Whitley David Merrifield is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals. He is a two-time All-Star, and led the American League in stolen bases three times.
Whit Merrifield: Trade| Game Log| ESPN| Extension
Trade:
In a unique and potentially unprecedented situation, the Royals traded Merrifield to the Toronto Blue Jays just minutes before the trade deadline Tuesday.
And if the two-time All-Star wants to play any games in Canada down the stretch, Merrifield will be required to get one of the approved vaccines to enter the country.
Game log:
| Date | OPP | AVG |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 7/30 | @ NYY | .243 |
| Fri 7/29 | @ NYY | .243 |
| Thu 7/28 | @ NYY | .240 |
| Wed 7/27 | vs LAA | .242 |
In a buzzer-beater at the 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline, Kansas City dealt Merrifield to the Blue Jays for two prospects: Second baseman/outfielder Samad Taylor (Toronto’s No. 16 prospect at the time of the deal and now ranked No. 23 in Kansas City’s system) and right-hander Max Castillo (slotting in as K.C’s No. 13 prospect).
ESPN:
The Royals also dealt backup catcher Cam Gallagher to the Padres for outfielder Brent Rooker.
Even with preparation that the end of an era was coming, hearing that one of the faces of the franchise was no longer a Royal was jarring.
As Kansas City began pregame warmups ahead of a 9-2 loss to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, some players were confused as to why Merrifield wasn’t among them.
Extension:
As the trade deadline concluded with a flurry of last-minute deals, the Blue Jays have acquired Whit Merrifield from the Royals.
Kansas City will receive minor league infielder Samad Taylor and right-handed pitcher Max Castillo in exchange.
“We’ll let him work through that with his family,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said, while declining additional comment on the matter. “We felt like we made a very good team better today.”
