The majority of MLB teams end up in or opt for limbo at the Trade Deadline, making a few low-impact moves to either sure up their rosters' depth or add some farm system pieces for the years ahead. The Kansas City Royals are not one of those teams. Here's Why The Royals Front Office Gets An A+ At The Trade Deadline.
Cuetomania
David Price and Cole Hamels may have dominated the headlines at this year's deadline, but Johnny Cueto could easily be the most impactful starting pitcher to move in July -- partly because he now heads the starting rotation of the American League's most complete team and partly he's Johnny freaking Cueto. Cueto finished 2nd in the 2014 NL Cy Young voting to Clayton "Terminator" Kershaw last year and he's having a comparable campaign in 2015 -- 2.70 ERA, sub-1 WHIP, .201 BAA, just 31 BB in 136.2 innings.
Cueto is an agent of controlled chaos and an instantly lovable figure for a loyal Royals fan base. This rental works on many levels for a Royals team whose World Series window is as wide open as it'll ever be.
The Incredible Stretchable Zobrist
Ben Zobrist's two home run game to open his tenure in a Royals uniform could be called an added perk for one of the most versatile, interesting utility commodities in baseball. Zobrist can play second or all over the outfield, giving Ned Yost ample malleability to play with down the stretch. He's also a cost-effective rental at just over $2.8 million owed. AND he bats switch. AND he gets on base over 35% of the time and sports an OPS over .800. AND his a more-than-reliable glove. AND AND AND he's one of the sneakily fantastic pickups of this year's deadline.
Entering The Rental Market
The Kansas City Royals are usually extremely creative (see budget-conscious) when it comes to deadline deals, so it's refreshing to see the team's front office push the chips into the middle and take a wild, World Series-sized swing for the fences. It's not just the fans deserve a winner after three long decades, even though they do. It's the fact that the Royals are acting like a legitimate contender would and should, using brick and not paper to cover over their holes for their August-October march.
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