Angels Slugger Called 'Hot Commodity' On Trade Market; Should Royals Pounce?
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Kansas City Royals fans should keep begging the front office to trade for an outfielder until they're blue in the face.
Nice try, general manager J.J. Picollo, but bringing in lifelong infielder Jonathan India and playing him in left field half the time doesn't count. The Royals need a real, capable outfielder who can give them 25 or so home runs over the course of a full season and carry his weight on defense.
The issue isn't just timing, because eventually, the market will open up before the Jul. 31 trade deadline. It's that this year's trade market looks particularly brutal for outfield talent, with lots of teams remaining close to the playoff race and lots of players on bad teams struggling.
However, one player who projects to be available looks like a decent fit if the Royals can pull him out of the rubble.
On Monday, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly declared the Los Angeles Angels sellers, and named outfielder Taylor Ward as their most obvious trade asset. The Royals would be an ideal fit for Ward, especially if he can pick up his slow/unlucky start from a batting average perspective.
"Left fielder Taylor Ward is hitting below .200 but has continued to produce from a power standpoint," Kelly wrote. "If the Angels make him available, he'll be a hot commodity. He's under team control through 2026, so he wouldn't be a rental."
Ward, 31, cranked 25 home runs last season and posted a 110 OPS+. Though he's hitting .197 now, two home runs over the weekend got him to 12 on the season through just 44 games, and his .691 OPS is still on par with the best of the Royals' outfielders (unfortunate, but true).
The Royals should keep a close watch on Ward as the summer approaches. There will surely be other teams interested, but no one has a greater need at his position.
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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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