Kansas City Royals: Looking at Potential Trade Partners

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Phillies

It is well known that the Phillies are in fire sale mode. Ruben Amaro Jr. has been trying to unload Ryan Howard on anyone that will pick up the telephone, and is willing to pick up a large piece of that contract. Amaro has also been attempting to trade Cole Hamels, a legitimate ace and a pitcher than any team would love to have, but he wants virtually everything in a team’s farm system for Hamels. Obviously, neither would seem to be much of an option for the Kansas City Royals.

However, that does not mean that the Phillies do not have anything the Royals would be interested in. To the contrary, there may well be a starting pitcher that could pique the Royals interest. 37 year old Aaron Harang, signed to a one year, $5 Million contract this past January, has arguably been the Phillies best pitcher, posting a 4-5 record with a 2.02 ERA and a 0.995 WHiP. Even at age 37, those numbers will garner attention.

Chances are, it would not take much to pry Harang from the Phillies. Even a middle tier prospect would likely be a better return on their investment than one would expect. However, this is Ruben Amaro Jr. that we are talking about, so he will either insanely overvalue Harang or trade him for one of the leftover bottles of Billy Butler‘s Barbecue Sauce.

Likewise, unless Harang has begun using Roger Clemens‘ “training regiment,” pulling tractors with his teeth and growing a third eye, it is highly unlikely that he will continue at this pace. In his career, Harang has been exactly league average, posting a 4.14 ERA and a 1.345 WHiP. That is not much different than Jeremy Guthrie‘s career marks.

Aaron Harang may look like an upgrade for the Kansas City Royals, but historically, he is not much better than what they already have. Let us pass on Philadelphia and let someone else make that call.

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