Kansas City Royals: Early season trade scenarios for four players

Overall, the Kansas City Royals have some flexibility when it comes to making trades this season. Most likely, the trades will be to acquire future assets, but there is a possibility Moore will once again value young veterans, foregoing the unknown regarding players early in their development.

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The four players covered in this article–Kennedy, Soler, Gordon and Merrifield–are just a few of several that the team could ultimately trade away. Or the team could stay as it is and hope for the pitchers to turn the corner in 2020.

Of these four players, none are scheduled to hit free agency this upcoming offseason, though the Royals will probably decline their half of the mutual option on Gordon. That doesn’t forbid them from re-signing him afterward, though, much like what the St. Louis Cardinals did with Adam Wainwright last year.

Personally, of these four, I could see Kennedy and Soler moved, the latter more so than the former. I’ll be very curious as to what returns Moore can negotiate for those players. Hopefully, the Royals keep both Gordon and Merrifield.

Regarding Gordon, it’s really for sentimentality reasons, but he’s also a team leader, and that’s unquantifiable.

Regarding Merrifield, he’s great, he’s part of the future, he’s who I think of when I think of the Kansas City Royals, and man, that contract is great for this team.

And yet, if Moore gets an offer on either Gordon or Merrifield that he deems would be in the best interest of the Royals to accept, then I’ll be okay with that.