The Kansas City Royals traded slugging first baseman Lucas Duda to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations after their game against Detroit on Wednesday.
Duda signed a $3.5 million, one-year deal to take over for departed first baseman Eric Hosmer this season. But despite showing flashes of his prodigious power, Duda's hit just .242 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs while appeared in 87 games, making his trade somewhat imminent.
He heads from a last-place team in Kansas City to a first-place team in Atlanta.
The Royals traded Duda in part to give up-and-coming youngsters Hunter Dozier and Ryan O'Hearn more playing time at first base. They planned to make a move to fill Duda's roster spot before Friday night's game against Baltimore.
