Royals trade Lucas Duda to the Braves for cash considerations

The Royals have traded first baseman Lucas Duda to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. He provides the first-place Braves with a veteran bench bat and a backup first baseman behind Freddie Freeman. Duda was hitting .242/.311/.415 with 13 home runs in 85 games going into today’s afternoon contest against the Tigers.

The 32-year old Duda originally signed a one-year deal with the Royals before this season, paying him $3.5 million. He is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, and with the emergence of Ryan O’Hearn, Duda was unlikely to figure into the Royals’ plans next year.

The amount of cash received is unknown, but it is likely a marginal amount. The biggest benefit to trading Duda is opening up playing time to O’Hearn and possibly Frank Schwindel if he gets called up to the big leagues. The move also opens up a 40-man roster spot that the Royals can use next week to activate Jorge Soler from the 60-day disabled list.

Lucas Duda ends his Royals career with 75 hits, tied for 177th in franchise history with Brandon Moss, Phil Hiatt, and Bobby Floyd.