*This is a prediction*
The Kansas City Royals have a strong core of players with Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Maikel Garcia, but they are going to need another tour impact bat in the lineup going forward if they want to see themselves become fully contenders for the future.
After finishing with an 82-80 record last season, they aren’t far off, but just truly need an impact bat that can also factor into helping them out with fixing their outfield spot.
One name that has started to pop up in trade discussions that the Royals could end up looking to trade for is Teoscar Hernandez.
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For as much of an impact as Teoscar Hernandez has made for the Los Angeles Dodgers so far in his tenure there, as the Dodgers look to accomplish a three-peat, they will find themselves having to make tough decisions to build the team out not only to contend this season, but for the future as well.
With Teoscar Hernandez coming off a season in which he had a .247/.284/.454 slash line with 25 home runs and 89 RBIs, it is a step down from his 2024 production, but is still immensely impactful production overall. His defense has started to show a decline as of late, and with him being 33, that could lead to the Dodgers looking to move on before risking a further decline.
For Kansas City, the defensive production from Teoscar Hernandez could make them skeptical about trading for him, but his offensive value would be extremely beneficial. Last season, the Royals’ outfielders ranked last in wRC+ (70) and fWAR (-1.4). The Royals need the offensive impact that Hernandez provides, and with him having been around a. winning culture like the Dodgers’, he can bring that experience over to Kansas City to further provide an impact.