The Royals seem to be major players at this week’s Winter Meetings, and while most of the attention has been focused on closer Wade Davis, it seems there is quite a market for another impending free agent for the Royals - outfielder Jarrod Dyson.
Dyson is attractive as a very valuable player who will not cost a lot in terms of salary. Dyson was worth 3.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) last year according to Fangraphs, tops among Royals position players. While Dyson may seem underwhelming at the plate, he has been an effective hitter at getting on base, and has been one of the best baserunners in baseball. His 85.4% success rate on stolen base attempts is the third-best mark in the past 50 years. Dyson also brings Gold Glove-quality defense and can slot in any of the three outfield spots for a new team. He is projected to earn less than $3 million next year in arbitration, his last year before free agency.
Accordingly, Dyson has drawn a lot of trade interest. Reportedly the Cardinals, Rangers, and Orioles have all been interested.
Among CFers in whom #STLCards are expressing interest, per sources: #Royals’ Jarrod Dyson. Potential FA, lower acquisition cost than Cain.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 5, 2016
A's, orioles, rangers, many others believed interested in jarrod dyson, who's one of best CF in game
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 7, 2016
But the team that has had the most reports around Dyson seems to be the Oakland Athletics.
Sources confirmed to MLB.com on Tuesday evening that the A's are in on trade discussions for the speedy outfielder, but a deal wasn't thought to be close.
Beane said he was aware of deals coming down that'd trigger what he wants to do. Could be that Royals deal Davis to Cubs, then Dyson to A's.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 7, 2016
The Athletics would make sense since they rely heavily on analytics, which show Dyson to be a more valuable player than conventional wisdom might suggest. And a cost-conscious team like Oakland would love Dyson’s very reasonable salary. However, it seems odd for the Athletics to be in on a player with one year left when the team is coming off a 93-loss season.
Oakland have quite a few young starting pitchers, which makes them an ideal trading partner with the Royals. If you really want to dream, Jharel Cotton or Daniel Megnden are Major League-ready starters with high upside, but they seem unlikely returns for one year of Dyson.
I'm hearing Royals have interest of A's young pitching but it would be a shock to see them move Cotton, even Mengden a stretch.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) December 7, 2016
Right-hander Raul Alcantara might be a good fit since he is out-of-options and may not have a rotation spot in Oakland. The 24-year old had a 3.58 ERA in 25 starts across AA and AAA this year with 7.3 strikeouts-per-nine innings before making five starts at the big league level with a 7.25 ERA.
Jesse Hahn could also be possibility as a mid-rotation starter who has had some Major League success already. Hahn has a 3.83 ERA in parts of three Major League seasons, but is coming off an ugly 2016 season where he had an ERA over six in nine starts and suffered from a shoulder injury.
The Athletics also have pitching prospects like A.J. Puk and Grant Holmes, as well as middle infield prospects like Richie Martin, Yairo Munoz, and Chad Pinder.
Relief help could also be a possibility. There have been rumors the Royals may have been interested in Sean Doolittle, and former Royals farmhand Andrew Triggs has some potential after his rookie year in Oakland.
Would make sense for A's to deal from bullpen; expendable pieces in there, and the Royals need relief help.
— Jane Lee (@JaneMLB) December 7, 2016
Now that the Wade Davis trade is complete, the Royals could be set up to make some other moves to complete their off-season strateg. It seems odd for the Royals to be moving Dyson if they want to make a run in 2017. However, if there is quite a demand for Jarrod Dyson, they could find themselves in a position to improve other areas of need while also looking long-term.