KC Royals Trade Alert: Trevor Rosenthal to Padres

The KC Royals have made another trade. This time, they are seeing off their veteran reclamation project, closer Trevor Rosenthal.

It was written (by me) yesterday that the KC Royals may decide to stay quiet the rest of the month when it comes to trades after their first one that saw outfielder Brett Phillips leaving the club. That thought did not age well.

Another thought that did not age well was that the Royals may keep closer Trevor Rosenthal around to finish the season and then try to find a way to keep him around on a longer contract once the season is over.

Of course, the Royals have announced that they have traded Rosenthal to the San Diego Padres for OF prospect Edward Olivares and a player to be named later.

It’s really no surprise that the Royals traded Rosenthal. The veteran closer struggled to make a comeback until this season when Kansas City picked him up on a one year minor league contract. He made the major league roster with ease.

For the Royals, he pitched 13.2 innings with an ERA of 3.29, an FIP of 3.74, a strikeouts per 9 of 13.8, and recorded 7 saves with 0 blown. Rosenthal was a hot name on the trade market and it’s likely the Royals fielded multiple offers for him.

While one player will be named later, fans may get a look at Edward Olivares sooner rather than later. He played in a few games with the Padres this season. He struggled, though he was making the jump from AA which can be a difficult transition for any player.

Last season in AA, Olivares slashed .283/.349/.453, with 18 home runs, 25 doubles, and 35 stolen bases. Olivares adds to the speed the Royals already have.

His prospect page with the MLB, which already has him listed as the 22 ranked player in the Royals organization, states he is athletic and make can produce a lot of good contact driving to all fields, though, he could improve his discipline at the plate a bit which is nothing too surprising for someone who still has some time to grow.

His prospect page also states he has the ability to play all outfield positions, his impressive speed doing a lot to help with his defensive abilities along with his strong arm.

The full extent of the deal will not be known until the other prospect is later named by the teams, though Olivares looks to bee a decent pick up by Kansas City. He has good potential and could provide some more quality at bats with some power as long as he can adapt to major league pitching.

One question surrounding this deal though may be the decision by the Royals to go with a strong outfield prospect. With Phillips gone, they looked to be clearing room in the stuffed outfield, with multiple players already at the major league level who can play the outfield plus a mass of outfield prospects just waiting to get their chance.

While it may not mean anything and could be a way for Kansas City to add some depth to their farm system, there could also be a chance for some more movement by the Royals with time still left before the trade deadline.

The Royals have not made it easy to guess their next move this season. Be sure to check back to see about any more trades or movement the Royals are making to prepare for the future.