(Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Danny Duffy recently reached a career milestone that could guarantee he’ll fulfill his desire to play only for Kansas City. The popular KC Royals pitcher attained coveted “10 and 5” rights—10 years of major league service time with the last five spent with one team—so he can’t be traded without his consent.
Duffy achieving 10&5 status just as baseball’s midsummer trade season heats up could pose a problem for his employer. The Royals, dead last in the American League Central after Monday’s loss to Cincinnati, are almost certain to be sellers as the July 30 trade deadline nears, and although Duffy’s recent left forearm flexor injury cost him significant time on the Injured List, his name is bound to surface in trade talks.