While the Kansas City Royals are still in a position to make the playoffs, they need to make a move, or three, in order to “put their money where their mouth is.”
Chris Carter appears to swing the bat with his eyes closed at times, which means he is hitting only .205. Sadly, this isn’t too far off from his Major League average, but when he makes contact, good night… Carter has the ability to drive the ball to all fields and right into the stands. Playing in 81 games, Carter swings the bat with authority knocking out 19 home runs and 12 doubles. That is good enough to place Carter among the top twenty in the league in home runs. Keep in mind the Royals current home run leader is catcher Salvador Perez with 11.
Chris Carter’s current positions are left field, first base, and designated hitter, but he has played some center and some right field. That is perfect for what the Royals need. Sure, his is a liability on defense, but the Royals have plenty of defense, the club NEEDS power. What makes the most sense is that Carter is only 27 years old and is arbitration eligible until 2019. Billy Butler is as good as gone next year, Carter would fill that void nicely, and would come at half the cost. The Astros are shopping Carter and demanding a pretty hefty price. For a team that claims to be “all-in” on this year, that is a price that may need to be paid.
Adam Dunn has appeared in 78 games, is hitting .224 with 14 home runs and 14 doubles. He is 34, a free agent after this year, and expensive. He would be a half year rental to add pop to the lineup, and while he doesn’t make as much sense as Carter, he would still lead the Royals in home runs. Dunn can play first base, left and right field, and be the designated hitter. While I would rather have Carter, Adam Dunn would be far cheaper and wouldn’t cost the Royals much in terms of their future.
To put some of this into perspective, no modern era Baseball team has ever been last in the league in home runs and made the playoffs. Oh, and chicks dig the long ball…
@kenny_8181
