March 17: Even after signing Zack Greinke yesterday, the Royals are still discussing Montas trade scenarios with the A’s, tweets Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
March 16: The Royals, who just trimmed more than $7MM in payroll in their surprising Mike Minor trade, are among the teams pursuing Athletics right-hander Frankie Montas, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. If Montas goes elsewhere, Rosenthal adds that the Royals still hope to add a veteran right-handed starter with some of their newfound payroll space.
Montas is among the most popular players remaining on the trade market, having been linked in recent days to the Twins, White Sox, Yankees and now the Royals. Other clubs are surely working diligently to pry the soon-to-be 29-year-old righty away from Oakland.
That’s hardly a surprise, given the Athletics’ clear willingness to trade veterans and the strong year Montas put together in 2021. Last year, the hard-throwing righty tossed 187 innings of 3.37 ERA ball while notching a strong 26.6% strikeout rate against a 7.3% walk rate. Projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.2MM this coming season, Montas is controlled via arbitration through the 2023 campaign.
The Royals, as currently constructed, would be heavily reliant on a collection of talented but largely unproven young starters in a season where they hope to return to competitive status within a relatively weak AL Central division. Brad Keller is the team’s most veteran starter now that Minor has been moved, but he’s in need of a rebound after a career-worst performance in 2021. Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Carlos Hernandez, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar and Jonathan Heasley will all be in the mix for rotation opportunities, but of that group, only Singer has had much in the way of sustained MLB success — and even he is looking to rebound after something of a sophomore slump.
Kansas City, heartened by the looming debuts of ballyhooed prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez and others, hope that the strength of their young core can help lift them in the standings. Acquiring Montas would substantially boost their chances of doing so, although the mere fact that they’re in pursuit of him serves as further indication that in spite of a mostly quiet offseason, the organization believes the window to compete is opening.
The Braves/Royals World Series isn’t scheduled to occur until 2033.
Not true. It’s supposed to be 2030. The year of agenda 2030. That’s when the new world order will be put into place. Please know your predictions better
Stefan- new world order already in place. Please know your conspiracies better.
Better than the Orioles/Pirates 2070 World Series
Silly season when all rumors are taken seriously.
Should say “KC and 28 other teams…”
For Witt Jr…….jk
Every contender is in on Montas, I’m guessing. Best prospect haul wins.
A’s just having a yard sale
How so? The returns they are getting are tremendous.
Not really. 1-2 good prospects and filler.
That return for Chapman was dirt
The return for Chapman wasn’t dirt. It wasn’t nearly as good as their Olson return, but then again Chapman hasn’t been hitting very well for two years now, and has never been a truly elite hitter in my opinion. Not to mention his injury issues. Hoglund could be a future #2-3 starter, Snead and Logue look like serviceable lefty relievers at least, and Kevin Smith murdered minor league pitching last year and can play all four infield positions.
Should’ve held onto Chapman til at least mid-season to boost value. I don’t see the point of trading all your chips now rather than waiting closer to trade deadline and seems better to acquire prospects then rather than accumulate all these players now. Hold onto Laureano and Montas and evaluate the prospects you have. Anyone else see the point?
There is also the chance that he gets injured again or continues to decline offensively, both of which would obviously greatly hurt his trade value. But I see where you are coming from. They might have sold slightly low on him.
Not knowing the finacials, it could be that they can’t wait until mid season. They have been rumored to be doing a tear down. The lock out put the schedule up in the air, and there have been rumors of the team moving. None of that would have been good for advanced sales, or season tickets. Waiting may not have been an option for a team that does not get revenue sharing.
Or they are clearing payroll for a Grienke reunion!
That’s what I want soooo badly. Would be a great bet to learn from as well.
Vet*
I love seeing dreams come true.
The prophet himself
Wow. Thats quite the collection of positional players. The HR numbers on pratto and melendez are ridiculous. And id bet on anything that bobby witt is a star. Dayton Moore is a very underrated dude. If they can hit on another guy at 9 this year this is a team that could be really special.
Their offense is going to be very good for the next few years. Their bullpen is looking better and better as time goes on too. They just really need their young SPs to break out. Most of them have really struggled so far in the majors, but some of them still have a lot of potential. I feel like trading for Montas is exactly what KC needs, and it would signal their return to competitiveness.
No wonder they are, they just traded one of their best starters
I know I said it last year, but I like KC as a sneaky WC team this year. Nice young talent and more on the way.
It’s a bit disconcerting when a Royals article appears, reminding us they are considered a major league team.
They have won more full 162 game season World Series than the dodgers the past 25 years..what are the dodgers than? And they have spent like 5 times the money
The Royals have had a losing record in 22 of the last 27 seasons, including six seasons with 100 or more losses. They were putting up 100-loss seasons before it became “fashionable.” No fan believes the Royals are a better run organization than the Dodgers.
Teams in smaller markets can be very well run. The Rays and A’s show that. Just because the Royals stumbled into a World Series title doesn’t mean they’re well run. That’s the randomness of baseball’s postseason. Credit to them for a recent run of getting into the postseason. They should be doing that more regularly over the last generation. I’m old enough to remember when the Royals were regular participants in the postseason from the mid-70s to the mid-80s.
Right now the Royals have one of the top couple prospects in the game with Witt. Hey, the Orioles have THE top prospect with Rutschman. What do the two orgs have in common? Having 100-loss seasons giving them easy access to top picks. I can tell you right now who the Orioles will make with their top pick this year. That doesn’t make me a brilliant talent evaluator. The Dodgers win relentlessly, and according to one ranking, have the TOP farm system in the game despite not having access to the easy picks. Be the Dodgers. Be the Rays. Don’t be the Royals. They have a fan base conditioned to losing.
Again when was the last time the mighty dodgers won a 162 game championship? 1988 lol that sucks and look at all the money spent..they have the biggest advantage in sports and still can’t win a real one
I remember when I viewed the Royals as more of a rival than the sox. You’re right. It’s been quite the fall since those days.
Moore didn’t screw up when he caught lightning in a bottle. So there’s that. Yet, he has had just 3 winning seasons in 18 years. They’ve an enviable accumulation of prospects. But I think they would benefit from from a change at the top.
Who are the orioles going to take with their pick?
KCR went to the WS two years in a row and won it once. They didn’t just back in. The formula was similar to the 1990 Reds and 1984 Tigers. Shorten the game and let the superior pen take over.
Wow I wonder if Yankee fans would trade a season with the Royals? 2015vs2009. Oh that’s right “ Cash is a genius” and then again about 70% of the other clubs also. I guess “ stumbling is stumbling” when you get up with a ring. The Dodgers haven’t won since 1988. Do you think their fans would trade and don’t tell me about some money grab 60 game tournament.
You’re ignorant and wordy.
“but of that group, only Singer has had much in the way of sustained MLB success…”
Brady Singer: 9-15, 4.62 ERA, 1.422 WHIP in 192.2 innings
Kris Bubic: 7-13, 4.40 ERA, 1.411 WHIP in 180.0 Innings
Singer isn’t even the most successful starter you listed.
Ok Vinnie Pasquatano, Kris Bubic and the A’s pick another pitching prospect not named Singer, Lynch Kowar or Lacy for Montas and a lottery ticket prospect.
Not trading Bubic
Why not? That leaves us with this pitching staff
Frankie Montas
Brad Keller
Brady Singer
Zack Greinke
Daniel Lynch
Jackson Kowar
Amir Garrett
Carlos Hernandez
Josh Staumont
Scott Barlow
Ronald Bolanos
Brad Peacock
Taylor Clarke
Dylan Coleman
And still Asa Lacy, Mozzicato, Heasley and a load of other high end pitching prospects in the bank.
Don’t forget Jonathan Bowlan. Very underrated prospect who was looking pretty damn good in the minors before he went down with Tommy John last year. He could end up being even better than guys like Singer and Kowar.
Hernandez in the pen? I hope they don’t make that mistake after what he showed last year.
Not a chance! That’s way too much for Montas!
For as much crap as Moore gets, he has a very good track record of trading prospects that don’t come back to haunt him. Myers and Odorizzi have certainly had productive careers and Manea is a quality player, but I don’t think there’s a single person in the royals organization that regrets either of those trades and all of the rest of the prospects he’s traded away have so far not done anything to make me wish we hadn’t traded them.
Royals signed Greinke so are the Royals still in?
I want to know that too. I hope so.
Are Oakland pitchers overrated? I’m trying to think of someone recent who had huge success after leaving that ballpark? Montas seems like a power strikeout pitcher where his stats aren’t too inflated?
Dan Haren, Sonny Gray, Gio Gonzalez? Lots of good relievers…. Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Zito, Mulder, etc…
Also The K is a solid pitchers park. Big gaps but definitely suppresses home runs.
Tim Hudson
See, the Royals are a “small market” team and are actually awake during the off-season unlike these other teams who just tear things down or ignore it altogether (Pirates,Orioles). And they actually re-sign some of their own players, not an impossible concept to grasp.
Based on A’s trades all they have to do is give up a 28 year old 40th ranked prospect
Can we just update the same news story re: Montas. There has been 5 different posts about teams having interest and discussing him in talks.
Frankie Montas to KC for Kyle Isbel, Carlos Hernandez, Austin Cox, and a basket full of kisses,
“…where they hope to return to competitive status within a relatively weak AL Central division.” Seriously? I guess the ChiSox have come way back to pack while Cle/Det/Min/KCR have all improved immensely. Who writes this stuff?
KC would have a nice rotation. I look forward to them winning the division this year.
Along with Brady Singer, I heard on a podcast that KCR (or maybe a zealot) expects Jackson Kowar, Emilio Marquez and Jon Heasley to make a run at the rotation and Bobby Witt, MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, Clay Dungan, Dairon Blanco and Vinny Pasquantino to all make appearances this season. If that’s anywhere the truth, it makes sense KCR is going after quality SPs.
I can see Pratto and/or Melendez going in a package for the OAK SP(s).
Witt, Marquez and Pasquantino look like future stars.
KC might surprise in Central this year !
It’s going to be a fun season for sure !
Grienke, Montas, some other guys take strides with a pesky offense. Royals may have something. Get it done Kansas City.