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

Potential Trade Target 1: Jake Odorizzi

Jake Odorizzi is 26 years old, only 1 year older than Ventura, and as John Viril stated in an earlier piece, someone the Royals are already familiar with. He is currently posting a 3.33 ERA and averaging nearly 5.2 innings per start. He is also set to begin arbitration for the first time in 2017 so he would be under team control through 2019.

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The Padres are not planning on contending in 2016 as evident by them trading James Shields recently, but an arm like Pomeranz is defiantly in their future plans. Along with Ventura, the Padres are going to want at least one of the Royals top prospects such as Miguel Almonte or Ashe Russell, though Mondesi probably wouldn’t need to be included.

Pomeranz is along similar lines to Odrizzi where Pomeranz posted a 3.66 ERA in a full 2015 season with the A’s as both a reliever and a starter. He likely won’t maintain such a low ERA for the rest of the season, but he is again a solid #2 and would help the KC Royals win now.

The best part of Pomeranz is his impressive 10.5 K/9. His ability to miss bats suggest he will continue to perform up to his recent standards, even considering that he’s pitching in the National League where pitchers hit.

The best part of Pomeranz is the KC Royals could deal him after the 2017 season in the final year of his contract to recoup some prospects.

Likelihood Score (1-10): We give this one a 5.

Next: Trade Target No. 3

Jun 8, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (54) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Potential Trade Target 3: Wei-Yin Chen

It seems as though the Marlins are always in the midst of a pseudo-rebuild and 2016 is no different. With the Marlins having essentially no chance of catching either the Nationals or the Mets, a trade with the Royals for Ventura may be something they would entertain.

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Chen Just recently inked a 5 year $80 million contract with the Marlins this year and I would guess he has some no-trade clause in his contract. But it usually isn’t contested when that player is being traded to a contender for the same money he just signed. Plus, given Chen’s contract size relative to Ventura, the Marlins may go in favor of player potential over cost.

As for KC, the Royals would be getting a reliable pitcher who pitched 191 innings in 2015 with an ERA of 3.34, and 185 innings in 2014 with and ERA of 2.54. Chen has an ERA in 2014 above 4 but his FIP is 3.85 and Miami doesn’t have the defense the Royals do.

The KC Royals may also get away with only giving up one top prospect in the trade due to Ventura’s team friendly contract. The likely hold up would be over the Kansas City Royals taking on a five-year contract bigger than the one Alex Gordon just signed, and asking the Marlins to eat part of that contract would cost more prospects.

The biggest problem with Chen is that he’s more of a number 3 or 4 pitcher (on a good staff) rather than a top of the rotation guy. He’s useful, but he’s not really a guy that can dominate in prime time. He’s probably not worth what he’d cost.

Likelihood Score (1-10): We give this one a 4.

Next: Potential Trade Target No. 4

May 24, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) pitches to the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

Potential Trade Target #4: Ervin Santana

Look, I know the Twins are a division opponent so if Ventura ever lives up to his potential, the Royals would regret this trade. I also know that it could put Royals hitters in mortal danger several times in a season. But other than that this trade makes a ton of sense right now.

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Teheran is off to a solid start in 2016 with an ERA of 2.92 and is averaging almost 6.1 innings per start. Though Teheran is young, only 25, he has ample MLB experience with his first full season in MLB coming in 2013. Teheran would easily slot in as the Royals #2 starter and potentially be the staff ace in 2016 as well as the next few seasons.

Of course a deal/fit this good is going to be pricey. Even with the Royals sending Ventura to Atlanta, KC will likely have to part with a top farm arm and a position player. Mondesi may be safe given that the Braves already have a young hot SS prospect, but given how badly the Braves fleeced the D-backs for Shelby Miller, I just don’t think the Royals will get Teheran for less than a kings ransom.

Likelihood Score (1-10): We give this one an 8.

The problem is that Yordano Ventura’s recent blowup has harmed his trade value. KC Royals sources informed Fox Sports writer Ken Rosenthal that Ventura is a diligent worker between starts who wants to be great. The problem is his intensity causes him to lose control during games. For example, he doesn’t use the hot dog flourishes on his follow through during his side sessions during the week. He only does that during games.

Next: Making Sense Of Yordano Ventura Trade Rumors

If Ventura can settle down and produce some strong starts, he might make one of the above deals more likley.

Home / KC Royals Rumors

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.

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