This is the season of baseball players changing teams and one of the sport’s more valuable trade assets is Royals property. Done right, they could push some other contender toward a championship while bolstering their own chances in the future. A win-win.
The reasons they probably won’t do that tell the story of who the Royals are, who they see themselves to be, and the foundation of their plan to win another championship.
Whit Merrifield led all major-leaguers in hits and steals while playing five defensive positions. He has four years of club control remaining, and in 2019 will make slightly more than the league minimum salary.