KC Royals Trades: 3 potential Scott Barlow deals

Trading reliever Scott Barlow could net the KC Royals some good prospects.

The trade deadline market for relievers has been growing in recent years. Teams have been willing to pay up for effective relief arms to lock down games down the stretch and into the postseason.

In Scott Barlow, the Royals have one of the best relievers in the game—he’s 3-2 with 13 saves and a 2.33 ERA in 35 games this season and, in 2021, ranked high among American League relievers:

• 5th in fWAR (2.1)
• 10th in ERA (2.42)
• 7th in FIP (2.63)
• 18th in SO9 (11.02)
• 23rd in Wins (5)

Barlow also comes with two years of club control. He isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2024 season.

Deals from last season’s deadline trades provide an idea of what Barlow’s value might be this year. For example, the White Sox acquired Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs for Nick Madrigal and Cody Heuer, who both went to the Cubs with multiple years of control.

The Braves acquired reliever Richard Rodriguez from Pittsburgh for Bryse Wilson and Ricky DeVito. Rodriguez had a 2.82 ERA and two additional years of club control. Wilson didn’t rank on any top prospect lists but headed to the Pirates as a young (23) former fourth-round draft pick.

The Brewers got reliever John Curtiss from the Marlins for Payton Henry. Curtiss was a year younger and had more club control (four years) than Barlow now. Curtiss owned a 2.22 ERA over 65 innings and Henry was slashing .297/.372/.390 between Double-A and Triple-A.

So, last year’s deadline deals suggest relievers can, and do, bring notable returns.

A National League contender could benefit from trading with the KC Royals.

With injuries riddling their bullpen, the Dodgers should be in the market for relievers. And they have talent to give—LA’s farm system is well-rounded and includes six of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects.

However, it’s hard to imagine the Royals acquiring any of those six without packaging Barlow, who the Dodgers drafted and signed in 2011, with another impressive player. But they could go for quantity over quality in a trade with the Dodgers:

Quality does exist here, even if it doesn’t include a Top 100 prospect. Righthander Knack, 24, was a second-round pick of the Dodgers in 2020 and is 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA and 12.6 SO9 in 10 Double-A starts this season.

Jackson is LA’s No. 11 Pipeline prospect. He appeared in three games for the Dodgers last season and gave up three runs in 11.2 innings (2.31 ERA). At 26, he should be close to being ready to face big league bats; although he’s struggling in Triple-A this season (0-6, 6.31 ERA in 13 starts), the talent is definitely there.

Outman was a seventh-round draft pick in 2017. He’s 25 and should be ready for major league action. MLB Pipeline says he’s “One of the best athletes in the system…” and “…provides plus defense at any of the three outfield spots.” He’s slashing .283/.384/.526 with 17 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A.

The Rays’ tough division makes them a good trade partner for the KC Royals.

The Rays, who play in the rugged American League East, make a lot of sense as a trade partner in a Barlow deal. They’re currently in third place, one of three present American League Wild Cards, and would certainly like to widen the gap between themselves and their competitors.

Their bullpen needs improvement—it ranks 25th in SO9 and 23rd in FIP and fWAR. The Rays’ prospect depth makes them a good match for the Royals.

How about this mutually-beneficial deal?

Here, KC fills two positions suffering from limited organizational depth. We recently analyzed Shenton as an acquisition in a potential deal involving Michael A. Taylor; nothing has changed that assessment. He’s slashing .236/.338/.415 for Double-A Montgomery but is currently sidelined with a hip issue.

Misner is a familiar name to the Royals because they drafted him in the 33rd round of the 2016 draft. He chose to attend the University of Missouri and was drafted by the Marlins in the first round in 2019.

Per MLB Pipeline, Misner “…has the range to be a solid defender in center field, but mixed reviews from scouts on his work there leave him best profiled as a corner outfielder.” If the Royals’ advanced hitting development team can improve his approach, he could be a fantastic outfield addition.

Misner is hitting just .218 in Double-A but has a robust .376 OBP and 18.4 BB%; he has, however, struggled with a 33.9 K%.

Seattle might benefit from a second trade this season with the KC Royals.

The Mariners and Royals have made one trade already this season, the deal that sent Carlos Santana to Seattle. The M’s have climbed back into the AL playoff picture thanks to eight straight victories and a decent (16-13) June.

But their bullpen could use more depth and their rotation a veteran presence. This deal might work for Seattle and Kansas City:

Seattle fills both its needs by acquiring Barlow and Keller. By packaging them together, KC acquires the Mariners’ seventh (Rodriguez), 11th (Perez) and 21st (Miller) best prospects per MLB Pipeline. 

Rodriguez, 24, is probably a couple of seasons away from the majors. He’s struggled since his promotion to High-A last season, where he posted a .571 OPS in seven games, followed up by a .693 in his first 70 games there this season. But he slashed .295/.383/.484 in 93 games in Low-A last year.

At 20, Perez is even further away from the majors. His ability to hit for average has been poor since his promotion to Low-A—he’s hitting just .197 this season—but, as his current 19.7 BB% suggests, his approach at the plate is excellent. He slashed .308/.455/.378 between Rookie ball and Low-A in 2021.

Miller gives KC more pitching depth and would likely be the fastest of these new Royals to reach Kansas City. He’s 3-3 with a 3.24 ERA and 11.7 SO9 in High-A this season.

The Royals should consider capitalizing on Scott Barlow’s trade value this summer.