Blue Jays: Six teams that could be trade partners at the deadline

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals currently sit in the basement in the AL Central and are reportedly looking to deal some assets at the deadline as they look to restock the farm system with young talent.

Looking at the Royals’ depth charts, their biggest trade chips will be in the bullpen, as they have a few different trade candidates that could be available before the deadline. Some names include:

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Right-hander Scott Barlow is the main pitcher to be on the lookout for, as he is having an incredible season in Kansas City. He leads the club in saves and boasts a 2.33 ERA through 35 games. He also has an elite chase rate sitting in the 97th percentile and is keeping the walks in check with his 2.8 BB/9. He is under team control until at least 2024 so if the Royals are wanting to deal the right-hander, they can request quite a haul in return for his services.

Other relievers potentially on the market from the Royals are Josh Staumont and Amir Garrett. Staumont is a hard-throwing right-hander that sits in the 96-98 MPH range and would be a welcome addition to the Jays’ bullpen. While he’s missed some time due to a neck strain, he is currently rehabbing and should be going to go later this week. He is under team control until 2026.

While Garrett’s numbers are not jumping off the charts, his split stats against lefty-batters is outstanding, keeping opponents to a .094 batting average with 11 strikeouts. While he may not be the first choice given his stat line, he is not free-agent eligible until the next offseason and potential change of scenery candidate with a fiery personality that could help ignite the Jays roster.

If the Jays are looking for a lefty-bat, the Royals have a strong candidate in Andrew Benintendi that would fill in that need. The former Red Sox outfielder is having a fantastic campaign, owning a .317/.389/.401 slash line on the season with 35 RBI on the season to along with his .790 OPS. He will be free-agent eligible this offseason so it makes sense that he will be available by the Royals, evidenced by the interest from the New York Yankees. While the fit may not make sense for the Jays considering they have a stacked outfield, replace Bradley Zimmer’s spot on the roster with Benintendi and manager Charlie Montoyo will have tons of options in the lineup and an impactful rental lefty-bat to help try and secure a postseason spot.

Second baseman Whit Merrifield is another trade candidate on the Royals but given the emergence of Santiago Espinal and that he left today’s game with an injury, it makes more sense to focus on a lefty bat.