The Royals are in need of a right-handed bat, and according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, Jonny Gomes is in the mix as one potential trade target:

The #royals, in the market for a RH bat, have Jonny Gomes on their list of potential trade targets. #redsox — Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 14, 2014

It's easy to see why the Royals would be interested in Gomes. After Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain, they've struggled to find offensive production from their lineup, to the point where they've given 42-year-old Raul Ibanez a chance.

Gomes, of course, is not going to solve all their problems out there, but he can certainly contribute. He's earned some criticism in Boston this season for what seems like a subpar performance on the surface, but really Gomes is the same player this year as he usually is. What's really changed is that Boston's outfield depth has taken a real hit, forcing him to face too many right-handed hitters for his own good. As a right-handed bat intended to hit lefties, Gomes is still a fine piece of the puzzle for a potential contender, hitting .306/.403/.429 against southpaws in 119 plate appearances.

That being said, he's not a big piece of the puzzle, and can't be expected to bring that significant a return. The Red Sox won't be getting any marquee talent back in a deal for Gomes, though there's something to be said for both organizational depth and low-level lottery tickets.

And, really, the main thing for the Red Sox is that there's no downside for them here. Jonny Gomes can be the extra push that gets a winning team over the top, but he's not much use to a team that's nine games under .500. He's gone in 2015 and, frankly, his roster spot and playing time are better utilized seeing if maybe, just maybe Alex Hassan can fill his role next year.