Royals' head-scratching trade indicates lack of direction
In a somewhat head-scratching move just before the trade deadline, the Royals shipped an everyday lineup piece to the Braves in a one-for-one swap that brought left-handed pitcher Taylor Hearn to Kansas City.
Nicky Lopez is amid an underwhelming season on the sticks for the Royals, batting just .210/.322/.280 over 187 plate appearances. However, it’s his glove, as well as his multi-positional utility, that the 28-year-old is best known for. He’s played at five positions in the field already this year and has delivered exceptional glovework.
Hearn is a 28-year-old who’s better as a reliever than a starter. The Braves got the southpaw last Monday after the Rangers designated him for assignment. He only made one appearance for Atlanta, in which he allowed four runs in one-third of an inning.
The trade continues to solidify the fact that the Royals are completely without any sense of direction for a potential rebuild. The 2015 World Series champs haven’t been over .500 since their title run, but don’t have a strong farm system to show for it.
It seemed that the Royals were beginning to develop a rebuild strategy when they sent closer Aroldis Chapman, who the team had signed before this season, to the Rangers in exchange for a solid arm in Cole Ragans and a 17-year-old outfielder, Roni Cabrera. However, the trade of Lopez certainly doesn’t help their efforts.
Royals beat writer Anne Rogers said it best in her piece on the trade:
“The Braves acquired [Hearn] on Monday for cash after the Rangers designated him for assignment; the Royals did have a chance to acquire him then, but they passed on that opportunity.”
Rogers mentioned that GM J.J. Picollo expressed enthusiasm about Hearn after the trade:
“Always somebody we’ve had some interest in because he’s a big left-hander with a big fastball…”
With the amount of so-called “interest” Picollo and his staff had in the left-hander, it’s unclear why they didn’t simply pick him up last week.
While the Royals can’t exactly be faulted based on hindsight, dealing Lopez last winter after a stellar offensive season would have yielded a significantly higher return. Not the best foresight last offseason for the second-year GM.
Kansas City’s passing on Hearn as a player designated for assignment seems to imply the trade is more of a move to free up cash by the Royals, but Lopez is too talented an asset to give up virtually for free. His defensive versatility will be a huge asset to the Braves as they eye the postseason, and according to Statcast, Lopez leads all players in outs above average since the start of the 2020 season.
A one-for-one trade isn’t a great look for a stagnating MLB team. But getting rid of such a valuable piece in Lopez in exchange for a player the Royals could’ve picked up last week? That’s a head-scratcher.
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