I didn't think they'd do it. I thought the Royals could very well end up with a rental from the Reds this year, I just thought it'd be Mike Leake. Behold for the first time in my life, the Royals are going all in. I love the move, it shows the fans the front office is aware that the window for the first Royals division and World Series Championship in 30 years is as open as it is ever going to be. The Royals had to give up fan favorite and 1st round draft pick from 2014 Brandon Finnegan, Omaha Storm Chasers pitcher and AAA All-Star John Lamb, and rising pitcher Cody Reed. This trade makes tons of sense for both teams. The Reds get to unload Cueto and actually get some pieces that could contribute in the future, two of which in the probable near future. Would anyone be surprised to see Lamb and Finnegan playing regularly in Cincinnati if the Reds move Leake and possibly Chapman? This move is just as good for Lamb and Finnegan as it is for the Royals. No longer will Finnegan get jerked between starter and reliever and switching uniforms almost weekly. Lamb can see an opportunity open up quite soon to be the 4th or 5th starter for a Major League team. Reed is having a great season, and has gotten some accolades for his performance, but he is still a work in progress and probably wouldn't be in a Reds uniform before September of 2016 at the earliest.
Enough about those guys, they don't play for the Royals anymore, they have gone the way of Johnny Giavotella. I'll remember them when they are inexplicably producing on a good team in the Majors. Seriously though, how has Giavotella become the starting 2nd basemen on the AL West's best team? ANYWAY.... The Royals finally have a legit ace to head their staff into the stretch run. Royals fans are absolutely giddy for a guy that's going to make 11 starts and then depart for a $200M contract. The excitement is deserved, it's completely new territory. We all know adding a major piece around the trade deadline doesn't always lead to glory (Oakland 2014) but at least the Royals are putting their best foot forward and why not? Dayton Moore is on a roll, the James Shields trade actually ended up working out, the Royals made the World Series. Shields himself stunk in the post-season, but the point of getting him was partially to win those games down the stretch during a race. Which he did brilliantly last year. The 1-0 win in Yankee Stadium in early September is the game that still stands out to me as one of the games that got KC to the playoffs. His next start vs Detroit he won 3-0, they don't win the Wild Card without James. So Moore knows the importance of having that guy on the mound that you don't have to worry about being overwhelmed by the moment. He also knows the situation the Royals are currently facing. Alex Gordon is a free agent after 2015, Hosmer, Moustakas, Davis are close behind in 2016. This is a team that has all the belief that they can win the World Series so now it's time to provide the team with the necessary tools. Cueto is the first and most important piece to be added to that toolbox.
I could go on and on about the impact of Cueto and what this all means, but Rany Jazayerli covers it perfectly for Grantland. I actually wanted to shift focus to my thoughts of what will we see as this progresses towards the trade deadline Friday afternoon. The Angels were no doubt going to be adding, They were in need of a corner OF because they shipped Josh Hamilton off for peanuts. I was just surprised that ended up being Shane Victorino. Maybe they are thinking they need a guy who can hit lead off. They've been rolling with Johnny Giavotella at that spot and he's not exactly your prototypical lead off hitter. Maybe the price for Jay Bruce and Carlos Gomez was just too high for the Angels to go get one of them. Even then, I'd think Gerardo Parra would have been a solid fit. Maybe there are more moves to be made from the Angels. They are a team that is a legit contender with the best player on the planet. They will be active this week.
I think Toronto is going to add at least one pitcher. They just flipped Reyes for Tulo because apparently they didn't have enough right-handed power bats. Their problem isn't scoring, it's stopping other teams from scoring. I fully expect the Blue Jays to add a Jeff Samardzija or a Yovanni Gallardo type of pitcher here before Friday. You don't trade for Tulowitzki and think that's going to get you the wild card. The Blue Jays also need bullpen help, Papelbon could be a target. They could be the most active team leading into the deadline. Thanks to the Royals the Blue Jays now have the longest post-season drought in baseball, they are desperate to end that streak.
What's happening with Detroit? I think they are going to move some pieces. They can't pitch at all, they have David Price and 4 bad pitchers as a starting rotation right now. It's gotten to the point where every time Shane Greene trots out there you're just waiting until the inevitable blow up inning. It might not be the 1st inning, or the 2nd, but you know it's coming eventually. If you're the Tigers you have to get something back for David Price. He was the contingency plan for Max Scherzer leaving, and he's still an elite pitcher. The problem is Justin Verlander is 28M a year replacement level player. Who could have seen this coming, a workhorse pitcher with a ton of innings on his arm gets past 30 years old then falls apart. Does that sound familiar CC Sabathia?
Speaking of the Yankees, they are pulling away in the AL East. On paper they really shouldn't be good, but A-Rod has "injected" some life back into his game. Ellsbury, Gardner, and Mark Texiera are healthy. The Yankees also boast what is widely considered the second best bullpen in baseball behind the Royals. What they really lack is starting pitching. Tanaka's elbow is hanging on by a thread, and has been for almost a year. He will eventually need Tommy John surgery, and everyone knows that (think Luke Hochevar Royals fans), The Yankees aren't a team that's been ballyhooed in many trade rumors, but I expect them to add at least a starting pitcher. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a serious run at David Price. Mike Leake, Samardzija, and Gallardo are all options as well, but I'd think they'd like to make a big splash as they continue to grow their lead in the East.
The Dodgers are going to do something, because the Dodgers are basically what the Yankees were 10 years ago. They don't care about spending that luxury tax, they are going to make a big run at Hamels. Especially with the fact that Zack Greinke will opt out at the end of this season. They can just move the money Greinke would pass on to Hamels' remaining on his contract. The Dodgers could go Kershaw, Greinke, Hamels in a playoff series. That doesn't automatically lead to wins, but it does put your team in a pretty good position. The Dodgers have like 6 outfielders on their team and have some pieces to move, and really must move some pieces to stop the logjam. Also just to allow for more of a "set" lineup. Don Mattingly is like Ned Yost of 5 years ago, with just way more talent, he cannot decide on a lineup and seems to be just picking names out of a hat at times.
It'll be interesting to see what the Cubs do, you know Theo Epstein is going to try to make a big splash as his rebuilding effort seems to be a year ahead of schedule and why wait?
I feel like one team that won't do much is the Washington Nationals. With Rendon, Werth, and Zimmerman coming back from injury it's finally the team they envisioned having from the start of the year. Their starting rotation is the best in baseball, they have been preparing for this run since last winter when they signed Max Scherzer, when healthy this team doesn't have many holes. If Ian Desmond continues his recent hot hitting and gets back to being the player he's been the past 3 years. They might be the favorites in October.
Finally, I'll finish where I started the Royals. I think there might be another move coming. They are in the massive race for Ben Zobrist. Ned Yost loves the utility man, Zobrist can fill in for Alex Gordon while he is out, then can move about the field to fill in for Omar Infante and Alex Rios mostly, but also could provide off days at virtually any other position as well. The problem is, it seems like everyone wants Zobrist, including the Yankees. Billy Beane is creating a bidding war and I am not sure it's one the Royals will win. I still like the Gerardo Parra idea, but really the Royals are playing just fine without Gordon, and bringing in someone who is strictly an OF without the versatility of a Zobrist might not be in the team's best interest. I have already been surprised by the Royals aggressive approach so I wouldn't bet against them making another big move.
Either way, this year's trade deadline already promises to bring more excitement, and in a lot ways already has, in comparison to the 2014 deadline where Oakland's moves were the only to move the needle. These next three and a half days should be fun, like T.O. once said, "get yer popcorn ready."
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