Royals-Rockies Blockbuster Trade Idea Ships 2024 Gold Glove CF To Kansas City

Royals. Outfield. You know the drill.

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

We will continue covering the Kansas City Royals' issues in the outfield until we're blue in the face, or until the Royals actually do something meaningful to address it.

Through the team's first 29 games, Royals outfielders rank dead last in Major League Baseball with -0.9 fWAR. They've got just three home runs, while every other team's outfielders have combined for at least six. And they've also got a -6.0 defensive rating, per Fangraphs.

At some point, the Royals simply have to get uncomfortable by making a trade for an outfielder who can genuinely help the cause. But it's still early in the season, so it may be too soon to know which outfielders might be available.

However, one writer is calling for Kansas City to acquire an outfielder from a team already making plans for golf trips during the postseason.

In a recent article, Cullin Jekel of SB Nation urged the Royals to pursue Colorado Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle, a 2024 Gold Glove recipient playing for the team with the worst record in all of baseball (4-23 entering play Monday).

"While the corner outfield might be the easiest position for which to trade, the Royals need to be bold with a move that would land them a solid center fielder, thus pushing Isbel to one of the corners with Caglianone when he’s ready," Jekel wrote. "And that center fielder is Brenton Doyle."

"Doyle doesn’t hit his free agency until after 2028—he still has three years remaining of arbitration. There’d been talk of Doyle and the Rockies discussing a long-term deal, but nothing materialized. Perhaps the Royals could pounce on that. Acquire him and extend him."

Doyle, 27, is coming off a season in which he not only won a Gold Glove, but put up 23 home runs and 4.0 bWAR. He's also not heading to free agency until 2029, so the Royals would get him for 3.5 seasons.

If it sounds too good to be true, it's because it very well may be. The Rockies are notoriously hesitant to trade anyone, let alone a player with as much remaining team control as Doyle has. But if they're willing to play ball for once, the Royals should be the first team calling them up.

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