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2 KC Royals who should have been traded at the trade deadline

The KC Royals made plenty of moves, but there were more to be made.

By Jacob Milham |
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The KC Royals approached the trade deadline this year as clear sellers, and they acted as such. The Royals made five trades in the final 48 hours before the Aug. 1 deadline, with the two biggest trades coming in the final minutes. The last day's three trades all have various impacts on the Royals with differing reasons behind the moves. All in all, the Royals walked away from the trade deadline making several moves that needed to be made.

The KC Royals left more deals on the table at the trade deadline.

But, there is always room for more.

I am not saying the Royals needed to make these moves to have a successful trade deadline. I think they did, moving on from many players not factoring into the team's long-term plans. There are a few more players that fit that mold, have peaking value, or a bit of both remaining on this roster. There is no going back in time, but these moves on the fringes may have netted players better suited for the rebuilding Royals.

Pitcher Taylor Clarke

This may cause some questions, especially after Taylor Clarke just landed on the 15-day IL. But, that injury came after the trade deadline. The Royals may not have made Clarke available due to symptoms of an injury, which shows their integrity. But, if they didn't, I fail to see why Clarke is still in Kansas City.

Clarke doesn't excel in many things, but his 93rd-percentile ranking in chase rate among MLB pitchers is notable. His 9.59 K/9 rate is a career-best, but his 4.11 BB/9 rate is also a career-worst. He put together a decent string of appearances in July, building up his trade value. But, he remains in Kansas City. He is arbitration eligible in 2024, and the Royals may not be sold on retaining Clarke. I would have not complained about seeing a new addition to the Royals bullpen, namely Will Klein. But, if Clarke is still in Kansas City, the Royals may want to keep Clarke around next season.

Infielder Matt Duffy

I have been banging the Matt Duffy trade drum for quite some time. It is not because he is a bad player, but because some contender could certainly value his defensive versatility. The Royals offloaded one player fitting that mold in Nicky Lopez, but Duffy is a far better batter than Lopez this year. Both are contact hitters, but Duffy's .271 batting average and .324 on-base percentage outpaces Lopez by a mile. The expensive Lopez netted a player, albeit an unpopular one. It is not a stretch to think Duffy could have gotten the Royals some more minor-league depth.

Duffy has started at all bases for the Royals this season, with experience in the outfield and at shortstop as well. He has rebounded from some rough defensive seasons to at least be 0 outs above average player. Not great, but not a liability either. That is some sort of dependability that is not expected especially when players are coming off the bench.

I am not saying that Duffy would have netted a notable return. But nothing? After all, utilitymen that produce at the plate are not easy to come by. I hope the Royals at least shopped Duffy to teams or made him available, as he is on a one-year deal with the Royals. At 32 years old, the Royals should not count on him being with the team past this season. That reason alone should have enticed Kansas City to make him available for a minimal return.

The Royals need any help they can get. Duffy may have netted only an A-ball player or pitcher, but there are enticing Royals prospects that could take his place. The Royals seem intent on keeping Matt Beaty, who can cover first and the corner outfields. Samad Taylor needs more chances in the infield, namely at second base. That leaves a void at third base, but Nick Loftin could fill that spot. After all, the Royals need to add him to the 40-man roster and protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Trading away Duffy would have opened that spot for Loftin and given fans a debut to look forward to.

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