KC Royals: 5 Potential Trade Targets for Yordano Ventura

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KC Royals: In the last 7 days, which includes a 6-3 win vs. Tampa, the Royals offense is hitting a team slash line of .225/.279/.300, scoring 2 runs per game, and striking out at a rate of 21.3%. That is not a recipe for winning baseball folks, but it gets worse.

As a team, KC Royals pitching over the last 7 days has an ERA of 6.09 (and a FIP of 6.26), an opponents batting average of .291, and a HR/9 of 2.65!! As good as the KC Royals defense is, even they can only stop maybe 1 HR per game (Lorenzo Cain), but certainly not 2 or 3.

No team can consistently win with an offense as bad as the KC Royals have been. But more importantly, even a good offense cannot overcome how bad Royals pitching has been. The bullpen has been its usual self so far, but the Royals need to do something drastic with the rotation.

We were aware going into the season that the KC Royals had holes in the starting rotation and were hoping they could be filled by a 2015 version of Chris Young, and maybe a healthy Kris Medlen, or scrap heap Chin-Mein Wang. Unfortunately neither Young, Medlen, Wang or Gee have stepped up to fill the role of a consistent starter.

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Sure, Danny Duffy has shown that he may still have the stuff to be a starting pitcher, but that still leaves at least one of the pre-season starting rotation holes to fill. However, I’m afraid there is another hole in the rotation, and I’m talking about the one the KC Royals are attempting to fill with Yordano Ventura.

Personally, I don’t care who Ventura plunks, and won’t get into all the sanctimonious moral hand wringing. But I DO care that he is currently sporting a 5.32 ERA and only averaging 5.1 innings per start. I also care that Ventura’s strikeout rate of 6.0 K/9 is down while his walk rate of 4.77 BB/9 is up.

So, as the KC Royals rotation sits right now, there are exactly two reliable starters in Kennedy and Volquez, and a hopeful Danny Duffy. One of the the holes may be filled with a healthy Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Jason Vargas when he returns, or another arm on the farm.

Ventura’s strikeout rate of 6.0 K/9 is down while his walk rate of 4.77 BB/9 is up.

But with Gee, Young, and Ventrura being big question marks, and Duffy beginning to look like a solid #2 starter, it may be time to look at trade targets for Ventura.

Sure, Ventura is young, with a boat-load of upside, and a team friendly deal. Also, his recent antics have probably diminished his trade value some. But potential, low cost, and age will at least get any team GM to listen. The KC Royals also find themselves in “win-now” mode for 2016 and 2017, so they simply don’t have a season to waste waiting on Ventura to mature. Plus a change scenery may be just what Ventura needs to exercise some of his demons.

Next: Trade Target No. 1

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