Thanks partially to a scorching series in New York where he went 9-19 with two home runs on Sunday, interest in Royals outfielder Scott Podsednik is reaching fever pitch in the NL West, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal:
Source: Royals getting bombarded with sudden interest in Podsednik from NL West contenders. Would fit for #Giants,#Padres, #Dodgers. #MLB
Podsednik has put together an outstanding July, with a slash line of .367/.412/.519 for the month, or about what Twins catcher Joe Mauer hit in 2006 (.347/.429/.507). On a contending team, he would most likely serve as a fourth outfielder or speedster off the bench.
For what it's worth, Rosenthal got message boards humming by mentioning the currently dormant possibility of Jeff Francouer coming to Kansas City, but there's no denying that Podsednik's recent play could very easily be raising some eyebrows in front offices throughout California.
Despite the nice month, Podsednik is a known quantity who turned 34 back in March, just two months before Guillen. Still, Podsednik's contract is far more appealing than Guillen's albatross, because while Podsednik is owed roughly $650,000, Guillen's has about $4 million coming his way over the rest of the season.
While the Royals should take just about anything they can get for Guillen, Podsednik could net a low-to-mid-level prospect in return, though there's no telling what Giants GM Brian Sabean might do when he's in a bidding war with other teams in his division. The Dodgers are six games back, but could pick up some ground in a hurry, as they embark on a road trip Tuesday to division-leading San Diego and second-place San Francisco leading in to Saturday night's trade deadline.
Simply put, Royals fans shouldn't expect to get a high-ceiling, MLB-ready player in return for Podsednik similar to the names that have been thrown around in rumors for Joakim Soria.
The Royals also have to consider the alternative, which would involve holding on to Podsednik through season's end and letting him walk, which would net the Royals a compensatory draft pick next June based on the outfielder's performance this year. The pick would come between the first and second rounds, and with next year's draft already being talked about as one of the deepest amateur talent pools in recent memory, there's plenty to weigh.
Whichever route Moore chooses here will not make or break his legacy, but fans should be happy that Podsednik picked a fantastic time to have a hot streak.