KC Royals Should Consider Trading Kyle Zimmer

Kyle Zimmer made his 2015 debut on Friday night. There, the highly touted KC Royals prospect pitched 1.2 innings in relief, allowing a hit with two walks and a strikeout for the Lexington Legends. As far as debuts go, it was mediocre, but just getting Zimmer on the mound is a step in the right direction.

More from KC Royals Prospects

• The Maikel Garcia mistake the KC Royals may be making
• KC Royals Prospects: 7 selected for Fall League play
• KC Royals Prospects: What to do with Stephen Woods Jr.?
• KC Royals: 3 good candidates for 2 September callups
• KC Royals Prospects News: Top draft pick is sizzling

Naturally, as is the case any time that Zimmer steps on the mound, one has to wonder how long he will remain there. In each of his four professional seasons, Zimmer has had to deal with a different ailment, sidelining him for an extended stretch of time. At this point, is would seem foolhardy to anticipate a healthy season from Zimmer, at least until the point that he actually puts one together.

Yet, despite these ongoing injury woes, Zimmer remains one of the top prospects in baseball. While he has definitely slid down the KC Royals and the Top Prospects lists, Zimmer was still rated as the 75th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. MLB.com ranked Zimmer as the 58th best prospect, despite his pitching only 14.1 innings between the Arizona Fall League and his stint with the Idaho Falls Chukars last season.

Chances are, if Zimmer is still considered one of the top prospects in baseball by several sites, his stature may not have fallen that far inside the game as well. Having Zimmer stay healthy, and continuing to display that potential that made him such a hot prospect, would certainly go a long way to cementing his status as one of the better minor league pitchers in baseball.

Should this happen, and the KC Royals rotation continues to struggle, then it may behoove the Royals to see if others around the game share that same impression on Zimmer. If so, it may be time for the Royals to move on, trading Zimmer in a package for a pitcher to solidify the rotation.

Yes, Kyle Zimmer still has that top of the rotation potential. However, given his continued injury history, it may be fair to wonder if he will ever reach that level. In fact, Zimmer may well find himself as a reliever if the injuries continue.

It may be difficult to move on from a prospect as highly touted as Kyle Zimmer, but it may well be the right move for the KC Royals. If that top of the rotation starter that they need is available, and Zimmer is one of the pieces in that package, it is certainly worth pulling the trigger on the deal.

Next: The Royals May be America's Team