Kansas City Royals: Jorge Soler needs to be part of rebuild
The Kansas City Royals have been out of postseason contention for awhile now, but Jorge Soler has been one of the few reasons for fans to continue watching this team this summer.
No one expected Jorge Soler to be in the thick of things to hold the title for most home runs hit in the American League. Not even the most optimistic of Kansas City Royals fans would have predicted that.
Yet, here we are, and that’s just what’s happening in Major League Baseball at the moment.
Soler has hit 45 bombs (as of Friday afternoon) and is tied with Mike Trout for the most home runs hit in the American League. With Trout likely done for the season due to injury, Soler is in a great position to finish the season as the AL leader in dingers.
Good evening. Jorge Soler, a Kansas City Royal, is in first place in the American League in home runs with 12 games to go. His main competition for the title is out for the season. No one else in the league is within 8 home runs of him.
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) September 17, 2019
It's happening, everyone. It's happening.
All of that being said, there’s probably quite a bit of talk amongst baseball pundits everywhere how the Royals should attempt to trade Jorge Soler this offseason. While that would be a very Royals thing to do, Soler has proven that he can hit for power, even playing 81 games in spacious Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals have long struggled to find a true power guy in their lineup. Even when they had a true designated hitter like Billy Butler and Kendrys Morales, those guys didn’t come anywhere near leading the conference in home runs. Soler has done that though, and that’s why once the Royals stop trotting him out to right field and use him strictly as a designated hitter, he’ll be perfect for this rebuilding team moving forward.
Let’s be real. The Royals aren’t winning any time soon. They might be a little bit better in 2020, but we all thought the same thing coming into this year and that has not been the case. The Royals should rely on their prospects to get them back to the top, but Soler provides a true pop in the lineup and that’s something this franchise has seldom had. Anytime he steps up to the plate, he has a chance of going deep.
Unless the Royals can get a slew (and I’m talking three or four at least) of can’t miss prospects, there’s no reason to trade Jorge Soler. The Royals know what he can do, he’s young, and he can hit for power, which is something this team hasn’t had much luck with.
If Jorge Soler is around during this rebuild, perhaps the Kansas City Royals can be a contender sooner than expected.