Nobody, not even the most optimistic fans, saw the Kansas City Royals being this good.
After an abysmal 56-106 record in 2023, the Royals have already matched that win total before the trade deadline. At 56-46, they hold the third American League Wild Card spot, and the division-leading Cleveland Guardians are only five games ahead in the standings.
So many things have gone right in Kansas City; namely, Bobby Witt Jr. becoming an MVP candidate. But the lineup gets thin pretty quickly after Witt and the Royals may need to find another bat to reinforce their playoff hopes.
As the July 30 deadline rapidly approaches, it looks as though the market will be low on premier hitters. But according to one insider, that shouldn’t stop the Royals from landing one of the big fish.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield wrote a piece predicting where the biggest “trade dominoes” would fall, including slugger Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics. Schoenfield believes the Royals are the team best suited to land Rooker in a potential blockbuster.
“He’s the best bat out there,” Schoenfield said of Rooker. “The Royals have a lot of good vibes going and the AL Central race has tightened. Get Bobby Witt Jr. some help.”
Rooker, 29, is a very interesting trade candidate. He only got to the Athletics because the Royals waived him at the end of 2022, when he was a career .200 hitter in 81 games. But he’s blossomed in Oakland, making an All-Star team in 2023 and leveling up again in 2024.
Typically, a hitter of Rooker’s caliber would command a tremendous prospect package, especially with three more years of team control. But he’s mostly limited to designated hitter duties and the Athletics’ bleak future outlook almost necessitates trading him at his peak value.
To the Royals, though, Rooker could be a life-saver. His .948 season OPS is tied with Rafael Devers for seventh in MLB. And the Royals have had almost no offensive contributions from their DH or corner outfield positions, so Rooker could change their entire outlook.
Competition for Rooker will be stiff, but the Royals could have the urgency needed to get a deal across the finish line. They’ve got until 6 p.m. on Tuesday to make it come to fruition.
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