The defending American League pennant winners are casting a wide net with trade inquiries, including A’s utilityman Ben Zobrist and Reds pitchers Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto.
Cueto has made four starts since returning from a disabled list stint for elbow soreness and is 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA. Zobrist is batting .243/.325/.434, but is heating up, batting .318/.388/.591 over the last 14 days entering Tuesday’s game. Leake is 4-4 with a 4.01 ERA.OUR TAKE: Although Omar Infante is the leading vote-getter at second base in All-Star voting, the Royals have discussed supplementing that position as Infante is batting just .230/.237/.311 entering Tuesday’s game. Zobrist is easily an upgrade from Infante and the A’s utilityman is still a career .285/.363/.444 batter against left-handed pitching.
With James Shields in San Diego, the Royals are still in need of an ace — Edison Volquez (7-4, 3.33 ERA) doesn’t make the cut, and Yordano Ventura (3-6, 4.68 ERA) has failed to live up to expectations since signing a new contract in April. Cueto would be a perfect fit in the open confines of Kauffman Stadium and a trade from slumping Reds also makes sense from the their standpoint. Cueto is in the final year of his contract and is expected to ask for for a Clayton Kershaw-like contract to the highest bidder. If the Reds part ways with the 2014 NL Cy Young runner-up, they could bring in a big haul of Royals prospects from one of the best farm systems in MLB.
Leake is no ace, but the 27-year-old is still better than Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (5-4, 5.55 ERA). With Ventura, Jason Vargas, and Danny Duffy all on the disabled list for the Royals, Leake would be a fine addition to the AL Central leaders.
