Why Kansas City Royals traded four minor league prospects – MLB News
Tampa Bay Rays traded two of their best starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City Royals late on Sunday. The six player trade included four minor league prospects from Royals’ farm system including the highly touted Wil Myers
Myers posted some impressive number Royals’ Double A and Triple A league last season as he hit a decent batting average with 37 home runs. For his consistent and magical performances throughout the season, the outfielder was named the Minor League Player
of the Year by Baseball American and USA today.
However, there is a reason why the Royals agreed to trade their minor league talent. The pitching rotation failed to live up to the expectations last season and the Royals finished third on the American League Central Division standings table.
After the Royals acquired Shields and Wade, they have certainly become one of the favourites to win the next year’ Al Central title along with Detroit Tigers. They Royals already have some of the best hitting lineup in their lineup. What they are looking
to do this offseason is build a team starting rotation capable of destroying batting lineups in the American League. It will be interesting to see if Shields and Wade can combine to help them do that.
“The Tigers don't need a No. 1 starter. But they did lack an experienced No. 2 catcher, and they obtained one Monday when they signed free agent Brayan Peña to a one-year contract. The position had temporarily belonged to rookie Bryan Holaday after Gerald
Laird departed last month as a free agent for Atlanta. Holaday, 25, will remain as the catcher at Triple-A Toledo,” said John Lowe of freep.com
Meanwhile, the Tigers signed free agent catcher Brayan Pena, whose contract was not renewed by the Royals at the end of the season. Pena has a decent career average and he has been signed to provide backup to everyday catcher Alex Avila, who missed a number
of games last season with injuries.
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