Royals Rumors: Royals Still Linked To Johnny Cueto

The Royals rumors are continuing to fly every which way as we draw closer and closer to the MLB All-Star break. One rumor that continues to linger is the possibility of the Kansas City Royals snatching up Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto.

Christina Kahrl of ESPN recently wrote that the Royals should “aim for total victory” by going after Cueto.

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"Why Johnny Cueto works for the Royals, perhaps more than for any other team that might put itself into that kind of conversation, is because of how he fits into this team. Durability is the question mark that Cueto has been tagged with after three DL stints in 2013 for shoulder trouble and more recent worries associated with his elbow."

While I agree with Kahrl on that the Royals need a number one starter, I’m not positive that Cueto is the route to go here. KC Kingdom’s own Mark Kanter feels like the Royals should stay away from Cueto.

"No matter what, the Royals should not deal top prospects in exchange for a potentially ace-caliber rental. There is no need to deplete the farm system when you currently have the best record in the American League. If the price is right, by all means, proceed. But that’s unlikely. Would it be nice to have a true ace if/when October hits? Of course. Have the Royals gotten by just fine without one so far? Scoreboard."

Both Kahrl and Kanter make great arguments. The Royals need a good starting pitcher, but they’ve done just fine with Edinson Volquez (who I consider the team’s number one option) and Chris Young. Sure, Yordano Ventura has been disappointing this season, but he could still come around. Danny Duffy has been pitching better recently, and Jeremy Guthrie has shown that he can go out and deal.

The question we have to ask ourselves is: Is it worth the risk?

On the flip side though, with Johnny Cueto on board, it’d be tough imagining this team not making it back to the World Series (barring any type of injury, of course). Kahrl wrote in her article about how the Royals had everything but that scary pitcher on their roster, and Cueto would bring that to Kauffman Stadium.

Cueto won’t be easy to acquire though, and that’s why I might agree with Kanter more in this situation than with Kahrl. The Royals would have to give up some pretty good prospects in order to get Cueto, and it’d only be to have the current Reds’ ace for a few months. Once the season ends, Cueto would head somewhere else for more money and the good prospects would be long gone.

The question we have to ask ourselves is: Is it worth the risk?

Sure, Cueto is a terrific pitcher, there’s no debating that, but it might be tough to merit giving up so many young players for a guy that’s only going to be on board for a few months.

With that said, if it guarantees the Kansas City Royals a second straight World Series appearance, it’d be tough to pass up on.

Nothing is guaranteed in sports though.

Next: Under the Radar Trade Targets For the Royals

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