KC Royals: Whit Merrifield is the player most likely to be traded this offseason

If the KC Royals are going to trade anyone this offseason, Whit Merrifield is the one who more than likely would be shipped off.

It seems to be a storyline every year, but once again here we are discussing the possibility of the Kansas City Royals trading Whit Merrifield this offseason.

Jacob Shafer of Bleacher Report put together a list of the ten MLB stars who are the most likely to be traded this offseason and Merrifield was ninth on that list.

"On paper, it makes sense for K.C. to sell high on a player who would interest any number of suitors but could be into his mid-30s before the Royals field their next playoff team.That said, Merrifield is a fan and front-office favorite, and up to now Kansas City has resisted the urge to deal him. That could change this winter, but it would probably require a suitor to pay handsomely in prospects and MLB-ready talent."

As Shafer alluded to, it makes perfect sense why the Royals would field offers for Merrifield. He’s versatile and still effective despite turning 32 in January. Many, myself included, figured Merrifield would start to slump more, but he’s continued to do well at the plate (maybe not recently, but more on that later), on the base paths, and defensively.

The fact that Merrifield can play just about any position in the infield and has played everywhere in the outfield also makes him appealing. Oh yeah and he’s affordable, which is why teams are inquiring about him.

As much as I like Merrifield, he’s the kind of player teams HAVE to trade, especially when they’re nowhere close to contending. The Royals had their promising moments this season, but we’ve seen in the past few weeks that they’re not close to turning the corner yet. John McCarty of KC Kingdom was disappointed that the Royals opted not to trade Merrifield a few weeks ago.

Shafer mentioned that Merrifield will be in his mid 30s by the time the Royals are ready to contend again and by that point, he might not be as effective. In fact, there’s a good chance that happens, as we’ve seen this year (he’s batting .249 as of this writing).

Hopefully the Royals didn’t miss their chance to trade Merrifield while they could get as much as possible for him, but that would be a pretty Kansas City Royals thing to do if we’re being completely honest here.

If the KC Royals want to put together a team that can win in the next few years, Whit Merrifield needs to be someone they look to trade this offseason. The big question is, however, will Merrifield be someone teams still want this winter?