Royals Blockbuster Trade Idea Lands $8M Playoff Hero In Rare Swap With Guardians
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It's impressive how far the Kansas City Royals got in 2024 with a dismal outfield, but they still have to correct that flaw.
If the season started tomorrow, the Royals would roll out an Opening Day trio of MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe. Those three wouldn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of the opposition, and all would likely be batting in the bottom half of the order.
Because they're a small-market team without much room to add salary, the Royals' most likely avenue to upgrade their outfield is via trade. There aren't a ton of exciting candidates out there on the market, but one stands out as an interesting fit.
Though trades between division rivals aren't commonplace, they often make a lot of sense for both sides. And one Cleveland Guardians outfielder, who may not be a huge part of the plans for his current team, seems like an excellent candidate for the Royals.
Earlier this week, Caleb Moody of Just Baseball proposed that the Royals could trade for Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas, who arrived in Cleveland at the trade deadline just five months ago, to help shore up their outfielder.
"Even in his down year last season, Thomas would have been an upgrade over (Melendez, Isbel, and Renfroe), while also further strengthening Kansas City’s identity as a strong baserunning team (11th in SB and seventh in BSR in 2024)," Moody said.
This may be an intra-division trade, but with just one year remaining on Thomas’ contract, it’s not as if the Guardians would be forced to square off against him regularly for years to come. And for Kansas City, that means his price tag will be lower.
Thomas, 29, had a mediocre season, finishing with a .709 OPS/101 OPS+ in 30 games. But he was very good in 2023, posting a .783 OPS and 3.3 bWAR. Plus, his grand slam off Tarik Skubal in the American League Division Series showed that he can be a difference-maker in October.
Thomas is projected for an $8 million salary in arbitration (via Spotrac), which should fit neatly into the Royals' budget as the last piece of their lineup puzzle. And if he rebounds to his 2023 form, he could make them a far more dangerous team without having to overextend themselves.
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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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