KC Royals may want to consider this reliever as MLB Trade Deadline nears

What the KC Royals didn't need in the ninth inning against Arizona Wednesday night they received anyway. Closer James McArthur, whose excellent September endeared himself to the club and its fans last year, and who's been reliable at times but too often unsteady this season, inherited a one-run lead that, if protected, would have given his club its 57th win — one more than they managed all of last season — and increased to two games its slim lead over Boston for the third and final American League Wild Card.

But McArthur failed to secure the victory. Instead, he allowed the Diamondbacks to win this three-game series by handing them five runs, including three on Ketel Marte's one-out homer; those five were just enough for the D-Backs to survive Kansas City's two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth and win 8-6.

James McArthur may not be the stretch run closer the Royals need

McArthur's troubling effort gave him five blown saves for the season and pushed his ERA to 4.91, a mark simply too high for any high-leverage reliever. Opposing batters are also hitting .302 against him, and the performance only confirmed Kansas City's need for bullpen help, especially at the critical back end. McArthur may not be quite ready to close stretch run games for the contending Royals, and there may be no one on this inconsistent bullpen staff who is.

Could general manager J.J. Picollo, whose desire to bolster the pen is well-documented, find some help from the next team Kansas City will host?

Let's see what the Cubs might have to offer...