MLB Trade Rumors: Keep an eye on these early candidates

We’re only midway through April, so the MLB season is still young. But we’ve already see some popular trade candidates emerge.

Even with just under 10 percent of the season in the books, some teams already have certain needs they cannot fill from within. At least not as well as they’d like. Injuries happen and sometimes players just don’t play up to their potential.

And so the teams fortunate enough to have a farm system full to the brim with assets have the luxury of going after top-tier trade candidates. At this point, it’s not totally clear who all of those players are. After all, we’re still three months away from the trade deadline. That’s plenty of time for teams to play their way in or out of contention. But there are some early favorites on the board.

The Kansas City Royals weren’t expected to be much of a challenger in the American League Central this season. So far they’ve validated those low expectations, and then some. They currently sit in last place in the AL Central with a paltry three wins.

Despite Ian Kennedy’s hot start, Danny Duffy figures to be the hot commodity if we’re thinking long-term. Duffy has had a bit of a rocky beginning to the season, but he’s 29 years old and on a pretty team-friendly contract, considering his potential. He’s signed through 2021 with an AAV of $13 million.

He had his breakthrough season in the majors in 2014 when he went 9-12 with a 2.53 ERA in 149 1/3 innings pitched. In a talented Kansas City rotation, he finished that season with the lowest ERA on the staff. The 2015 season was a bit of a step backward for the left-hander even though the Royals won the World Series that year.

He bounced back in 2016 and 2017, though, going a combined 21-13 with a cumulative 3.64 ERA over the course of 326 innings pitched, earning himself a five-year extension.

Any number of teams could benefit from having Duffy in their rotation. Good, reliable starting pitching is hard to find and hard to develop from within. The Yankees immediately come to mind as a potential suitor for Duffy. Their rotation was thought to be a major strength heading into the season, but it currently sports a 4.47 ERA. Mind you, it’s still very early. But the Yankees are 100 percent in “win now” mode, and if they see their rotation as a weak link by July, they won’t hesitate to make a move. They’ve certainly got the assets to do it.