Kansas City Royals should be sellers at the 2017 trade deadline
By trevb
The Kansas City Royals Should Sell…
Alcides Escobar
This is the easiest decision to make on selling. Alcides Escobar is just not the kind of talent that can really carry the Royals further than he already has. He has definitely slowed down since 2015 and just does not seem to have the same flare that he used to have. In my opinion, this is an easy decision for a better upgrade.
While Esky may not bring in as much talent as these other players, it may be better to just have the opening for other players to contend for at shortstop. Escobar was a great player for the Royals, especially during the World Series runs in 2014 and 2015. Escobar always swung at the first pitch, and he surprises the majority of professional pitchers.
Now the novelty has worn off. Escobar needs to be sold in order to get better value. He no longer surprises pitchers at bat, and he has never been a power hitter. It would just be better if the Royals sold him for better days. The core group of the 2015 team is ending, and I think Alcides Escobar goes with it.
The Royals also have his replacement waiting in the wings in Raul Mondesi Jr., which makes the decision to ship Escobar off even smarter.