Cardinals-Royals Trade Idea Ships Intriguing 30-Year-Old Journeyman To KC
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Suddenly, the Kansas City Royals need more pitching.
Kris Bubic's season-ending rotator cuff strain is a brutal blow at a time when the Royals are trying to get back in the playoff race. Thank goodness the Royals didn't trade Seth Lugo, but they still have a 45-year-old Rich Hill in their rotation for the foreseeable future.
It's hard to justify trading for a big-league starter given the Royals' positioning in the standings and the fact that they just extended Lugo. But perhaps there's a last-minute trade to be made to give the Royals some rotation depth on the cheap.
On Tuesday, FanSided's Jacob Milham suggested that St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A right-hander Curtis Taylor could be a strong fit for the Royals ahead of the Thursday trade deadline.
"The Canadian right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in early February, hoping to carve out another shot in a big-league system. Once strictly a reliever, Taylor is now being stretched out as a starter in Triple-A Memphis with surprising success—enough that Kansas City should be eyeing their in-state rivals for a rare midseason trade," wrote Milham.
"There are real reasons to like Taylor as a spot starter or multi-inning reliever. Unless the Cardinals have late-blooming rotation hopes for him, trading Taylor now could be a smart move for both clubs."
Taylor, 30, is the definition of a journeyman. He's pitched in seven major league organizations since he was drafted in 2016 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. But this season, he's been excellent in Triple-A for St. Louis, posting a 3.16 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 91 innings.
There's no real evidence Taylor is being shopped, but anyone who's 30 and never made a big-league appearance figures to be available for the right price. The real question is whether or not the Royals have identified him a fit, rather than Milham alone.
More MLB: Is Royals 28-Year-Old Starter 'In Danger' With Trade Deadline Approaching?
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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