Kansas City Royals rumors: Expected to ‘zero in’ on Marlon Byrd, Alex Rios trades
By Bryan Rose
The Kansas City Royals find themselves in essentially what is the worst position to be in – sitting at .500 come the trade deadline. Do you buy or do you sell? It’s a question that has been looming over the franchise for a few weeks now but it appears we may have an answer.
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Winners of two straight, the Royals have shown interest in a handful of right fielders recently though they’re expected to ‘zero in’ on both Marlon Byrd of the Philadelphia Phillies and Alex Rios of the Texas Rangers in the next few days.
That’s the word from ESPN’s Jayson Stark, who believes other potential trade targets like Chris Denorfia or Dayan Viciedo aren’t likely to be joining the Kansas City Royals.
"But the White Sox would want an extra return to deal Viciedo in the division. And it’s doubtful the Royals would see Denorfia’s one homer and .612 OPS as much of an upgrade. So other clubs expect the Royals to zero in on Byrd and Rios in the next week and make the best deal they can make."
Although neither is exactly a ‘flashy’ name both Byrd and Rios are having very underrated seasons and would be beneficial for any acquiring team, especially one like the Royals who seem in desperate need of a right fielder.
Stark went on to suggest that the Kansas City Royals have called on just about every right-handed hitter thought to be available, though Marlon Byrd and Alex Rios seem to be the two favorites.