KC Royals Rumors: Mets Not Interested In Lorenzo Cain Or Jarrod Dyson

KC Royals rumors suggest that the New York Mets aren’t really interested in either Lorenzo Cain or Jarrod Dyson in their search for a center field upgrade.

Many pundits believe the Kansas City Royals want to deal more players before the 2017 season. Center fielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson feature in many of these trade rumors since both are in the last year of their contracts. Further, the KC Royals have six starting quality outfielders on their current 40-man roster.

A deal would make sense.

However, recent reports indicate that the New York Mets are reluctant to deal with Kansas City. According to Fox Sports baseball insider Ken Rosenthal, the Mets are looking for more than a one-year upgrade. Another problem is that they see Jarrod Dyson as too similar to Juan Lagares.

Of course, the Mets could solve this problem if they could negotiate a multi-year extension with Cain. But, even then, the Kansas City Royals would demand a significant package in return.

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Another problem is that the KC Royals want near MLB-ready players. In particular, KC general manager Dayton Moore wants bullpen help. The Mets are looking to add a bullpen arm according to Rosenthal. If the Mets had an emerging relief arm to trade, they’d keep him for themselves.

These problems suggest a Mets/Royals deal won’t happen.

However, the Mets DO need a center fielder and, as Ken Rosenthal’s piece points out, none of the available candidates are a perfect fit. The Mets will do something, and it could still be with Kansas City. It’s also possible that the Mets really are interested in either Cain or Dyson and are trying to knock down the asking price by whispering their concerns to Rosenthal.

If the report is accurate, however, it seems to reduce possible KC Royals trade partners by one. The Dodgers, Orioles, Rangers, Tigers, Indians, and Cubs are all said to be in the market for a center field upgrade. Of these six teams, I doubt the Kansas City Royals will want to do business with Cleveland or Detroit since they are division rivals.

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With little movement on the trade market since the Winter Meetings, it appears the asking prices are just too high for most shoppers. In the end, I suspect Moore will move an outfielder. But, an actual deal might not come until Spring Training draws near due to the deep freeze on the trade market.