The KC Royals won't be bringing this reliever home

The KC Royals got a jump on the MLB Trade Deadline reliever market over two weeks ago when they sent one of their top prospects and their 2024 Competitive Balance A draft pick to Washington for Hunter Harvey. And now that the Royals are reportedly checking out Angels reliever Luis García after LA dealt possible Kansas City target Carlos Estévez to Philadelphia, Picollo's quest to add more stretch run talent to his bullpen continues.

Picollo's search will not, however, reunite the club with a former member of the organization. Instead of returning home, former Royal Jason Adam is headed to San Diego. Tampa Bay has traded him to the Padres for a trio of prospects.

And that's too bad.

The KC Royals could have used Jason Adam

Whether the Royals were "in" on Adam, who they brought into pro ball by selecting him in the fifth round of the 2010 amateur draft, isn't know with certainty. But if they were, and got close to a deal, label his trade to San Diego a Kansas City miss.

Adam, considered a possible fit for the Royals by FanSided' MLB insider Robert Murray back in June, is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA and four saves in 47 games this season; his 0.89 WHIP, .164 OBA and 10.7 K/9 add to his obvious value. Together with that record, that Adam started in the Royals organization, then returned to it for his 2018 big league debut after a 2014 trade took him to Minnesota and a 2017 free agent deal landed him with the Padres, added some logic to the notion that Picollo might engineer his return to KC.

So, too, did Adam's other significant tie to the Kansas City area — he pitched for nearby Blue Valley Northwest High before the Royals drafted him.

But the seventh-year major league veteran who was 10-3 with an excellent 2.30 ERA and two dozen saves in his three season Rays career will try to help get San Diego, and not Kansas City reach the playoffs.

The Royals could have used him. It will be difficult for Picollo to land someone better.

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