Kansas City Royals trade Lucas Duda to the Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have added some pop off the bench, acquiring Lucas Duda from the Kansas City Royals.

We are at the point in the season where those probable playoff teams are looking for those final pieces. That reliever who could come in and get a tough batter out. That power hitter who can come off the bench, and be a treat to go yard with any swing of the bat. A utility player who can come in late in the game, excelling on defense to help preserve a victory.

The Atlanta Braves acquired one of those pieces earlier on Wednesday, as they brought in Lucas Duda from the Kansas City Royals. In exchange, the Royals will get the ever popular cash considerations, or a player to be named later.

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Duda has not exactly had a banner year with the Royals. He has battled injuries and ineffectiveness, posting a somewhat disappointing .242/.311/.415 batting line. However, a portion of those issues are due to the fact that he has faced left handed pitchers as well, something that Duda has historically struggled against.

For the Braves, he will be a left handed power source, brought in to face right handed pitching. He is still a productive player against righties, with a .267/.335/.479 batting line, hitting 11 of his 13 homers. Should he be able to continue that production for the Braves, he would be well worth whatever price the Royals extract in the future.

In the end, the Royals have gotten what they wanted from their one year deal with Duda. He was not long for Kansas City, essentially signed to a one year contract with the idea that he would be sent elsewhere at the trade deadline. While the return may not have been precisely what the Royals had desired, they still got something for that investment.

The Atlanta Braves have acquired Lucas Duda as a left handed power source off the bench. Based on his production against righties, they could get exactly what they are hoping for.