Colorado Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez Seeking Trade; Possible Destinations

Kansas City Royals

No other contender across the majors could stand to benefit from Gonzalez’s presence more than the Royals.  Sure, the Royals have a solid enough offense to hit .271 as a team, but their ineptitude when it comes to scoring runs is perplexing.  They rank 26th with just 336 runs scored, which is below the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins (!).

From the onset of his arrival in Kansas City, the culture of their lineup would change.  No longer would Pablo Orlando roam right field – although, to his credit, he’s been a solid backup this season – and instead, Gonzalez would line up alongside Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon.

And assuming Gordon can break out of his season-long slump, adding Gonzalez would give the Royals one of the best outfields in the majors. While Gonzalez isn’t the best defender, any miscues in right field would be made up for by Cain’s magnet of a glove.

The trouble with this deal is finding players for the Royals to give up in return.  Since he has a season left on his deal, CarGo will command a significant haul in return – and the Royals simply may not be willing to part with enough prospects to acquire him.

Raul Mondesi would almost definitely be targeted by the Rockies, but he’s the Royals’ top prospect and is likely their second baseman of the future. The Royals could afford to offer up pitching prospects, but they’d more than likely have to include right-hander Kyle Zimmer in the deal.

Acquiring Gonzalez without mortgaging their future is the biggest challenge for the Royals, but he’d be worth it if they hope to compete for another World Series title.

Next: Division Rivals