The Kansas City Royals were hanging around for a bit this season before falling out of things and now that they are seven games out of the division race, the team may still decide to sell and the top names for deals at the deadline include closer Greg Holland and starter Ervin Santana.
The team has a number of teams that might end up interested in the two, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians and Cincinnati Reds while some other teams may also be in the market for pitching and bullpen arms. The team has played a number of close games this year and Holland has been fantastic and he now is their most valuable trading chip. The team made a deal with prospect Wil Myers earlier this year and with names like Alex Rios, Michael Young and Jake Peavy on the market, the Royals can get down as well.
The Royals entered the 2013 season with high expectations after putting together a young core of players like Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon and making the trade with Rays for James Shields, but once again at the trading deadline the team appears to be sellers and the top options for the team include starting pitcher Ervin Santana as well as reliever Greg Holland.
Santana has been solid this season and according to Hardball Talk, he could be moved at the trading deadline to a contender in need of a start after going 6-6 with a 3.08 ERA while striking out over 100 batters. Santana is getting paid $13 million this season and he likely will be the first player to go if the Royals decide to commit to selling. Santana will be a free agent next season, meaning he likely is a half season rental, so some teams may not want to give up a top prospect for him.
Holland is having a fantastic season with 25 saves and a sub-2.00 ERA as well as 62 strikeouts in 39 appearances, making him an attractive target for teams in need of a closer. The Red Sox have had issues in the bullpen all season, while the Pirates are in desperate need of a closer after losing All-Star Jason Grilli to an arm injury. With the deadline coming down to the end, other names like Kevin Gregg, Huston Street and Jonathan Papelbon could also be available.
The Royals are 47-51 this season and eight games out of first place in the American League Central and while they may have a run in them late in the summer to get closer to playoff contention, they likely will be sellers at the deadline. The team has had issues scoring runs all season and are ranked 25th in scoring and 14th in batting average while also ranking 29th in slugging percentage. The team could try to trade Santana or Holland to a franchise with pitching needs for a solid bat or prospects and that could help the team next season.
