Royals Rumors: Should Royals Continue To Add Pitching

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (29) – Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

People will be upset with me for even suggesting the Kansas City Royals consider adding Jeff Samardzija, but hey. This is an article about potential pitchers to add, and Shark is a potential pitcher to add.

The White Sox stood pat at the trade deadline, as they were riding a seven game winning streak and almost hit the .500 mark. They were actually tied for third in the AL Central with Detroit at that moment, so no one blamed the White Sox for not buying or selling.

Originally the White Sox were thought to be sellers headed to the deadline, and Samardzija was one of the guys they were wanting to shop around. Alec Tilson wrote a piece on how he wanted to see Kansas City bring Shark in.

"Samardzija would give the Royals a strike-thrower who can chew up innings – something the team doesn’t have right now. He’s a legitimate horse, posting 213.2 innings in 2013 and 219.2 innings in 2014. The Royals have seen him a bit since he was traded to the American League last July, but what type of pitcher is he?"

While there’s no doubt that Samardzija is a good pitcher, Royals fans don’t like this guy. He got into it with this team on opening day when he beaned Lorenzo Cain with a pitch. These two later duked it out at U.S. Cellular Field after some words were exchanged between Yordano Ventura and Adam Eaton.

It’s easy to understand why Royals fans don’t want Samardzija on the team, but he is a good pitcher. He has a 3.94 ERA and an 8-5 record in 21 starts so far this season. With Cueto on the team, Samardzija would likely be either the second guy in the rotation or third behind Edinson Volquez.

If the White Sox continue to remain competitive then don’t expect Shark to go anywhere. If they play how they have most of the season though up to this point, then Jeff Samardzija could definitely be an option for the Royals.

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