Giants' On-Base Machine, Trade Candidate Linked To Royals In Possible Blockbuster
The Kansas City Royals have their superstar in Bobby Witt Jr. Now, they need to surround him with a better supporting cast.
Outside of Witt, the Royals had a profoundly mediocre offense in 2024. They finished 14th in team OPS and 19th in on-base percentage, which won't cut it when you need to manufacture runs in meaningful games, especially the playoffs.
The Royals also never shored up the leadoff spot in their lineup, cycling through middling veterans like Adam Frazier and Tommy Pham as the season progressed. Finding a hitter who can reliably get on base in front of Witt in the two-hole is goal number one for Kansas City this winter.
First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. of the San Francisco Giants looks like a name to watch on the trade market. Max Rieper of Royals Review named Wade as a trade candidate for the Royals who could shore up the leadoff spot.
"Wade doesn’t have much power for a corner position, but he has the 11th-best on-base percentage in baseball over the past two seasons," Rieper said. "He has spent most of his time at first base, playing sparingly in the corner outfield positions, so it’s not clear he’d be a good fit for the Royals. The left-handed hitter would be a free agent after the 2025 season, and he’ll turn 31 in January."
Adding to the credibility of the notion that Wade could be dealt, insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently named Wade among his 15 top trade candidates this winter.
"In a departure from the previous administration, the Giants’ new front office leadership, led by president of baseball operations Buster Posey, appears to want to emphasize everyday players more than platoon types, which means they could move on from LaMonte Wade Jr., who batted .260/.380/.381 (121 OPS+) last season over 331 at-bats."
Whether Wade fits with the Royals likely comes down to whether he can still hold his own in the outfield, as he did early in his Giants career. First base is locked down by Vinnie Pasquantino, who also bats left-handed, so there is no logical way for him and Wade to share time at the position.
Even in a platoon situation, Wade could be the ideal leadoff hitter to put in front of Witt. His on-base skills are among the very best in the sport, and that's the primary thing Kansas City is looking for at the moment.
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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