Collins fills a huge void…
It’s impossible to win a trade before any games have been played, but from a projected value standpoint, the Kansas City Royals made out like bandits in their latest deal.
In former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Isaac Collins, the Royals nabbed an up-and-comer who finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting, plus reliever Nick Mears, all for the price of lefty reliever Angel Zerpa.
On top of the lopsided value proposition that comes with trading a reliever for an everyday outfielder, Collins fills the Royals’ most important void of the offseason. And in his first public comments after the trade, he perfectly summed up why Kansas City was so smart to acquire him.
Isaac Collins expects to get on base
Collins was one of the best on-base machines in the sport this season, and he knows it. He told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers in the wake of the trade that he knows he can get himself into scoring position for the Royals’ more established hitters (i.e. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez) to knock him in.
“I’m not necessarily going to have 100 RBIs every year,” Collins laughingly said, per Rogers. “But I’m going to get on base for the big dogs and have them knock me in.”
The Royals haven’t necessarily committed to batting Collins leadoff, but it would make sense, as that duty was delegated to outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, now a member of the Atlanta Braves, against righties during the second half.
Another huge benefit to acquiring Collins was his familiarity with assistant hitting coach Connor Dawson, who joined the Royals staff from the Brewers just weeks before Collins’ arrival.
“He does a really good job with scouting reports,” Collins told Rogers. “Knowing what to look for with pitchers and knowing what’s worked well in the past. He does a really good job of preparing us as hitters for what’s to come. I’m excited to continue to work with him.”
While there’s always risk involved in a trade, especially one for a player with only 500-ish plate appearances at the major league level, Collins checks every box for the Royals from a fit perspective.
