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MLB Rumors: Pete Alonso trade buzz, Braves-Cardinals trade, Royals rock and hard place

By Cody Williams

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a game at Citi Field on June 18, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a game at Citi Field on June 18, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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MLB Rumors, Aroldis Chapman, Kansas City Royals
Aroldis Chapman, Kansas City Royals (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

MLB Rumors: Royals biggest trade assets proving problematic

All signs are pointing to the Kansas City Royals being one of the most aggressive sellers at the forthcoming MLB Trade Deadline. And it doesn’t take anyone breaking the wheels in their head to figure out who their two most coveted commodities (and the biggest return hauls) on the roster are.

Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman and fellow reliever Scott Barlow have been thrown out ad nauseam as trade targets for teams looking to upgrade their bullpens at the trade deadline. And it seems almost inevitable that they could be moved.

But maybe there should be more buyer beware than we’re realizing.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) broke down the viability of both Chapman and Barlow, more importantly breaking down the potential pitfalls with each. For the former, it’s the second-highest walk rate of his career along with the lack of consistent usage day-to-day, partially due to the Royals’ woes as a club. Even still, that lack of high-leverage usage married with his still-present lapses is a bit of a concern that teams will have to monitor.

In the case of Barlow, it’s even more interesting. He’s been dominant against righties this season but lefties have posted a 1.002 OPS against him, which was not a problem in each of the past two years when he posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each.

Will either of those things preclude trade deadline buyers from shopping in Kansas City? Absolutely not. However, it could ultimately result in the Royals not quite getting the return for the future that they might be hoping for.

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