Report: Royals have interest in Nick Markakis

The Kansas City Royals are on the fringes of the playoff race, but they are still looking at potential upgrades.

One of them is reportedly Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, whom Kansas City is looking at, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Markakis fits in well with how the Royals build. He’s a contact-hitting outfielder who hits left-handed and doesn’t rely on power. He has a history of hitting for average and was a Gold Glove winner as recently as 2014. He’s seen his average drop in 2016, however, as he’s hitting just .260 with five home runs.

Outfield is clearly a priority for Kansas City, as they’ve targeted other right fielders as well. The Braves would need to kick in money on Markakis’s expensive contract, but he’d be an established name that could help the Royals, who sit 9 games back in the AL Central and 6 back in the wildcard.