Kansas City Royals: Offseason trade targets from NL Central
By Cody Rickman
Chicago Cubs
Danny Hultzen, LHP Relief Pitcher
Danny Hultzen, the 29-year-old left-handed reliever (30 in November), was once a promising starting pitching prospect before being absolutely ravaged by injuries to his pitching shoulder.
Hultzen was one of the better comeback stories this year in the MLB, finally making to the majors and pitching well with 17.2 innings of 1.02 ERA, 1.075 WHIP, with 28 Ks between AAA and MLB. Hultzen did struggle a bit with his walk rate, but was able to limit hits during his performances.
Hultzen has relied on his knowledge of pitching to throw quality innings with his fastball with 2-seam movement (93-mph) that he pairs well with an above average slider (80-mph) and plus-plus changeup (82-mph).
While Hultzen is still an injury risk, his knowledge of pitching and his pedigree make him a potential steal as a late inning reliever. The age isn’t ideal for a rebuilding Royals team, but Hultzen could be worth looking at in a trade.
Possible trade offer: Nick Heath, Outfielder or player to be named later