The Kansas City Royals are going to be sellers at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. As they labor through another lost season as part of their rebuild, it makes sense for them to pick up as many prospects as they can at the deadline to help speed up the process.
Among the most desirable assets on the Royals roster are Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield. These two guys are Kansas City's two best hitters, and it sounds like both of them will be on the move at the trade deadline. Here's the latest on the rumors from ESPN's Jeff Passan.
“In the public eye, Benintendi's trade value might have taken a shot when he missed the trip to Toronto because he has not received the COVID-19 vaccine. But that hasn't stopped teams from pursuing him. Benintendi is hitting .317/.387/.398, with his batting average sixth among all qualified hitters in baseball and his on-base percentage 11th. He's an excellent left fielder. Another unvaccinated Royal who's very available: utilityman Whit Merrifield, who is expected to be moved before Aug. 2 after Kansas City avoided doing so for several seasons” – Jeff Passan, ESPN
Both Benintendi and Merrifield could draw pretty large hauls for the Royals. Benintendi has finally rediscovered his stroke after a few rough seasons, and has reemerged as one of the best contact hitters in the game. Merrifield on the other hand has been one of the most consistent players in the league over the past few seasons, and while he's currently in a bit of a down year, he still is an incredibly valuable player.
The Royals could certainly speed up their rebuild by unloading both of these guys at the deadline. Their current lineup will suffer as a result, but Kansas City isn't going to win anything this season so it doesn't really matter. Commence the fire sale in KC!