Royals Rumors: Johnny Cueto And Yovani Gallardo Drawing Interest

Royals rumors continue to fly every which way, as the KC Royals are still being linked to starting pitchers Johnny Cueto and Yovani Gallardo.

The KC Royals‘ rotation took a bit of hit this week, and the team could look to add starting pitching ahead of the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline.

Jason Vargas went to the DL with a torn UCL in his left arm the same day Yordano Ventura was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. And now the Royals might push harder to make a move.

According to Jon Morosi, the Royals remain interested in several starting pitchers around the league, specifically Reds’ starter Johnny Cueto and Rangers’ starter Yovani Gallardo.

Sources: Royals considering Yovani Gallardo and Johnny Cueto, among many other options for their rotation. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2015

Cueto continues to draw interest from what seems like half the league, but that’s what happens when a potential ace is on the block.

More from Kansas City Royals

Cueto is 6-6 this season with a 2.79 ERA in 122.2 innings. His 8.44 K/9 and 2.05 BB/9 look like ace numbers and he’s been doing it for the Reds for the past eight seasons. Fox Sports’ Dave Cameron says there’s no better fit for Cueto in the Majors than with the Kansas City Royals:

"The defending American League champs — and the team with the league’s best record at the moment — are the most obvious fit for Cueto. While every other contender can make a reasonable case for why the price for Cueto might be too high for its specific situation, the Royals have no such objections."

Cueto gives the Royals a much-needed front line starter that could match up with another team’s number one and a guy who could legitimately help take this team to a different level. Of course, he’s likely going to demand a big return in the form of prospects.

CHECK OUT: BEN ZOBRIST STILL A POSSIBLITY

Who knows, maybe the Royals could add Reds’ starter Mike Leake in the deal, too, but the price in prospects is for a Cueto-level talent is definitely concerning.

The league’s pursuit of Gallardo has been a much quieter one.

Once a big-time starter for the Milwaukee Brewers, Gallardo has apparently been pretty effective this season. He’s posted a 2.91 ERA in 117.1 innings for one of the AL’s surprise teams. Gallardo is playing out a $13 million team option this season and is set to become a Free Agent in 2016.

He’s a guy who throws a handful of different pitches, relying on movement and speed to keep batters off balance. His fastball averages about 92 MPH, according to FanGraphs.com, and his off-speed pitches include a slider, changeup and curveball. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark via Twitter, Gallardo is the one piece the Rangers are committed to trading:

Clubs that have asked about Mitch Moreland say Rangers have little interest in moving him. Only guy they're truly selling is Yovani Gallardo
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 22, 2015

Gallardo could provide the Royals with a workhorse. Here are his innings-pitched from the last five seasons (in order, 2010-2014): 185, 207.1, 204, 180.2, 192.1. Not too shabby.

The time is now for the Kansas City Royals. With a choke-hold on the division and just more than 60 games to play, the KC Royals are in a position to make a power-play at the bargaining table before the deadline. If they can add an arm or two to the front-end of rotation, it becomes increasingly hard to find a hole in this team.

Who would you like the Kansas City Royals to target before the July 31st Trade Deadline?

Next: Martin Prado is an Ideal Trade Target

More from KC Kingdom

Home/Kansas City Royals