KCKingdom
Fansided

Royals Rumors: Danny Duffy available for right price

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 6: Starting pitcher Danny Duffy #41 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on April 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 6: Starting pitcher Danny Duffy #41 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on April 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Royals rumors are already underway for the Kansas City Royals and Danny Duffy is the first to be rumored as potential trade bait come the deadline.

The Kansas City Royals may only be eight games into their 2018 campaign, but that won’t stop the Royals rumors from spreading. According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, Danny Duffy is available if someone is willing to package the right group of prospects for the Royals.

"Despite a poor first start, Duffy remains on the radar of scouts eyeing a starting pitcher to add at the trade deadline. Yes, that informational process has already begun. Duffy is said to be available for the right package of prospects. With a small pool of top starters available at the deadline, the competition for his services could yield a good haul for the rebuilding Royals."

What the Royals should be hoping for over these next few months is for Danny Duffy to go out and absolutely deal and boost his stats. His first two starts haven’t gone very well, but it’s still early and he looked like he was figuring things out after the first inning in Cleveland.

More from Royals Rumors

The biggest worry with Duffy has always been his inability to stay healthy. Last year alone he spent two stints on the disabled list and has yet to throw more than 180 innings during his career. Duffy dealt with some shoulder pain at the end of spring training, which worried Royals fans before the season even began.

On Opening Day, Duffy made it through the first four innings without any trouble, but the fifth inning was when everything came crashing down. Duffy went on to allow five runs and was pulled at the end of the inning.

His second start didn’t begin very well, as he surrendered three runs in the first inning, but then settled in for the rest of the game. Duffy sometimes struggles with his command and when he’s having issues finding that rhythm on the mound, he really beats himself up for it. More often than not, that tends to lead to disaster.

Duffy’s 7.45 ERA isn’t great, but the trade deadline isn’t until July, so he has plenty of time to lower  it. He wouldn’t be another team’s ace like he is for the Royals, but Duffy would definitely be capable of stepping in as a team’s number three pitcher.

Right now, this is just a rumor obviously, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Danny Duffy is beloved in Kansas City, but when it comes down to it, trading him might be the best thing for restocking the Royals farm system.