J.J. Picollo was in the right place at the right time.
On Saturday, Picollo and the Kansas City Royals acquired outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed pitcher Nick Mears from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Angel Zerpa. All offseason, the Royals had been looking for impact outfielders, and suddenly, they had one for the price of a middle reliever, while getting back a potential replacement for that reliever in the same go.
Trading with the Brewers is often terrifying, as Milwaukee is universally regarded for having one of the sport’s shrewdest front offices. But Picollo understandably felt as if he was getting a bit of a steal in this trade.
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Why Picollo felt Collins trade was no-brainer
On Sunday, Picollo sounded off on why he made the deal after it was made official. Collins, who finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting, was simply too good a fit for this Kansas City team.
“At this point, we felt like this was a very good move for us considering our needs,” Picollo said, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “The need for on-base, the need for an outfielder. Adding a switch-hitter to our roster, and then Isaac’s positional versatility is very attractive when you combine that with the number of years of control.
“We know right now that the outfield is the primary spot he’s going to play, but it never hurts to have a player that has been in other positions and done well in other positions. We feel like there’s a lot of upside to this and some safety at the same time. It helps you manage your roster well.”
Picollo also paid compliments to Mears, who the Royals will likely count on for some critical innings this season even after he was left off the Brewers’ playoff roster.
“There’s an intensity about him,” Picollo said, per Rogers. “He’s got an above-average fastball. A breaking ball that looks like it fluctuates between a slider and curveball, but both were above average. … It’s someone else you can go to in leverage situations.”
The Royals still could be active in pursuing other outfield solutions even after the acquisitions of Collins and Lane Thomas. But they’ve taken strides in the past week to put them in the hunt for a playoff spot in the year to come.
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