Royals Could Soon Cut Ties With 11-Year Veteran In Favor Of Trade Upgrade

Far too many Kansas City Royals hitters have been mired in slumps this season.

It's not as though the Royals were some offensive juggernaut last season, but Bobby Witt Jr. was sublime, and enough supporting cast members stepped up. This year, Witt has just been very good so far, and that supporting cast is no longer enough to pick up the slack.

As Kansas City starts mulling trades to improve the offense, particularly in the outfield, where they've been the worst in the league, they also have to think about who to dump from the active roster.

In the event that those reinforcements do arrive, one Royals writer thinks there's a clear-cut first player to lose his roster spot.

On Thursday, Jacob Milham of FanSided named Mark Canha as his preferred low man on the totem pole, which likely matches up with what the Royals' front office is thinking.

"Since the start of May, Canha has a dreadful 23 wRC+. His once-reliable eye has faded, his walk rate has cratered, and his contact—while frequent—is often meaningless. His struggles are a painful microcosm of the Royals’ offensive woes," wrote Milham.

"Canha was supposed to be the steady bat that moved the line. Not a spark plug, but a professional hitter who could keep innings alive. That version of Canha hasn’t shown up in Kansas City in months. If the Royals trade for an outfielder—or even call one up from Omaha—Canha should be the first name off both the 26-man and 40-man rosters."

Canha, an 11-year major league veteran who has excelled at getting on base for most of his career, is surely well-liked in the clubhouse. But he was brought in to play a role, and he hasn't been playing it. At age 36, it's easy to project that his decline may have fully set in.

Canha also isn't getting many at-bats these days, but if he wants to save himself, it would certainly pay to go on a major hot streak in the next two weeks.

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