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

Should the KC Royals consider Héctor Neris?

Picollo should think about Neris; how seriously is the question. Neris struggled some early in the season, and a pair of subpar games bumped his ERA to 4.73 in late June, but in 10 appearances since then he's surrendered only the one run he gave the Brewers Wednesday. His record suggests he's pitching well enough to help some contender, and ESPN's Jess Rogers recently reported scouts have been watching him.

Neris also won't break Kansas City's bank: paying a bit less than half of his $9 million one-year contract has to be within Picollo's trade deadline budget. (That Neris could reach performance incentives that would reward him with a player option for next season could, however, give Picollo pause — if it considers bringing him aboard, the club should think of Neris as a rental to help it get to this year's playoffs, not a longer-term investment).

In the end, how fast the Royals want to supplement their pen, who's available on the market, and who won't demand too much in return for a reliever capable of closing, will determine what Picollo does. There may be better choices out there, but he'd be remiss not to at least have a conversation with the Cubs while they're in town.

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