The Royals have added Jacob Berry, landing the infielder/outfielder from the Marlins in exchange for cash, according to Isaac Azout of Fish on First.
Even though the trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, this kind of deal is still on the table for players who haven’t spent the entire season on a 40-man roster, as MLBTR noted earlier today.
Berry arrives with plenty of name recognition from the amateur side, even if the pro results haven’t matched the billing. Miami grabbed him sixth overall in the 2022 draft and handed him a $6MM bonus after he put together a huge .370/.464/.630 line for LSU. At the time, the bat was the selling point, while the glove was not viewed as a major strength.
That offensive promise has been harder to find in the minors. Across 1,933 plate appearances, Berry has 35 home runs and a .245/.325/.377 slash line, which works out to a 98 wRC+. He was also left unprotected in the most recent Rule 5 draft and went unselected.
There are still some encouraging signs in his profile. This season at Triple-A, Berry has worked 302 plate appearances, drawn walks at a 15.2% clip and struck out just 14.2% of the time.
He has only four homers, but his overall production sits at .251/.372/.362 with a 103 wRC+. He’s also been a useful runner, stealing 27 bases last year and 18 already this season.
Defensively, Berry has been deployed all over the field except shortstop and the battery. That kind of versatility could give Kansas City some options, whether he eventually sticks on the 40-man roster or simply provides Triple-A depth for now.
If he doesn’t land a roster spot, Berry would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft again this offseason, assuming the draft isn’t canceled like it was during the last lockout.
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