Royals Rumors: Clay Buchholz Drawing Interest From KC

The Royals really are desperate for starting pitching help. Rumors indicate that the KC Royals have inquired about Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz.

This story comes from Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo, who suggests the Kansas City Royals are interested in acquiring the worse than struggling Boston Red Sox starter, despite his $13 million contract for 2016 and a $13 million team option in 2017. Cafardo speculates that the KC Royals will insist on the Red Sox picking up a lot of that remaining money.

If the Kansas CIty Royals really are thinking about trading for Clay Buchholz, it seems more like a move to bolster the starting rotation next season. The 31-year-old Buchholz has been horrible in 2016, with a 3-9, 6.10 ERA. Buchholz has been so bad that the Red Sox moved him to the bullpen and are looking for starting pitching on the trade market.

Frankly, I don’t see how Buchholz helps the KC Royals rotation down the stretch. His peripherals of 1.9 HR/9, 4.0 BB/9, and career low 6.0 K/9 aren’t good any way you slice and dice the statistics. Buchholz is a two-time All-Star (2010, 2013), and pitched effectively for the Red Sox as recently as last season (7-7, 3.26 ERA in 18 starts).

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The Kansas City Royals have been connected to Clay Buchholz in years past. Apparently, the KC Royals scouts like something about the 6’3″ right hander. I guess the Royals would be buying low, but acquiring Buchholz seems to offer little to now immediate help. I fail to see how he’s better than throwing Dillon Gee on the mound every fifth day in the no. 5 position.

At this point, a Buchholz deal would almost be a sign that general manager Dayton Moore has little to no hope that his team will challenge for a playoff berth in 2016. I suppose on man’s trash can always become another man’s treasure, and recall that Jeremy Guthrie performed well for the KC Royals in the last two months of 2012 after a horrid stint for the Colorado Rockies in the first half of that season.

Next: Johnny Cueto Feels Insulted By Royals

Even so, a Clay Buchholz deal would be a far cry from the Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist trades that Dayton Moore made last year.