KC Royals Rumors: Another LA reliever may be on club's MLB Trade Deadline radar

Count me among followers of the KC Royals stunned Saturday night when, just minutes after his club stole the lead from Chicago with a three-run sixth, Sam Long, saddled with the bases-loaded jam he inherited from Royal starter Seth Lugo, coughed up a grand slam to pinch hitter Patrick Wisdom. The shocking blast restored the Cubs' lead and propelled them to a series-tying 9-4 win at Kauffman Stadium.

Do not, however, count me among Kansas City fans disappointed, and perhaps even angered, by Saturday's news that the Angels traded reliever Carlos Estévez to the Phillies. Estévez had for days been the subject of rumors and speculation suggesting he could be headed to Kansas City as help for its troubled bullpen, but I wasn't convinced he was the Royals' answer. Yes, he saved his 20th game and lowered his ERA to 2.38 against Seattle Wednesday but, as I recently wrote, his is a career too often marred by yielding too many runs.

Now, just days before the July 30 MLB trade deadline, another Angels reliever appears to have entered the Kansas City picture.

The KC Royals are rumored to have some interest in Luis García

So suggested New York Post baseball columnist Jon Heyman Saturday evening. Any interest Kansas City has in García, who broke into the majors with Philadelphia in 2013 and has since pitched for the Phils, Padres, Cardinals, Rangers, and Angels, isn't shocking considering his experience as a late-inning man and his affordable one-season, $4.25 million contract, less than half of which the Royals would be obligated to pay should they trade for him.

Whether García is who general manager J.J. Picollo needs may be a different story. His 3.80 44-game ERA this season, and his career mark of 4.03, deserve more scrutiny than they would if García was a starter and not a reliever, and while he has decent control, he's allowed over half of the runs he's inherited this season — eight of 15, to be exact — to score. (He's also 37, but age should matter only if Picollo views García as more than a stretch run rental, which he shouldn't).

Should the Royals seriously consider García? Probably not. They need to strengthen their late-inning relief options but, like his now former teammate Estévez, he's been known to surrender too many runs for a reliever — only five times in his 11 seasons preceding this one has he posted an ERA lower than 4.06.

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