Could Royals Target Cardinals All-Star Closer To Boost Bullpen?
The Kansas City Royals have made a few key moves this offseason. They traded for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer and also brought back veteran right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Michael Wacha on team-friendly deals.
There are some areas that still need to be addressed, however. The back end of the bullpen is one of them. They don't appear to be in the market for any relief help at the moment, but they would be wise to at least give it a look.
With their cross-state rivals St. Louis Cardinals rebuilding, Kansas City might be wise to give them a call about closer Ryan Helsley.
Helsley is entering the final year of his contract with St. Louis, and they have been unable to trim their payroll as a result of Nolan Arenado not being traded. The Cardinals will have to look for other ways to trim their payroll, and one way they could do that is by trading Helsley.
The Royals have solid prospects in their system that they could send to St. Louis. The one problem is that Helsley is on an expiring deal and the Royals would likely not be able to re-sign him if they acquired him.
As a result, he would simply be a rental, and the Royals would have to decide if it's worth parting ways with top prospects for just a rental, even if it's the reigning National League Reliever of the Year.
It will be interesting to see if the Royals have any more moves planned.
More MLB: This Royals Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Bring $3 Million Cardinals Gold Glover To KC
Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.