Whit Merrifield continues to deliver for Kansas City Royals despite trade rumors

Annually, infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield has seen his name floated in reports and trade rumors with him tied to multiple destinations or teams that supposedly had offers on the table. Yet he has remained a member of the Kansas City Royals.

While the trade chatter seems to have gotten louder this season, at least in some national media reports, Merrifield has continued to provide a steadying presence in the lineup for the Royals as well at second base.

On Monday night, he turned in a couple defensive gems, including a run-saving play in a one-run game to end the seventh inning. His sixth-inning solo home run, his sixth homer of the season, ultimately proved the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“Obviously, there’s been a lot of distractions but to continue to play the game and to be able to put blinders on and ‘Alright, what do I need to do to help our team win?’ He’s a winning-style player,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Merrifield. “ He comes through on the defensive side a couple times today and then with the bat as well. It’s just figuring out ways to help us win. That’s what we want.”

Matheny alluded to the combination of trade rumors and Merrifield drawing the ire of some fans and pundits for being one of 10 players who did not make the trip to Canada going into the All-Star break for a series against the Blue Jays because they were not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Merrifield’s comments in the immediate aftermath, for which he apologized, were interpreted by some to mean he’d welcome a trade.

Asked if the last couple weeks had been more difficult than usual, Merrifield said, “Once the game starts, it’s the game and what happens off the field is two separate parts of my life. I feel like I do a pretty good job of disconnecting the two.”

Since the All-Star break, Merrifield has six extra-base hits in 11 games and batted .244 with six RBIs.

His sixth-inning home run gave the Royals a 2-0 lead, and they held on for a 2-1 win. He pulled an 0-1 slider down the left field line and estimated 346 feet.

“I got it down the line, I got it with enough backspin that I figured it was going out,” Merrifield said. “We’re not at Kauffman, so I had a little better feel that it was going out.”

That blast was his fifth homer on the road this season.

One way or another, the trade speculation should fade by Tuesday night’s game. The MLB trade deadline is at 5 p.m. Central time Tuesday.