The Trade Deadline
If you told me the Royals could be buyers at the trade deadline, I would have thought of you as insane. But lo and behold, the Royals have somehow managed to pull off this sorcery, and it's very possible we could buy at the trade deadline. However, this time, it will be much harder for the Royals to find somebody due to the farm system that has been parched by poor scouting and three consecutive first rounders that fell significantly short of expectations. Therefore, I can conclude that the Royals will probably not be able to make any deal as big as the ones they did in 2015 for Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist. This means that the team has to be smart, and put the long run, not necessarily the postseason, into consideration for any trade they would make, especially because of the impending exodus of free agents that begins in a couple of months. If one of their moves somehow helps the Royals make it into the postseason this year, then that's great. However, the long run will be the bigger emphasis for the Royals, whether it be players that have long, affordable contracts, or players they'd be willing to sign to an extension for the next couple of years.
- Note: Player stats are as of July 1st, 2017
George Kontos
2017 Stats: 0-2, 2.82 ERA, 38.1 IP, 5 HR, 13 BB, 42 SO, 1.23 WHIP
To start the year, Kontos got off on the wrong foot, but since then, he's been one most reliable relievers in the Giants's rickety bullpen which has cost them so many games in the past year. Throughout his entire career, Kontos has been quietly putting up numbers that will certainly impress any team. And, his contract doesn't expire until 2021, which is very cheap anyway, so he can fit in the Royals organization like a glove. Even the more advanced metrics agree that Kontos isn't that bad. He has a career FIP of 3.66, a career walk rate of 2.6 BB/9, with a career low of 1.5 BB/9 in 2015, and a career 0.9 HR/9 rate. As for how he's doing in 2017, the numbers are looking okay. He's got a decent 3.1 BB/9 rate for the year, and his K/9 rate has jumped significantly from 5.9 K/9 last year, from 9.9 K/9 so far this year. However, his HR/9 rate has also taken a bit of a jump from last year, leaping from 0.5 HR/9 to 1.2 HR/9. At the same time, Kontos has been very consistent in his career, his numbers not making very many big changes from year to year, so what you see is what you get out of Kontos. And I like what I see from him.
Jay Bruce
2017 Stats: .267/.339/.531, 20 HR, 54 RBI, 32 BB, 69 SO
Ultimately this depends on how Jorge Soler performs in the next couple of weeks, because I believe Bruce is more fit as a DH on an American League team. And the Royals have gotten virtually nothing out of the DH, which I saw coming from a mile away. Brandon Moss's stats are laughably poor, and Jorge Soler hasn't had that much playing time. But the team still has some confidence in Soler, so a trade for Bruce will have to wait a little bit. So far, he's had a very interesting season, one that is in some ways very different from what his history. This is where the debates will begin in making a trade for him. For one, Jay Bruce has historically been a very streaky hitter, but this year, he's shown nothing but consistency. In addition, Bruce's defense in right field, which was poor for most of his career, has improved to just about average. The question is will he regress back to the mean, or is this the beginning of a new era for him? Should the Royals put him in right field and send Bonifacio back to the minors, or should they slot him in DH and move Soler and Moss around? These burning questions only burn even brighter when one considers that Bruce is going to be a free agent following this season. Is it worth giving him a payday in Kansas City following 2017? I'm expecting an interesting discussion in the comments, so feel free to type away down below.
Brad Hand
2016 Stats: 4-4, 2.92 ERA, 89.1 IP, 8 HR, 36 BB, 111 SO, 1.11 WHIP
2017 Stats: 1-4, 2.53 ERA, 42.2 IP, 4 HR, 12 BB, 51 SO, 0.98 WHIP
The Royals have had a bit of a rickety bullpen this year, which could really use some extra punch for the years to come. Or if you want to look at it another way, the Royals bullpen is probably not going to survive a postseason this time around, so it needs to be stronger. Either way, the Royals could use a stronger bullpen, and Brad Hand is a good option the Royals can look to. Ever since he came to San Diego, he's put up excellent strikeout numbers to the tune of a 11.0 K/9 rate with the team. Hand has always been tough to hit a homer off of, and his walk rate is steadily improving. He is currently posting a career low 2.5 BB/9 rate, and is still keeping his strikeout rate above 10 K/9, thanks to his amazing slider. Even better is his relatively long contract that lasts into 2020. However, a trade for Hand could probably be on the more expensive side. I can even see Hand being selected to the All-Star Game this year, which would drive his price through the roof. So ultimately, this depends on how Hand does, and how fate decides to determine things. If fate should go in our favor, Hand would be an excellent option for the Royals as a growing setup man, and maybe even a closer.
Scott Feldman
2017 Stats: 7-5, 3.78 ERA, 97.2 IP, 11 HR, 32 BB, 80 SO, 1.27 WHIP
Rookies have not had very much success with the Royals filling in for Danny Duffy and Nathan Karns, and this could prove costly in the future. Judging from Karns's long history of injuries, I would say he's probably not going to start a game for a while, or could be out for even longer. Scott Feldman would be the perfect solution for the Royals. He's putting up reliable numbers, and is really coming back as a starter. He'll probably be slotted as a fourth starter, but it's something the Royals desperately need due to injuries. But there is plenty of room for concern for a trade for Feldman. His contract expires next year, but it was only a one-year deal. The nature of those types of deals can be quite troublesome at time, especially when you consider the possible reasons why the deal was only for one year. Feldman is beginning to age as well, currently 34 years old, putting the possibility of a longer contract into more question. A 2 to 3-year deal would probably be best for now, and for the next couple of years to give the Royals some badly needed help in the rotation.
Blake Parker
2017 Stats: 3-2, 2.08 ERA, 35.1 IP, 1 HR, 9 BB, 51 SO, 0.93 WHIP
This depends on whether the Angels will be able to last through July or not. But if they don't the Royals can go for Parker, who is getting stronger and stronger as the years go on. This is his best year so far, with a ridiculous 13.0 K/9 rate, and has only given up one homer all year long. He's even got a long contract which will last into the 2020s, and still has plenty of gas in the tank. Having Parker in the bullpen would make our bullpen dangerous again, and provide a ton of flexibility for the team. He could serve as our elite setup man, or even be our closer for the long run. And I don't see him coming down for a long time. But that could prove problematic by driving up the price for him. There's even the chance of him being selected to the All-Star Game too, so price will be a bit of an issue. But I can say that if we are able to make a trade for Parker, it will be well worth it.