Nationals-Royals Trade Idea Sends 4th-Year On-Base Machine To Kansas City
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The Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals may not appear too far apart in the standings, but they're headed in different directions.
The young, plucky Nationals are still too dependent on young position players and don't yet have the pitching staff to compete for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Royals' pitching has been great, and they're counting on the offense to improve enough to get them back to October.
As the Royals search for outfield help, the Nationals appear to have at least one too many bodies. Could the two sides come together on a midseason trade?
In a recent article, Matt Chabot of Royals Review suggested that Alex Call, a 30-year-old Nationals outfielder receiving somewhat inconsistent playing time in his fourth big-league season, could be a good fit for the Royals in a deadline deal.
"My favorite option for the Royals is Alex Call, who has impressed immensely at the plate over the last two years. Call is a primary RF who has experience at all three outfield spots and is hitting with a slash line of .271/.376/.354," Chabot wrote.
"While the slugging is not eye-catching, the Royals love players who can put the ball in play and get on base. Call is just that, with a Z-Contact of 89.1%, and also posts an elite K% and BB% that show he consistently provides competitive ABs. Call has team control through 2029 and is likely the odd man out in the Nationals' loaded OF going forward."
It makes sense for the Nationals to trade an outfielder, because James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Jacob Young were all jockeying for playing time already, and Robert Hassell II just got to the majors as well. Call could easily be the odd man out in that mix due to his age and lack of power.
Walks play in Kansas City, and Call draws a lot of them. Will the Royals prioritize him as a target?
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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