Royals Rumors: Dodgers linked to Whit Merrifield at trade deadline
Royals rumors are slowly, but surely starting to get moving. One name that has popped up recently is Whit Merrifield. Could he be a fit with the Los Angeles Dodgers?
When the Kansas City Royals inked Whit Merrifield to a four-year extension this past offseason, it seemed like a grand idea. Just months later, however, Merrifield is already being put on the trade block.
MLB Trade Rumors linked Merrifield to the Dodgers at this summer’s trade deadline, writing,
"The 30-year-old Merrifield would provide the Dodgers with an everyday second baseman – one who’s also capable of playing the outfield if need be – thereby kicking Hernandez and Taylor to the bench."
The article mentioned that the only defensive position the Dodgers really needed to address was at second base, and that just so happens to be one of the many positions Merrifield plays. In the blurb above, they also touched on how he can play in the outfield as well.
Now, this needs to be said: The Royals won’t trade Merrifield for a bag of balls (at least I’d hope not). He’s signed for another three years on this current deal and he’s still playing good baseball, especially for being 30 years old and getting a late start to his career.
If the Dodgers want Merrifield, they’ll have to offer quite the package of prospects in return. The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in the league (as the MLB Trade Rumors article mentions), so they’d be able to offer some nice prospects in return for Merrifield.
While it’d suck to see Merrifield go, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move on the Royals’ end. They’ve made it clear that just about anyone is available for trade and Merrifield wasn’t included in the two players off limits.
More from KC Kingdom
- Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
Merrifield is 30 years old and while fans hope that the team is contending in two or three years, it makes sense to try and get something for him while he’s still valuable. He is good at the plate (slashing .298/.348/.487 prior to Sunday’s game), great defensively, and can play multiple positions on the diamond.
What team wouldn’t want that guy on their team? He’s also affordable and under contract for three more years.
The Dodgers have been to the last two World Series and have lost both of them. It’s not a crazy thought that they’d want to do just about whatever it takes to get to their third straight championship and actually win it this time. If that includes giving up four prospects for Whit Merrifield, one would have to think they’d jump at doing so.
Best Second Basemen in Royals History. dark. Next
Teams will come calling about Merrifield, but it’ll be up to the Kansas City Royals to decide if they want to ship him off just yet. He’ll be one of the many focal points of Royals rumors this summer.