Royals Could Win MLB Offseason With Trade For Projected $5.1 Million Superstar
The Kansas City Royals saw what it takes to win a World Series this season. And they learned that they don't currently possess it.
In their 3-1 series loss to the New York Yankees last week, the Royals were nothing without the typical heroic contributions they normally get from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The offense could barely scratch anything across in the final two games of the series, and the Yankees' big righty bat set the tone on the other side.
Giancarlo Stanton, a designated hitter who has dealt with injury problems for half a decade at this point, torched the Royals pitching staff in the American League Division Series. His clutch home run won the Yankees Game 3 and he added an RBI double to extend the lead in Game 4.
The Royals need a pure power bat to step up in big moments the way Stanton consistently does for the Yankees. They could land one on the trade market this winter via the Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker, who was ranked as Bleacher Report's number-one trade chip this winter by Joel Reuter.
"With his salary set to climb from the league minimum of $750,000 in 2023 to a projected $5.1 million in his first year of arbitration, the tight-fisted Athletics could start entertaining offers this winter," Reuter said.
"His elite offensive production and three remaining years of club control put him in the top spot on the offseason trade market, and he has the potential to be a legitimate game-changer if he finds his way to a contender."
Rooker, who turns 29 on Nov. 1, would be the best hitter to be traded this winter. He piled up 39 home runs, 112 RBI, a .927 OPS/165 OPS+, and 5.6 wins above replacement as a primary designated hitter this year. He wasn't just the Athletics' best hitter, he was a top-five hitter in the American League.
While roughly $5 million is an unbelievable bargain for a hitter of Rooker's caliber, this is the Athletics we're talking about. They'll trade away any player at any time, and Rooker's value might never be higher, so it's theoretically the perfect time to deal him right now.
That creates the perfect opportunity for the Royals to land their middle-of-the-order bat without breaking the bank. They should be willing to part with key prospects, including anyone in the farm system not named Jac Caglianone, to make that deal happen.
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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