Kansas City Royals: An Early Look At Players The Royals Should Trade

Kelvin Herrera

Yes, Kelvin Herrera is the hottest name on the team. While it would seem like a surprise, the reason Herrera is number one on this list is simply due to his position. Being a bullpen arm, he could easily attract nearly every contending team. But being a bullpen arm that is completely dominating increases the Royals ability to ask for more.

On the year, Herrera has a 0.61 ERA over 16 games and 14.2 innings. The only run he allowed came on a home run, resulting in his first blown save of the year. One thing that is super impressive about Herrera this year is his command. Over his 14.2 innings, he has struck out 14 batters while walking zero.

Yes, zero walks. The only time he has allowed a baserunner in a game are the nine hits he has given up this year. That means of the 44 hitters Herrera has faced, 35 have not reached first base.

I don’t care who you are. That is impressive.

Over his 14.2 innings, Herrera has had eight save attempts, converting seven of them. As a closer, you would like to see that number higher, but the Royals have not exactly been a great team this year. The Royals have won 13 games this year, which means Herrera has had his hands in eight of those wins, or 62% of the wins.

Herrera would be a rental player for whatever team he is traded to, however, his $7.9 million contract is hard to pass by for the production he can bring. Especially with the Royals paying for close to half of that after the first half of the season.

Possible Teams

So where could Herrera end up? Teams like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox could be teams interested in the Royals closer. Even though those two have a closer, Herrera made his mark while pitching in the 7th and 8th inning. Therefore, he could fall back into that role.

Some other teams that could come calling would be the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Milwaukee Brewers.

Any team can use bullpen help regardless of the current makeup of their bullpen. Especially one that is pitching at an elite level. It will be interesting to see how Herrera’s stock rises or drops as we get closer to the deadline.