Royals Rumors: No member of the Royals is off the trade table
With the MLB offseason comes the Royals rumors and the latest is about how the organization could be sending just about everyone off in a trade if the price is right.
When thinking of the Kansas City Royals moving forward, the biggest names that come to mind would be Salvador Perez, Danny Duffy, Whit Merrifield, and Kelvin Herrera. While Merrifield wasn’t a part of the World Series team, he was arguably the best player on the team a year ago and will be a vital part of this franchise moving forward.
What if, however, the Royals decide to sell these players? It’s possible, according to Jeffrey Flanagan. Flanagan tweeted on Monday for people to be ready to see a lot of Royals rumors regarding the team selling. Yes, even the beloved members of the franchise.
This shouldn’t be surprising to Royals fans, as a rebuild is a strong possibility. Flanagan added to his tweet that if the Royals don’t retain Eric Hosmer, they’re ready for a “big rebuild”.
Be prepared to read many more reports here at the Winter Meetings on the Royals listening to offers on virtually anyone on the roster. They're prepping for a big rebuild if they lose Hoz.
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) December 11, 2017
The Royals continue to get hits on certain players, from Herrera to Alexander to Duffy to Merrifield. And Dayton Moore just reiterated his top priority is restocking the farm system to its 2010 level.
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) December 11, 2017
While I’d be surprised to see Salvador Perez get traded, anything appears to be possible this winter. Perez is currently signed through the 2022 season, as is Danny Duffy. Duffy might make more sense to be traded, as left-handed starters are one of the hottest commodities a team can have.
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Whit Merrifield won’t hit the free agent market until 2023, which makes him a perfect candidate to trade now, as he’s likely hit the peak of his career (he’s 28 years old and has only been in the majors for two seasons). Merrifield could appeal to a lot of teams due to his ability to play multiple positions and his hustle on the base paths.
Rustin Dodd tweeted something similar, indicating the team has received some interest in relievers Scott Alexander and Kelvin Herrera. Alexander was one of the best bullpen arms for the Royals this past year and while Herrera wasn’t great in the closer role, he is a fabulous set-up man and is due for a bounce back year. He’ll be a free agent after this season.
The Royals have received calls on a number of players, including Kelvin Herrera, Whit Merrifield, Scott Alexander and Danny Duffy. This isn't too surprising. They're good players. KC is willing to listen.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) December 11, 2017
Eric Hosmer holds the key in all of this. If the Royals can keep him, then a lot of these guys will likely remain in Kansas City for the time being.
If, however, Hosmer heads for “greener pastures”, then the Kansas City Royals could look entirely different next year. Baseball teams rebuild all the time and sometimes they get better sooner than expected. Take the Twins and Yankees last year for instance. Neither were supposed to be playoff caliber teams yet the Yankees were just a game away from making it to the World Series.
I’m not going to lie to you, Royals fans. If the team rebuilds, these next few years will be rough to watch. The payoff will hopefully be another World Series run not long after though and that’s what you play the game for.
Until Eric Hosmer inks a contract, Royals fans won’t know for sure what direction the team is going in. Trust in Dayton Moore and know that whatever decision he makes is the right one.