Royals Predicted To Acquire 20-HR Athletics Rising Star In Surprise Blockbuster

The outfield addition the Royals didn't know they could have?

Jul 23, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; General view of an Oakland Athletics helmet after defeating the Houston Astros at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals lucked out when trading with the Athletics at last season's deadline. Might they run it back in 2025?

In former Athletics reliever Lucas Erceg, the Royals acquired the breakout star who would become their closer for the entire stretch run. After putting up a 2.88 ERA/1.17 FIP in 23 outings in Kansas City, Erceg looks to have the inside track on locking up his closer job permanently in 2025.

The A's have since moved to Sacramento for the next three seasons, and have spent the most money in franchise history for a single offseason, in large part to avoid a potential grievance from the owners that would threaten their revenue-sharing status.

One baseball writer isn't buying into the A's hype train, and believes the Royals could still stand to benefit from a firesale at this year's trade deadline.

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted that the Royals would acquire Athletics outfielder J.J. Bleday at the 2025 trade deadline, shifting him to left field to improve the weak corner outfield production Kansas City suffered in 2024.

"Acquiring Bleday would add another impressive bat to the lineup in Kansas City, and he would benefit greatly from shifting to left field on a full-time basis," Kelly wrote.

"The Royals may have to pay a bit of a premium to acquire the 27-year-old, but he won't become arbitration eligible until 2026 and can't become a free agent until after 2028, so Kansas City would have him for a few years then."

Bleday should have been lauded for his breakout season in 2024, but his subpar defense in center field tanked much of his value. He was worth 4.1 offensive WAR thanks to his 120 OPS+ and 20 home runs, but he racked up -1.5 defensive WAR as a slower-than-average center fielder.

Kansas City would be the perfect team to acquire Bleday if he did become available in a trade. And for all the positive publicity the A's are trying to drum up about their debut season in Sacramento, they're still one of the more likely teams to become sellers if their thin pitching staff can't produce.

Bleday won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season, so there's no incentive for the A's to move him right away. But they traded Erceg to the Royals last season with one more season of team control than Bleday will come with, so anything remains possible.

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