KC Royals Trades: 3 likely deadline deal candidates

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Fewer than a handful of days remain before June arrives and moves the KC Royals into the third month of the season. That’s early for most major league teams hoping to find their way to the playoffs.

Include Kansas City among those clubs. But not for this year. Trapped by their own dismal play in yet another disappointing campaign, it’s early for the Royals only because their realistic playoff hopes are for 2023 at the earliest.

That makes the Royals sellers if they choose to join the Aug. 2 trade deadline frenzy. Kansas City trading is no guarantee—this is an unpredictable club known to deal when they shouldn’t and stand pat when trades must be made.

Expect these Royals to make moves, however. They don’t have much, if any, choice. Carlos Santana must go—he’s in his contract year, he’s played badly all season, and either Vinnie Pasquantino or Nick Pratto deserve the first base job.

Hot. Call Pasquantino up now. light

Santana could, of course, be gone before the deal deadline, and isn’t the only Royal the team should discard. For example, Ryan O’Hearn’s decent pinch-hitting doesn’t alone justify his continuing presence. And although it’s unlikely (demotion to Triple-A Omaha is a more likely alternative), Nicky Lopez might be moved.

Who else might KC put on the deadline market?

Trading their left fielder seems increasingly likely for the KC Royals.

Andrew Benintendi is the club’s best trade candidate and the idea of dealing him away is nothing new. We advanced that notion recently and nothing has changed. He’s hitting .323 with a .396 OBP and will be a free agent after the season. Conventional wisdom dictates a trade.

(Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports) /

A probable trade means this pitcher’s return to the KC Royals won’t last.

Other than having no wins, there isn’t much Zack Greinke hasn’t done that Kansas City brought him back to do. Heading into his scheduled start against Minnesota Sunday, he’s 0-3 with a 4.53 ERA, although chronic lack of run support explains his won-loss record and his ERA is skewed drastically by the seven runs he recently allowed Arizona in his last start. Only once has he not made it to the fifth inning and he walks fewer than two batters per nine innings.

But the dream of Greinke returning triumphantly to Kansas City and leading the Royals to better days has vanished with the fate of the club itself. Despite winning two of three to start their current series with Minnesota, the Royals look like a bad team on the verge of getting worse, which means Greinke is expendable, a classic trade deadline target for contenders seeking pitching help down the stretch.

At 38, Greinke is also close to the end of a stellar career and may want a chance to make one more deep postseason run, an opportunity he won’t get with the Royals this year, and maybe not next. And he might want to pitch for a club more capable of helping him solidify his Hall of Fame resumé.

So, don’t be surprised to see other clubs express interest in Greinke and the Royals move him for a prospect.

(Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports) /

The time might be right for the KC Royals to deal away their closer.

A certain school of thought holds that good closers should be traded before their exchange value peaks. The fact they’re so easy to find, so the thinking goes, makes them easily expendable.

If that’s the case, Kansas City’s Scott Barlow may find himself on the trading block as August nears. Now 29 (30 in December) and pitching in his fifth big league season, Barlow is on pace for his best campaign ever. His 1.71 ERA is .71 better than the 2.42 career best he posted last year and he’s converted five of six save opportunities for a club that doesn’t offer many such chances. He also boasts a 1.05 WHIP and .203 OBA.

Barlow’s current numbers and continuing success (he saved 16 games in 2021) makes him an attractive trade target. Contending teams covet excellent relievers when July turns to August and each game increases in significance. Clubs will call and the Royals will probably listen.

They can afford to. Josh Staumont usually gets the closing assignments Barlow doesn’t and has three saves and, like Barlow, a 2-1 record. He’s struck out 27 in 18.2 innings. Gabe Speier and Collin Snider are also closer possibilities.

The Royals should be closely watching Triple-A Omaha relievers Arodys Vizcaíno, who they picked up in January, and Jose Cuas, who they acquired last year. Vizcaino has seven saves and a 1.76 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 15.1 innings and Cuas has three saves and a 1.74 ERA in 20 appearances.

Reduced fastball velocity may be the only knock on Barlow—per Baseball Savant, his four-seamer is down 2.5 mph this season—but that they keep using him and he remains effective suggests it’s not a concern for the Royals.

Will the club deal Barlow, or hang on to him in hopes that it returns to contention next year? Time will tell, but moving him wouldn’t be a shock.

Next. Will Thursday win boost KC?. dark

If anything, the Royals will be sellers this summer. Among other Kansas City players, Andrew Benintendi, Zack Greinke and Scott Barlow are likely trade candidates.

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