Kansas City Royals missed opportunity to acquire Nolan Arenado
By Cullen Jekel
The Royals, with a stronger farm system than the Cardinals, could have matched, or even topped, such an offer and still acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Red Sox in a three-team trade. Here’s what I put together to top the Cardinals’ offer:
- The Headliner: LHP Austin Cox, 23, who has pitched well professionally so far, albeit never above A-ball.
- The Fringe MLBer: Third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez doesn’t turn 27 until the summer. Maybe with consistent playing time, he’d break out. I don’t see that happening with the Royals.
- Solid Utility Player: Nick Heath, an outfielder, is already 27, but he can fly. He’d be able to cover ample ground in Coors, and he swiped 60 bases in 2019 across AA and AAA.
- Future Reliever: Take your pick. I choose Noah Murdock, a righty who’s just 22-years-old and drafted in 2019 after pitching three years for the Virginia Cavaliers.
- Organizational Depth: Drafted in the fourth round out of Arkansas in 2018, switch-hitting outfielder Eric Cole is still only 24. He takes walks and hits for some power.
Cox, Gutierrez, Heath, Murdock, and Cole…yeah, I’d give that up for Arenado. Wouldn’t you?
And it’s better than Gomber, Montero, Gil, Locey, and Sommers.
If the Rockies wanted more, there are still other players to be had who are expendable and not some of the Royals’ top pitching prospects. I’m particularly thinking of RHP Carlos Hernandez and shortstop Nick Loftin.
The bigger impediment to a club like the Kansas City Royals, though, would’ve been the financial aspect of this trade.