Royals and Cardinals are talking about a Matt Adams swap

Yesterday, the Royals went out and got Peter O’Brien from Arizona to help fill their massive hole at DH. As O’Brien is a massive person, you’d think this would be a perfect fit. But apparently, there’s more room in the hole, as Dayton Moore is thinking about adding another massive person, Matt Adams, to it according to Bob Nightengale.

Adams came to prominence in 2013 as a bad-body first baseman with the Cardinals, who he helped get to the World Series. He followed it up with a strong campaign in 2014, hitting .287/.327/.474 across the two years. 2015 was a huge turning point, however, as he struggled with his weight and severely strained his right quadriceps muscle, forcing him to miss most of the season.

He trained hard that offseason, coming back with more muscle and less flab, and bounced back slightly in 2016, hitting .249/.309/.471. He still suffered from several injuries, however, including a shoulder problem that sidelined him in September. Reportedly, Adams has lost another 25 pounds this offseason and is currently penciled in as Matt Carpenter’s backup in St. Louis. In Kansas City, he’d presumably form a productive, low-cost platoon with O’Brien at DH, and as insurance in case something happens to Eric Hosmer.

This would be the second move of real consequence for the Royals this winter, after they dropped from 95 wins to 81 in 2016. Despite some obvious holes, team owner David Glass has ordered that any moves be revenue neutral after a ramp up in spending last year. In December, they traded Wade Davis to the Cubs for Jorge Soler, and the club may be looking to trade either Jarrod Dyson or Lorenzo Cain to open up more room and money.