7 (or more) trade targets from the Kansas City Royals for the Colorado Rockies

Our series of trade targets for the Colorado Rockies continues today with the Kansas City Royals. You can check out the previous installments of our series here.

Both the Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals had, virtually, the same record in 2021 as both teams won 74 games but the two teams are in different realms in the baseball world. Kansas City plays in the weak AL Central and they have one of the top five farm systems in baseball right now. The Rockies play in, arguably, the toughest division in baseball in the NL West and they have one of the worst five farm systems in baseball right now.

However, the Rockies view themselves as a team that, as GM Bill Schmidt said  “just need[s] more pieces” to be a playoff-contending team. That’s why we have been examining each and every team with possible trade targets during the lockout.

Both team were virtually quiet this offseason before the lockout as the Rockies didn’t sign anybody from outside of the organization to a major league deal. They have agreed to extensions/re-signed first baseman C.J. Cron, catcher Elias Díaz, right-handed pitcher Antonio Senzatela, and right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacín. The Royals, on the other hand, have signed former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke to a one-year deal for just under $1 million and they extended outfielder Michael Taylor to a two-year deal for $5 million.

To contend in 2021, both teams will have to make some moves once the lockout ends but from a perspective of the Rockies buying, here are eight trade targets the Colorado Rockies should keep in mind.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi would give the Colorado Rockies a quality outfielder.

Back in October, when we did a list of one player the Colorado Rockies should target for a trade with each team, Benintendi was our pick for the Kansas City Royals

One of the biggest areas of need for the Rockies is a power bat and, likely, that will come in the outfield. Andrew Benintendi could provide that.

Benintendi, 27, just finished his first season as a member of the Royals after they got him from the Boston Red Sox in February in a three-team deal. Benintendi, who was MLB.com’s #1 overall prospect entering 2017, has not quite lived up to his prospect ranking but he does hit a lot of doubles.

In 2021, he hit .276/.324/.442 with 17 homers, 73 RBI, and 27 doubles in 134 games, which was good enough for a 104 OPS+. His good defense (7 Defensive Runs Saved) was good enough to get him a Gold Glove Award, the first in his career.

In 2020, he was injured for most of the season (he only played in 14 games) with a rib cage strain. In 2019, Benintendi hit .266/.343/.431 with 40 doubles, 13 homers, 68 RBI, and an OPS+ of 99.

2018 was Benintendi’s best season as he hit 41 doubles, 16 homers, and had 87 RBI with a .290/.366/.465 slash line, and an OPS+ of 123. He also helped the Red Sox win the World Series as he hit .268/.328/.339 in the postseason with four doubles and five RBI. He also had 12 DRS in left field in 129 games (but he had -6 DRS in 24 games in center field).

Benintendi is entering the final year of his contract before free agency and in arbitration, he is going to get roughly $9.2 million.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana could be an intriguing option as a bat for the Colorado Rockies

Like Andrew Benintendi, first baseman Carlos Santana is entering the final season of his contract with the Kansas City Royals as the Royals signed him for a two-year deal last offseason.

Santana, who turns 36 in April, has been very reliable throughout his career as since his first full season (2011), as 2012 was the only full length season where he didn’t play in at least 154 games and that season, he was Cleveland’s primary catcher.

He has never been a great contact hitter (.245 career average) but, despite being a catcher for most of the first five years of his career, he has usually been toward the top of the lineup due to his great eye at the plate. He has drawn at least 86 walks in each full length season in the majors (and he led the AL in walks in the shortended 2020 season with 47). In fact, the worse on-base percentage he ever had prior to 2021 was in 2020, when he still had an OBP of .349.

In 2021, he struggled as he hit .214/.319/.342 with an OPS+ of 79. But considering that in 2019, he was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger Award, and got MVP votes after he hit 34 homers and had 93 RBI with a slash line of .281/.397/.515, and an OPS+ of 136, perhaps he could be worth taking a gamble on, especially if Kansas City is willing to eat some of his salary (he is owed $10.5 million).

Additionally, Santana could see less playing time in 2022 since Royals #2 prospect (MLB.com’s #65 overall prospect) Nick Pratto. He hit 36 homers and had 98 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A last year. In Triple-A (63 games), he had an OPS of 1.001. In other words, he’s going to be in the majors some time in 2022.

Since he’s first baseman at this stage of his career, the Rockies would have to either use Santana as a bench bat or in a platoon at DH and first with C.J. Cron but Santana is still good defensively (7 DRS between 2020 and 2021).

The Kansas City Royals have a quandary that the Colorado Rockies could alleviate

Realistically, the Colorado Rockies do not need a starting catcher. After all, they don’t think they do either since they extended Elias Díaz to a three-year deal this offseason. However, the Rockies don’t have a clear-cut backup catcher since Dom Nuñez struggled, especially in the second half of the season.

The Royals, in a similar manner, have Salvador Perez as their starting catcher and they just extended him as the new four-year contract (plus a team option) starts this upcoming season. Perez, a seven-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and four-time Silver Slugger winner, led the majors in both home runs (48) and RBI (121) in 2021 and he came in 7th in AL MVP voting.

But the Royals could have a problem.

The Royals #4 prospect (MLB.com’s #67 prospect) is catcher MJ Melendez (oddly enough, the Royals #2, #3, and #4 prospects are #65, #66, and #67 for MLB.com’s overall prospects) and Melendez is going to be in the majors in 2022.

Melendez, 23, split the season between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022 and he combined to have 41 homers, 103 RBI, and he had a slash line of .288/.386/.625. In Triple-A, he was actually better than he was in Double-A (1.033 OPS in Triple-A and .999 OPS in Double-A).

MJ Melendez being in the majors could set a chain reaction for the Kansas City Royals … and Colorado Rockies

Melendez played nine games at third base in 2021 in the minors but Bobby Witt, Jr. (the Royals #1 prospect) is likely to man third base when he makes his own MLB debut in 2022. They could use Witt at shortstop (his natural position) … but then they’d have to move their 4+ WAR shortstop Nicky Lopez to second base. That’s no problem (nearly a full season of games played there in the majors) … but then Merrifield to right field.

The only problem with that is that Kyle Isbel (Royals #5 prospect), who did make his MLB debut last season, is slated to be their everyday right fielder. He had a 107 OPS+ in 26 games in the majors and had an OPS over .800 in Triple-A. The position he has played most is center field … but the recently extended Michael A. Taylor is there.

They could move Isbel to left … but Benintendi is there. Benintendi could DH but he’s a Gold Glove winner. Isbel could DH but then, Adalberto Mondesi is out of a job. The Royals, seemingly, want to find a spot for the former top prospect who, frankly, was overrated if his minor league numbers are any indication. He has constantly been injured but now, he’s finally healthy.

All of this means that prospects are going to be on the bench, multiple players will be playing out of position, or someone has to be cut loose. Hunter Dozier should be cut loose (-2.5 WAR) he’s entering the second year of a four-year extension worth $25 million. Unlikely. The bench is more likely for him.

Carlos Santana could be one but with the other prospects, someone else will likely have to be on their way out or on the bench. The Rockies could help in a lot of ways because they need a lot of pieces.

Perhaps one of the catchers, one of the infielders (it’s very unlikely to be Merrifield because it’d be like trading George Brett in the 1980s. He’s, essentially, Mr. Royal right now), and/or one of the outfielders and some issues could be solved for both teams.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller could help the Colorado Rockies starting rotation

Brad Keller has been the ace for the Kansas City Royals for the last few seasons as he was their Opening Day starter in 2019 and 2021. In 2018, he was good for them in his rookie season as he appeared in 41 games (20 starts) and had a 3.08 ERA.

In 2019, Keller suffered from a lack of run support as he went 7-14 but he had an ERA of 4.19 (114 ERA+) and a FIP of 4.35 across 165 1/3 innings. In 2020, he lowered his walk rate by a full walk per nine innings and his WHIP from 1.355 to 1.024. That helped get his ERA down to 2.47.

But in 2021, he regressed as, in 26 starts, he had a 5.39 ERA with a 1.661 WHIP, a 4.72 FIP, and an elevated walk rate (4.3 BB/9).

Why would the Rockies be interested in him? First of all, he still has two years left before free agency (at least under the current CBA). Secondly, they’d be buying low on him. Thirdly, his groundball rate.

As we have discussed a lot in our trade target series, groundball rate is the key for Rockies pitchers at Coors Field. The higher the groundball rate, the better the results at Coors.

Since 2019, Keller’s groundball rate (among starters with at least 300 innings pitched) is 49.6 percent. That is 9th-highest in that span. Antonio Senzetela was 6th, Germán Márquez was 8th, and Jon Gray was 17th in that same span.

It was lower than ever before in 2021 (47.8 percent) but if that gets to 50 percent or above again (like in the previous three seasons), he could be an asset for the Rockies.

Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow could help the Colorado Rockies bullpen

Scott Barlow has been a victim of some bad luck in recent years while pitching for the Kansas City Royals but things came together for him in 2021 and the Royals could sell high on him to the Colorado Rockies.

Barlow, 29, appeared in 2018 in just six games in his inaugural MLB season but in 2019, he appeared in 61 games with a fairly high ERA (for a reliever) of 4.22. He had a high WHIP (1.436) and walk rate (4.7 BB/9) but he struck out nearly 12 batters per nine innings. Also, his FIP was nearly a run lower 3.41.

He had nearly the exact FIP in 2020 (3.42) and nearly the same exact ERA (4.20) in a MLB leading 32 appearances. He dropped the walk rate nearly in half so his WHIP dropped to 1.2.

In 2021, he started out as a setup man but eventually became their closer. In 71 games, he had a 2.42 ERA with a 2.63 FIP, a 1.197 WHIP, and 16 saves.

Would he be the Rockies closer? Perhaps, but at least they would have a good, reliable arm in the bullpen.

Kansas City Royals reliever Joel Payamps could also help the Colorado Rockies bullpen

Joel Payamps is a guy that you probably have not heard of before but he finished the 2021 season with the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies could use him in their bullpen.

Payamps, 27, has spent parts of three years in the majors but 2021 was the first season in which he made more than two appearances. He split the season between Toronto and Kansas City. He had more results for Toronto, as he had an ERA of 2.70 in 22 games but for Kansas City, despite having an ERA that was 4.43, his FIP was lower with Kansas City (3.96 with KC and 4.20 with Toronto).

In 2021, he had a groundball rate of about league average (45 percent) but he has shown that it can be higher in the minor leagues.

Additionally, the Rockies know Payamps well. All the way back in 2010, the Rockies signed Payamps as an amateur free agent. He pitched well in Rookie-ball in the Dominican but when he was elevated to Rookie-level Grand Junction and Short-Season A Tri-City, he struggled mightily so the Rockies released him after the 2014 season.

He didn’t pitch professionally in 2015 but in 2016, Payamps signed with the Diamondbacks, where he worked his way up to the majors.

Our trade target series continues tomorrow with the Minnesota Twins before we move on to the AL West.