The trade deadline was on Monday. But the Royals are still working out some deals!
Minor leaguers are not subject to the trade deadline, so the Royals have reportedly acquired infielder Jacob Berry from the Marlins, according to a report from Isaac Azout at Fish On First. Berry was hitting .251/.372/.362 with four home runs in 72 games at Triple-A and has yet to appear in the big leagues.
A third baseman with some experience in the outfield, Berry was a standout at LSU and was the #8 prospect for the 2022
draft, according to Baseball America. They wrote that the switch-hitter had advanced plate discipline and gap power to fall fields. There were some questions about his power from the right side, and his home run numbers have never materialized in the minors. The Marlins took him with the sixth overall pick – three picks before Gavin Cross, who will now be his teammate in Omaha.
The Royals are in full evaluation mode, and while fans shouldn’t expect too much out of these kind of trades, accumulating talent to see if anyone can break through is a good move. Berry was once a high upside prospect, and he demonstrates the kind of plate discipline this organization needs. It certainly beats signing some 30+ year-old hitter you thought retired two years ago to fill out your minor league roster.
