KC Royals: Dayton Moore Reclamation Projects
By Scott Dillon
Ervin Santana: Hit
Ervin Santana didn’t help get the Royals to the playoffs in 2013, but he did help deliver their first winning season since 2003. Santana never really pitched all that poorly with the Angels, but his 2012 prompted the Angels to seek a trade prior to the 2013 season.
Ervin Santana pitched brilliantly in 2011 posting a 3.38 ERA and marking a second straight year pitching over 220 innings. It all came crumbling down in 2012 though when his ERA sky rocketed to 5.16 and his innings count only reached 178.
Santana didn’t stick around long, but he was one of Dayton Moore’s more successful ‘reclamation projects’.
Dayton Moore was able to trade for Santana for a minor league prospect named Brandon Sisk. Sisk is 30 years old and has yet to crack the majors so I’d say the return for the Royals was optimal. The Angels got a player who will most likely never reach the majors, and the Royals got started on forgetting how to be a team that loses games.
Santana rebounded nicely in 2013 pitching 211 innings and posting a career best ERA of 3.24. He found his best pitch again in a nasty slider, that many scouts call the “best in baseball”. He was a good compliment to James Shields and helped inspire a winning mentality.
Santana didn’t stick around long, but he was one of Dayton Moore’s more successful ‘reclamation projects’.
Next: One of Moore's First Projects