On Sunday, the Royals began their trade season by shipping veteran starting pitcher Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell. The 33-year old Bailey had been signed to a minor league deal last winter and was attractive to other teams for his recent run of strong performances, but also because of his very low cost, with the Dodgers picking up nearly all of his $23 million salary.
In return, the Royals get the 23-year old Merrell, who could be a part of their rebuild. Let’s learn more about the newest member of the Royals.