Red Sox 25-Year-Old Gold Glover Tabbed As Blockbuster Royals Trade Target
Is the big trade still forthcoming for the Kansas City Royals?
The Royals made one blockbuster acquisition already this winter, nabbing Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds to be their new leadoff hitter. But if India is a cinch to bat in front of Bobby Witt Jr. this season, the Royals still need more options to hit behind him.
Corner outfield was a black hole for Kansas City in 2024, an inexcusable blemish for any lineup that hopes to compete for championships. If they hope to go deeper into the playoffs moving forward, the Royals will likely have to scrounge up another trade package to land a formidable corner outfield bat.
On Monday, Jacob Milham of FanSided named Boston Red Sox right fielder, a Gold Glover as a rookie in 2024, as a realistic Royals trade target to revamp the middle of the batting order.
"Royals leadership has been transparent about their preference for trading for a middle-of-the-order bat — a costly but necessary move," Milham said. "While third base is another area of need, focusing on a corner outfielder makes more sense, expanding the pool of potential trade targets."
"Swinging big for (a player like Wilyer Abreu) would generate excitement."
Abreu, 25, had a mostly excellent rookie season, though he slumped toward the tail end of September. He finished the year with 15 home runs, a .781 OPS/114 OPS+, and 3.4 bWAR, with a position-leading seven outs above average in right field.
The Red Sox won't give up Abreu for nothing, though. Their main needs are right-handed bats and starting pitching, and it's hard to find a big-league-ready player on the Royals roster who fills either of those needs.
Brady Singer would have been the ideal Red Sox trade candidate, but Kansas City already used him to land India. They'll have to get creative if they want to grab Abreu, and at this point, it feels like a long shot.
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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