Royals Rumors: Jaime Garcia drawing interest from Royals
Royals rumors season is here! The Kansas City Royals are looking to upgrade their starting rotation and the latest name to surface for the team is Braves starting pitcher Jaime Garcia.
While the Kansas City Royals have managed to get to a 44-43 record at the All-Star break, they need to break away from the pack. Throwing the likes of Luke Farrell, Jake Junis, Eric Skoglund, and Travis Wood out on the mound has worked so far, but Kansas City needs to add a true starter if they want to contend for the postseason.
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported on Thursday that the KC Royals could be interested in trading for Atlanta Braves pitcher Jaime Garcia. Garcia will hit free agency after this season, which means he would be a short-term option for the Royals rotation (also known as a rental).
Garcia spent the first eight years of his career in the Cardinals organization, where he won a World Series in 2011. His career ERA is 3.66 over nine years in the league and he holds a WHIP of 1.290 during that time.
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Garcia’s 2017 campaign hasn’t been all that great, as he’s currently posting a 2-7 record, 4.55 ERA, and 1.354 WHIP in 16 starts and 99 innings pitched. These numbers aren’t all that impressive, but Garcia offers a veteran presence in the rotation, which is something that guys like Junis and Skoglund don’t have to offer.
The biggest question that will continue to be asked during all of these Royals rumors is this: Can the Royals afford to trade for anyone? Their farm system is weak and they don’t have a ton of cash to shell out to anyone they acquire.
After seeing what the Chicago Cubs gave up to obtain Jose Quintana, my optimism for the Royals trading for any type of impact player quickly dwindled. It’s worth noting that Jaime Garcia isn’t going to go for the same type of prospects that Quintana went for, as A) He’ll be a free agent after 2017 and B) He doesn’t have the same hype for the rest of his career that Quintana has (his better days are certainly behind him).
Garcia’s numbers aren’t really one that anyone would be dying to see the Kansas City Royals trade for, but he has had some good seasons in recent years. In 2015 with the Cardinals, Garcia had a 2.43 ERA and went 10-6 on the year. He hasn’t been quite as good the last two years, but he has good stuff to throw for sure.
Hot stove season has only just begun, which means the Royals rumors are going to continue flying. Whether Jaime Garcia is a legitimate option to join the KC Royals is unknown still, but we’ll keep you updated on every rumor we catch wind of!