The Kansas City Royals are one of the few teams in the American League who will be selling this MLB trade deadline. Currently last in the American League Central at 43-62, 12.5 games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox, Kansas City will not be making a playoff push despite the AL being otherwise wide-open.
With veterans like Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, who could be interesting options for teams looking for starting pitching help, the Royals have an opportunity to add to their organizational depth if they are willing to move those veterans. On Saturday, the team made a different move, finding a home for outfielder Kameron Misner, who was designated for assignment on July 22. Striking a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations, Kansas City sent Misner out for a small return, but one that is better than nothing.
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For teams like Kansas City, it’s important to win on the margins. And while cash considerations are not the type of return that will excite fans or really move the needle in any meaningful way, it shows the front office is at least doing its due diligence to extract whatever value it can. Misner was either on his way to the minors or out of the organization entirely, but Kansas City still found a way to get something for the outfielder.
The Royals are facing the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, with Wacha on the mound. The 35-year-old right-hander has a 3.66 ERA and is coming off a start against the San Francisco Giants where he went six innings and allowed just one run. While he is not pitching to put Kansas City in the playoff mix, each start of his is essentially an audition for the rest of the league, who may be interested in trading for him.
Given how wide-open the American League is, there are a few teams who project to be true sellers simply due to how tightly packed the postseason picture is. The Royals, Angels, Orioles, and Blue Jays are the only teams in the AL who face a double-digit deficit in their division, and many of those teams still feel as if they have an outside shot at a Wild Card spot. Kansas City is not one of those teams, currently owning the second-worst record in the American League behind the Angels, which will almost certainly guide their activity at the deadline.
Saturday’s move was not one that really means much in the grand scheme of things, but again, it signals the front office is doing what it can to extract value in a season that is otherwise lost.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
