The Kansas City Royals are desperate for rotation help so that they can have a chance at repeating as American League champions. Losing last year's ace James Shields has been a bigger blow than they anticipated, and now they're reportedly seeking outside remedies.
Fox Sports has reported the Royals are looking at the Cincinnati Reds' rotation, and seeing what it will take to acquire either ace Johnny Cueto, or mid-rotation starter Mike Leake.
Kansas City gives up the second fewest runs per game per Baseball-Reference.com, but that is a deceiving statistic. Their starting rotation has been worth -3.1 wins above replacement (WAR), while their stellar bullpen has the American League's highest WAR (2.7). Yordano Ventura, expected to assume Shields' role as staff ace, has been a roller-coaster and is currently on the disabled list. He's joined by Jason Vargas and Danny Duffy, leaving the already-underwhelming rotation short-handed.
Cueto would be a shot in the arm. He's only 4-4, but he has posted a 2.98 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 13 starts. He is walking a career-low 1.9 batters per nine innings, and striking out 8.5 per nine, the second-best mark of his career. He is set to hit free agency this offseason, and is expected to command more than $200 million over the course of his next deal.
That's probably out of the Reds' range, but also means he's most likely a mere rental for the Royals' playoff push. That could limit what Kansas City is willing to offer for the ace right-hander, and could ultimately torpedo a trade.
Leake is also 4-4 on the year, with a far less impressive 4.04 ERA and a 4.70 FIP that suggests he's lucky his year doesn't look like a disaster. He's infinitely more attainable than Cueto is, but may not have enough impact for the Royals to bother.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
