they’re still in the thick of things in a few weeks?