Royals Rumors: Potential starting pitchers on market for 2017 deadline

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Royals Rumors: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

GERRIT COLE (PITTSBURGH PIRATES)

7-7 record, 4.43 ERA, 1.300 WHIP (Free agent in 2020)

Gerrit Cole was once one of the top starting pitchers in Major League Baseball after being the first overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft. He’s spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and has been named to the All-Star Game once during that time.

Cole isn’t having a great 2017 campaign, but that won’t keep teams from wanting to trade for him. Cole won’t hit free agency until 2020 so he’s not going to come cheap for whatever team is willing to go after him.

I can say with a lot of certainty that Gerrit Cole won’t be coming to Kansas City. Would it be fun? Sure! But fun doesn’t always happen and the Royals just don’t have the assets to land this guy, especially with a team like the New York Yankees really wanting to add Cole to their rotation this year and beyond.

Going after Gerrit Cole would absolutely obliterate the Royals’ farm system, so this will be a no go.

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