Diamondbacks-Royals Proposed Blockbuster Would Land KC's Next Leadoff Hitter
The Kansas City Royals made some noise during the 2024 Major League Baseball season, but not many seem to be expecting them to stay loud during the winter.
After a surprise 30-win improvement and their first playoff series win since 2015, the Royals have a bright outlook for the future. Not a team that typically spends top dollar in the winter, the Royals already got off to a fast start by extending starting pitcher Michael Wacha on a $51 million contract.
That could be only the tip of the iceberg, though. The Royals still desperately need improved offense from their outfield, and they need a new leadoff hitter. What if they address both needs in a single blockbuster trade?
Starting pitcher Brady Singer seems like the most logical piece for the Royals to float in trades, as Kansas City has former 20-game winner Kyle Wright set to return from injury. If they trade Singer, the Royals could land themselves their new table-setter, and the Arizona Diamondbacks could be the ideal partner.
Matthew LaMar of Royals Review recently proposed a number of trade returns the Royals could get for Singer, with D-Backs outfielder Jake McCarthy as his preferred option.
"The clear thing to do is to trade Singer for a corner outfielder. Availability aside, a couple of intriguing names for me are Luke Raley, a Mariners corner player who has a 129 wRC+ over the last two years, and Lars Nootbaar, whose career OBP for the Cardinals is .348," LaMar said.
"But maybe the most realistic is a guy like Jake McCarthy. The Diamondbacks outfielder put up a 3 WAR season in 2024 by just being a solid all-around player. He immediately becomes Kansas City’s starting right fielder. Now, depending on who is available, the Royals may have to give up more in addition to Singer or could get multiple players back."
McCarthy, 27, had an excellent year in 2024 after missing the D-Backs' playoff run due to injury the year before. He slashed .285/.349/.400, showcasing the type of bat-to-ball skills that the Royals were missing from their leadoff hitters all season.
Meanwhile, Singer, 28, had a strong year in the Royals' rotation, but was left out of the picture come playoff time. The former 2018 first-round pick had a 9-13 record, 3.71 ERA, and 170 strikeouts in 32 starts.
If a Singer-for-McCarthy trade is on the table, it's easy to see why the Royals might pull the trigger. We know the Royals are sniffing around the trade market, but it remains to be seen whether Arizona is open to listening.
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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