Royals Could Acquire 27-Year-Old Slugger In Deadline Trade With Marlins
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It would be nice for more Kansas City Royals to step in the box feeling like they could hit a home run.
The Royals have hit the fewest homers in Major League Baseball this season at 39. Every other team has at least 43, and more than half the league has at least 63. The power outage is widespread, and it makes big innings and blowout wins awfully difficult to come by.
It's been said all season that the Royals should look to acquire a power-hitting outfielder at the trade deadline. And even now that number-one prospect Jac Caglianone is with the big-league club, that objective still feels worthwhile.
Meanwhile, in a recent article, Matt Chabot of Royals Review suggested such a trade target: Jesus Sanchez of the Miami Marlins, a 27-year-old corner outfielder whose raw power has always been impressive, even if he's never hit more than 18 home runs in a season.
"The Marlins will also likely be looking to trade outfielder Jesus Sanchez, who has had success at the plate and has experience at all three outfield spots. Sanchez is having a down year at the plate, with less power than in seasons past, but is getting on base at the highest rate of his career, and his walks are up five percent," Chabot wrote.
"Getting on base is valuable, as he has proven to have some value on the bases, stealing a career high 16 bags in 2024. Sanchez is an average defender at best, but his potential offensive value makes him one of my favorite value targets for the Royals this season."
Sanchez only has four home runs this season in 42 games. But he's doing something else that should catch the Royals' eye: getting on base. With a career-best .361 on-base percentage and 11.8 percent walk rate, he's been an above-average overall hitter this year.
If the Royals traded for Sanchez, they'd have him under team control for two more seasons after the 2025 campaign. And the Marlins should be willing to trade just about any of their arbitration-eligible players for the right price.
More MLB: Could Orioles Unload Former 2nd-Overall Pick To Royals In Deadline Blockbuster?
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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