Ex-Royals Power-Hitting Prospect Lands With Athletics Shortly After Being Released
The Kansas City Royals offense has struggled to score runs lately but that doesn't seem to deter the organization from making bold moves.
Royals president of baseball operations Brooks Sherman recently decided to give up on a slugger in their farm system, who has shown great potential and now has the opportunity to show his new club what he's worth.
Former Kansas City third baseman CJ Alexander was acquired by the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, only one day after being released by the Royals.
Alexander wasn't impactful for the Royals by any means. After debuting at the end of June, he recorded three strikeouts with only one hit and zero RBIs in eight at-bats for the Royals.
The 28-year-old was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2018 but struggled at the plate in their farm system. It wasn't until Alexander was picked up by the Royals that he started to level up his game.
During this season with Triple-A Omaha, Alexander batted .303 with 44 extra-base hits including 16 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .906 OPS in 82 games played.
To give up on a prospect who not only has played well this season but also recorded three straight seasons of hitting 15 or more home runs isn't an easy move.
It's tough to see Kansas City release a productive hitter when the club's offense recently contributed to losing seven straight games.
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NATE HAGERTY
Nate Hagerty joined "Kansas City Royals On SI" to expand his coverage beyond his work with “St. Louis Cardinals On SI.” Hagerty has been involved in baseball in some capacity since he was seven years old and began a career in sports journalism shortly after graduating from Bridgewater State in 2022. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org