5 Royals Leaving Kansas City in the New Year
By Joe Summers
5. Edward Olivares - OF
The Royals traded Olivares to the Pirates, ending a four-year tenure in Kansas City.
Olivares played in a career-high 107 games in 2023, hitting .263 with 12 home runs, 36 RBI and 22 walks to 64 strikeouts. He stole 11 bases while playing decent defense, giving him a chance to develop into a nice player in Pittsburgh.
Kansas City's addition of Hunter Renfroe rendered Olivares a bit irrelevant. While waiting for promising outfielders like Drew Waters to develop, Renfroe can provide power and veteran experience.
An excerpt from this article:
— Nae 🧬 (@NaeNaeTakes) December 24, 2023
"Edward Olivares was the most unlucky home run hitter in baseball last year according to xHR. This was compounded by playing home games in Kauffman Stadium. He could definitely hit 20+ with the Pirates next year."#RaiseIt https://t.co/zT7c2630Jc pic.twitter.com/vtmJaY7NAh
It's worth noting that Kauffman Stadium is notoriously difficult to blast home runs in. Olivares was one of the players most bit by bad luck, so the hitter-friendly confines of PNC Park in Pittsburgh could lead to a career year.
He's a guy that I always had hope for. I'm optimistic he'll turn into a quality player, though his trade was necessary for the Royals to make the improvements they plan to.
It could be a special year in Kansas City. We'll see what more moves come, but I'm quite pleased thus far.
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