MLB trade grades: Royals rotation gets a boost thanks to addition of former All-Star

The Texas Rangers sold a former All-Star pitcher, much to the surprise of some.

Early Monday morning, the rumors began to emerge that the Kansas City Royals had serious interest in Rangers starter Michael Lorenzen. Kansas City didn't sit on their hands for long, as just hours later, the trade was finalized with Lorenzen heading to Kansas City.

Kansas City, a surprise buyer this year, is wasting no time in acquiring more talent to back up their young core. It seems as though the front office their understands how special of a season they're having, as they put winning at the front of their minds.

The Rangers were once looked at as a team that would sell heavy, but over the last few days, that thought has changed just a little bit. Now, with this move, Texas could be open for business, or perhaps buying and selling at the same time.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

MLB Trade Grades: Michael Lorenzen heads to Kansas City in a surprise deal

Here's the full trade:

Lorenzen, 32, sits on an expiring contract. He holds a 3.81 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 1.3 WAR in just over 100 innings this year. The right hander has been rather impressive since being moved to a starting role a few seasons ago. He was likely to be one of the cheaper options at the deadline and Kansas City pounced on their opportunity to grab him for cheap.

Pennington, 26, has been mighty impressive over the last few seasons. This season at Triple-A, he holds a 2.26 ERA in 59.2 innings. He's allowed just 39 hits and 20 walks while striking out 79 hitters. The lefty is a reliever by trade and he's ready to slot into a major-league bullpen for good now. In a year where relievers are the most coveted pieces at the deadline, the Rangers get a young piece to add to their bullpen.

The deal signals that the Rangers had little interest in re-signing Lorenzen after the season. They opt to deal an expiring contract to get younger and more controllable in the bullpen.

The Royals receive a sub-4.00 ERA starter that can slot in their rotation for a playoff push. They didn't have to spend too much, and they upgraded their major league roster for a year in which they look to be very competitive.

Rangers trade grade: C+

Royals trade grade: A-