KC Royals Trades: 3 potential Scott Barlow deals

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%.