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Kansas City Royals don’t have to trade Whit Merrifield

The Kansas City Royals' Whit Merrifield during a game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, July 6, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals' Whit Merrifield during a game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, July 6, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /
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With how bad the Kansas City Royals are this season, one might think that the team should trade everyone, especially Whit Merrifield. The Royals might not do that though, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Yes, the Kansas City Royals are atrocious this year, we all know that. While it’s common for bad teams to trade off their best players, Whit Merrifield is one player that the Royals don’t have to trade away if they don’t want to.

I’ve gone into the reasons as to why it’d make sense to trade Merrifield, but now let’s dive into why it might make sense to keep him. Obviously Merrifield is a fan favorite and we all love him, but that’s not a reason to keep a guy around. Otherwise, Wade Davis and Jarrod Dyson would have been here in 2017. Is it still too soon to joke about that?

Whit Merrifield is the best player on the Royals right now, which makes him a huge trade asset. If the Royals trade him, they have very little to get the fans excited for the duration of the season. Danny Duffy and Salvador Perez might still be here, but Duffy goes in waves with his starts and Perez, despite being an All-Star, isn’t having a very Salvy-esque season.

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Merrifield doesn’t just provide clutch hitting with the ability to play multiple positions, but he’s under club control through the end of the 2022 season. That right there makes him a hot commodity on the trade market and the Royals should be asking for a big package of prospects in exchange for Two-Hit Whit.

If teams aren’t willing to shell out big time prospects, then the Royals shouldn’t be giving Merrifield out for pennies. He’s a good player and if nothing else, he can remain in Kansas City and we can be having this same conversation this time next year.

Merrifield wants to stay with the Royals, recently being quoted as to saying he hopes for a long-term extension with the team who drafted him. While that’d be great to see, Merrifield is currently 29 years old and would have to continue being a really hot hitter in order to earn a long-term deal.

Kansas City Royals fans love Whit Merrifield and there are definitely reasons to trade him. On the other hand, if teams won’t pony up with legitimate prospects, then the Royals can afford to hold onto their top player for another season.

Fans would definitely be in favor of that, considering how popular the guy is in Kansas City. Whit Merrifield could very well be traded this season, but hopefully the Royals know how valuable he is and don’t give him away for pennies.