Royals Rumors: Mock trade with Mike Moustakas and Philadelphia

The Kansas City Royals have had quite a few players brought up in possible trade rumors. We reached out to Phillies TBOH to figure out a possible trade for Mike Moustakas. Here is what we came up with.

News broke today that the Philadephia Phillies seem to have pulled out of the race to get Manny Machado. The belief is that the asking price that Baltimore placed on Machado is too high, meaning Mike Moustakas might be getting more attention now. This plays perfectly for the Kansas City Royals.

After reaching out to The Balls Outta Here (Phillies TBOH), we discussed a possible trade. We came up with a trade scenario that will help the Royals improve rotationally and fill the need at third base for a couple of years.

Obviously, the trade would send Moustakas to Philadelphia. So what would the Royals get?

In this deal, the Royals would get: third baseman Maikel Franco, righty Franklyn Kilome, and a player to be named later (PTBNL). This trade would provide a replacement for Moustakas at third base immediately, as well as provide a potential starter for the Royals. So let’s break down why this was the final decision.

Maikel Franco

Franco is a player the Royals can use immediately. He has spent the last three years being the everyday third baseman for the Phillies. During that time he has played in 380 games, hitting .246/.296/.422 with 59 home runs, 63 doubles, and 202 RBI. His wRC+ over that same time has been 91, 76, and 96, meaning he has been just under the average player offensively.

While he has been inconsistent at the plate throughout his career, you can’t deny his power ability. This year, over 74 games, he has a .263/.308/.442 slash with 11 doubles and 10 home runs.

Franco is also someone who is under contract until 2023. This will allow the Royals to have a stable player at the position while they either develop a new third baseman or trade for another that will be ready to take over towards the end of his contract.

Franklyn Kilome

Kilome is an interesting player. The 23-year-old starter is the Phillies 7th ranked prospect. While his numbers in 2018 look less than appealing, his numbers excluding this year are actually pretty good.

While at Clearwater, the Phillies A+ team, he posted a 2.59 ERA over 19 starts. This resulted in him getting promoted to Double-A where he continued having a solid year. He started five games where he threw a 3.64 ERA. In total, 2017 resulted in Kilome posting a 2.83 ERA over 24 starts and 127.0 innings.

According to MLB.com, he is regarded as one of the Phillies better pitching prospects.

"Pure stuff-wise, Kilome is as good as just about any pitching prospect in the system, with a fastball that touches the upper-90s consistently combined with a curve that often flashes plus. His changeup has improved and it could eventually become an average third pitch, something softer to disrupt hitters’ timing. He’s generally around the strike zone, though his command has been inconsistent as he is still learning to get all of his 6-foot-6 frame in sync on a regular basis. For as good as Kilome’s stuff is, he hasn’t missed as many bats as you would think. He needs to continue to learn how to sequence pitches and set up hitters more effectively so he can put them away more frequently."

If the Royals can help develop him a bit further, getting more consistency from him, he could be a viable starter for the Royals over a six-year period.

Final Thoughts

The PTBNL would most likely be a Single-A player, according to TBOH. This could be a player similar to the trend the Royals have been making. A player that has upside, but is 19-years-old.

However, Franco and Kilome provide great depth and need for the Royals. Franco can be productive for the next three years for the Royals at third base. Kilome could become a viable starter to go with Brad Keller, Jakob Junis, Brady Singer, and Jackson Kowar as the Royals continue to rebuild.

I know that the return does not seem like a lot. When I did something similar with the Cardinals Mock, the Royals brought back two players within the Top-30. The main point I was giving during that article is the difference between a rental and a player with years still left on his contract.

Next: Mike Moustakas and the St. Louis Cardinals Mock Trade

Due to the market seeming to shift, and team GMs not willing to part ways with top prospects when it comes to a rental, we as fans need to keep that in mind. No matter how much power, or how good a rental is, he is just that. Moustakas is considered a rental, even though he has the mutual option for 2019. Therefore, the return is most likely similar to the proposed trade above.

So what do you think Royals fans? Do you like the trade? Do you think this is a quality return for Mike Moustakas? Let us know below!