(Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
The major league trade deadline is just a few hours hours more than a week away. By 3 p.m. Kansas City time (CDT) next Friday, all deals must be done, and KC Royals fans will know by then whether Whit Merrifield will still be theirs.
Contemplating a Merrifield trade has been an annual Kansas City ritual since at least 2018, the year after he established himself as a bona fide big league star by leading the majors in hits for the first of two straight seasons, leading both leagues in stolen bases, and slashing .