Kansas City Royals: Who Would Royals Protect in Expansion Draft

NATE KARNS

This one might seem like a weird pick, but the way I look at it is that an MLB team can never have too many good pitchers. Nate Karns has struggled to stay healthy during his career, but when he’s able to pitch and his command is good, the guy is a strikeout machine!

Karns’ 4.17 ERA this season isn’t mind-blowing, but he’s had some good outings this season to go along with his 51 strikeouts. What stands out the most about keeping Karns, however, is that he’s under club control through 2021, arguably why the Royals opted to trade for him.

In case you forgot – Nate Karns was the pitcher that the Royals traded Jarrod Dyson for. They essentially traded a fourth outfielder and bench player for a starter in the rotation. In my eyes, the Royals can’t let Karns be vulnerable to get snatched away because he has all of the talent in the world. He just has to work on staying healthy.

Karns is still on the disabled list after appearing in nine games this season. The hope is that he can return to the team soon and give the Royals some quality starts as they push for the playoffs.