Royals-Rays Blockbuster Trade Idea Sends Former Batting Champion To KC
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The Kansas City Royals' need for offense is bad enough that any position with the exception of shortstop should be on the table for an upgrade.
Bobby Witt Jr. has a 134 OPS+, and Maikel Garcia is leading the team at 137. But the Royals don't have a single other qualified hitter who has been league average or better.
Fortunately, Kansas City's pitching staff has been good enough to keep the team above .500 despite the fewest home runs in Major League Baseball (33). But the Royals can't let the trade deadline pass without making a meaningful offensive upgrade.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson came up with a prospective trade target for KC: Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz, a former All-Star and the 2023 American League batting champion.
"Although Díaz has been highly productive in recent years (he generated a 138 OPS+ over the last three seasons), he isn't for everyone. You know the story by now: he hits the ball extremely hard, but it's often into the ground or at low-flying heights that limit his home-run potential," Anderson wrote.
"Factor in how he's walking less often than usual (and swinging outside of the zone more frequently), and the general disdain for his profile (he's a righty-hitting first baseman entering his mid-30s) and … well, it'll be interesting to see what, if anything he brings back in a trade. Potential fits: Reds, Tigers, Royals."
Díaz, 33, has been off to a somewhat slow start as well, posting a .689 OPS through his first 49 games. And even though his quality-of-contact metrics suggest he'll be above average the rest of the way, there's still another variable to consider.
Díaz hasn't played third base at all since 2023 and it was only six games that year. His athleticism has diminished enough that it doesn't seem like putting him back there is an option. That means the Royals would likely have to flip-flop him and Vinnie Pasquantino at first and designated hitter, with Salvador Perez mixing in at DH too.
So is it worth that sort of juggling act for the Royals to get a bat with obvious upside and obvious flaws? That's for general manager J.J. Picollo and his staff to determine.
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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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