Royals Could Cut Ties With $22 Million All-Star In 'Bold' Trade Deadline Swap

The calendar has turned to June, which means every Major League Baseball team now has less than two months to set itself up for success or failure at the trade deadline.

Some teams already know if they'll be buyers or sellers. The Kansas City Royals currently don't know if they'll be either, and there's a chance they could turn out to be both.

For as bad as the Royals' offense has been so far this season, it's unlikely they'll ever fall far enough out of the race to hold a full-on fire sale. That's especially true now that they've called up number-one prospect Jac Caglianone, who was hitting home runs at a higher rate than the entire big-league roster combined during his time in Triple-A.

But could the Royals sell off a valuable piece or two from the pitching staff to further boost their offense? That's what one baseball writer believes is at least possible.

In a recent article, Mike Gillespie of FanSided theorized that Carlos Estévez, the Kansas City closer who signed a two-year, $22 million deal before the season (club option for 2027) could be traded away this summer if Kansas City gets creative in their pursuit of a big bat.

"The Royals have a good bullpen even without Estévez, especially if they keep (Lucas) Erceg, who they can team with successful relievers Daniel Lynch IV (3-1, 1.75 ERA in 23 appearances), Steven Cruz (1-0, 1.93 ERA over 20 games), Taylor Clarke (1-1, 0.82 ERA in eight appearances), and Jonathan Bowlan (1-0, 2.57 ERA in five games)," Gillespie wrote.

"Will Kansas City trade Estévez? The reasons justifying dealing him away argue just as forcefully for keeping him. But if the Royals are still desperate for more offense in late July, he may well be on the market."

The 32-year-old Estévez is 16-for-18 in save opportunities and boasts a 1.78 ERA through 24 appearances. The former American League All-Star is pitching as well as he ever has, and would be a huge asset to any team.

Of course, the Royals see him as a huge asset themselves, so parting ways with him would be difficult. The odds of Estévez being dealt might not be high, but they certainly aren't zero.

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