Kansas City Royals Trade Targets: Detroit Tigers Edition

By David Hill | Jul 8, 2015

Right now, as things stand, the Kansas City Royals are a playoff team. With the Detroit Tigers dealing with injuries and poor performances, the biggest threat to a postseason run may be the surprising Minnesota Twins. Yet, for the Royals perceived ability to make the postseason, they are still a flawed team. The Royals need to find upgrades both in their lineup and in their starting rotation.

With the clamoring for the Royals to acquire both a right fielder and a starting pitcher, a lot of focus has been shifted towards the Oakland A’s. Scott Kazmir and Ben Zobrist, two impending free agents, are expected to be on the trade block. However, given the Tigers loss of Miguel Cabrera, it may be time for Detroit to look to sell off two of their own impending free agents, David Price and Yoenis Cespedes.

Both Price and Cespedes would fit those needs that the Kansas City Royals have. Price is a proven top of the rotation starter, a true ace that can carry a team on his back, allowing the Royals to slot Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy in spots where they may be more comfortable. Cespedes, meanwhile, would be that impact power bat that could fit in the middle of the lineup, giving the Royals the offensive punch that can, at times, be lacking.

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Obviously, there would be a couple of problems with this scenario. First, Cespedes has never played right at any point in his professional career, playing primarily in left and center. However, when the Red Sox still had Cespedes prior to trading him to Detroit, he was willing to move to right field to accommodate the recently signed Hanley Ramirez. Given his arm strength, such a move could be a fit.

There is also the problem of whether or not the Tigers would be willing to make a trade to help their divisional rivals reach the playoffs. While the Royals have not made many trades with some teams in their division, most notably the Twins, The Royals and Tigers have made a few trades in their history. In fact, the Royals and Tigers have made eleven moves together, including the 2011 trade where the Royals sent Wilson Betemit to Detroit to help their playoff push.

Even though the Royals and Tigers have made quite a few trades over the years, they have not made any moves that would be on par with a deal that would send Price and Cespedes to the Royals. However, if the Tigers decide that they need to rebuild, the Royals could have enough young pieces to make such a move attractive to Detroit.

The Kansas City Royals need a starting pitcher and another bat. As unlikely as it may seem, maybe Dayton Moore should call his counterpart in Detroit, just to see if David Price and Yoenis Cespedes are available. If so, they could prove to be those pieces needed to put the Royals over the top and bring home a World Series title.

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