The Kansas City Royals are almost certainly not postseason-bound in 2021.
Baseball Reference currently gives the Royals a minuscule 0.4 percent chance of sneaking into the playoffs, and it’s hard to disagree when you consider their 30-37 record.
Like any non-contending team, Kansas City will likely be looking to sell at the upcoming trade deadline.
The Royals do have a fair amount of talent, much of which should attract some interest from other teams.
Which two veteran players should the team trade away?
2. Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana is not a free agent until after the 2022 season, so he’d be more than just a rental.
The 35-year-old is having a decent campaign on the whole.
He’s batting just .244 but has a respectable .767 OPS and 111 OPS+.
As recently as the 2019 season, Santana produced at an elite level.
That year, he batted .281 with a .911 OPS to go along with 34 home runs and 30 doubles.
He was named an All-Star and a Silver Slugger, and even finished 16th in the MVP race.
Those days may be over for Santana, but he is still a net positive and would bring a veteran presence to a contending team.
Royals are one of the 5 worst teams in baseball. Trade Carlos Santana and Whit Merifield and Greg Holland. Bottom out and focus on next year…
Let the young arms develop and get Pratto, Melendez and BWJ up in September.
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) June 16, 2021
The Royals may be reluctant to trade away a non-expiring contract, but the return could end up being a good one.
1. Danny Duffy
The Danny Duffy situation is a complicated one.
Duffy, who is a free agent after the season, got off to an outstanding start this year.
Then, on May 17, he landed on the injured list with a left flexor forearm strain.
That’s a massive red flag, as injures of that nature often indicate that Tommy John surgery will be needed
Fortunately, it seems like Duffy and the Royals may have dodged a bullet.
The lefty’s injury is minor and he could return as soon as this month.
The update from Mike Matheny on Royals LHP Danny Duffy is this: He threw yesterday. It went well. As always, how it responds today will be important.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) June 11, 2021
Even when Duffy returns, though, it’s possible that his trade value will have taken a hit, as many teams may not want to roll the dice on a player coming off of something as alarming as a forearm flexor injury.
That’s a shame, but the Royals should undoubtedly still move Duffy, as his stellar start to the season should warrant a fair amount of interest even with the injury.
Let’s talk about that stellar start.
Through seven outings prior to the injury, Duffy managed a 1.94 ERA, 2.35 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP.
That level of success is not completely unprecedented for Duffy, as he managed a 2.44 ERA over 36 outings spanning over the 2013 to 2014 seasons.
In recent years, however, Duffy hasn’t been nearly as good.
He posted a 4.68 ERA over 63 appearances (62 starts) spanning from 2018 to 2020.
His success this season has been a major surprise, but Royals fans are more than happy about it.
All things considered, it will be very interesting to see what the market is like for Duffy.
Wrap-Up
Whether the Royals package Santana and Duffy in a deal together or trade them individually, it seems like both players should be on the move one way or another.
Kansas City has a decent foundation in place for the future, and getting some young talent at the trade deadline would be a step in the right direction.
NEXT: 3 Reasons Kansas City Royals Cannot Be Counted Out Yet