Royals Rumors: Team not considering trading Whit Merrifield right now
A name we’ll hear grouped in with Royals rumors frequently this winter is Whit Merrifield, but it appears he’ll remain with the Kansas City Royals until at least the trade deadline.
For a team like the Kansas City Royals, the only time they’ll really be in the news this winter is if they ship one of their bigger name players to a contender for prospects. Whit Merrifield is one of the biggest stars on the team, as indicated by him representing the team in the All-Star Game last year.
Merrifield slashed .302/.348/.463 for the Royals last year and appeared in all 162 games for the boys in blue. He’s going to be linked to trade talks for awhile, but Jon Heyman tweeted on Wednesday that Merrifield will likely stay put until the season is underway.
Here’s the tweet in case you missed it.
There’s been a lot of trade inquiries on Whit Merrifield but sources say the Royals are not considering trading him now. Could become a more realistic option at the trade deadline.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 13, 2019
The news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Merrifield is the star of the team and the Royals do need him if they want to win any games this season. He’s a fan favorite and his versatility is huge for this team as they try to figure out what they want to do moving forward.
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The downside with not trading him is that Merrifield’s value will continue to diminish as time goes on. He’s 30 years old, turning 31 in January, and while his numbers are still great (and continue to get better), the decline will come at some point and the Royals best trade him before that decline hits.
A lot of teams would be interested in Merrifield, as I mentioned he has versatility that allows him to play just about anywhere on the diamond, he’s affordable, and he’s still hitting the ball well and playing good defense. What contending team wouldn’t want that guy on their team?
The Royals won’t be playing for anything in 2020, but perhaps they finally pull the trigger and send Merrifield to another team at the trade deadline next summer. If he continues to hit the way he has the past few years, a contending team will most definitely come calling.
The question is… Can the Royals get the package of prospects they feel is justified for trading their best player? We’ll find that out next summer.
Do you agree with the Royals’ decision to hold onto Whit Merrifield right now or do you think waiting until the summer to trade him is the right decision?