The sinking Kansas City Royals are likely to be busy during this summer's trading season, and one of their top players appears to be getting a look from a contending club.

The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly expressing interest in Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It's not clear how far along trade talks are between the two sides, though Rosenthal reports that the Brewers' pursuit of Merrifield began during the offseason.

Adding the versatile 29-year-old would likely come at a high cost for the Brewers, as he's under team control through 2022 and won't reach arbitration for another year. Kansas City is therefore likely to command a sizable return for the infielder.

Merrifield would immediately help shore up a weak spot for the NL Central-leading Brewers, whose second basemen have combined to produce just 0.2 wins above replacement this season, according to Fangraphs, ranking 25th in the majors.

The three-year pro owns a .281/.356/.400 slash line with four home runs, 23 doubles, 16 stolen bases, and 30 walks across 76 games for the Royals this year. Last year he broke out to slug 19 homers while also stealing an AL-best 34 bases.