Royals Make All-Star Available for Trade

The Kansas City Royals, in last place in the AL Central, are sellers at the trade deadline. This much has been apparent for some time, and most of the focus has been on starting pitcher Danny Duffy. But now sources say they are making All-Star second baseman Whit Merrifield available. 

The #Royals are willing to trade Whit Merrifield for the right price.

— MLB News Network (@newsnetworkmlb) July 21, 2021

Baseball insider Jayson Stark dropped the news that the Royals are "more willing" to trade their All-Star 2B/OF than they have been in the past. But it'll take a pretty profound offer to pry him loose from KC.

While the Royals are willing to discuss Whit Merrifield in trade rivals expect the price to be “very steep,” and a person close to the situation said he still thinks it’s “highly doubtful” he’s dealt. In case, the Mets and many others are monitoring.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2021

Merrifield has been a staple near the top of the Royals order—and near the top of the AL stolen base leaders—for six years now. He's having another excellent season, with 25 SB and 50 RBI, giving him a unique distinction in team history:

Whit Merrifield is one of five players in @Royals history to steal 25 bases and drive in 50 runs before his 100th game of a season. The others:

Amos Otis- 1971
Johnny Damon- 2000
Carlos Beltrán- 2003
Adalberto Mondesí- 2019#TogetherRoyal | #MLB pic.twitter.com/1xeeQc0ZVR

— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) July 22, 2021

He's only the 5th Royal ever to chalk up those numbers before game #100 in a season. 

Some are getting a feeling of deja vu, that Kansas City seems to do this every year at the trade deadline, indicating that Merrifield could be available but only for a steep price.

The year is 2047. Whit Merrifield is 58 years old, & in the final 3 years of a team-friendly extension. Incredibly, he is still producing at passable level. Reports indicate KC is open to considering moving Merrifield to a contender, but they would "have to be overwhelmed." https://t.co/WrL6NJR7jj

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 22, 2021

Let's just that the odds are much greater of a Danny Duffy trade than anything involving Merrifield. 

Photo Credit:  Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sport