The Kansas City Royals are only five games back in the AL Central in a season many believed to be lost when the Royals lost 12 games in a row in April. Now that they're competitive again, the Royals might want make a move in the division by investing in the one area they lack most: starting pitching. Joe Saunders is a likely trade candidate for the Arizona Diamondbacks and ESPN's Jason Churchill says the Royals are among the potential suitors for the lefty.
Churchill writes, "The Arizona Diamondbcks appear likely to shop Joe Saunders this summer, and the left-hander is cooperating by pitching fairly well, posting a 3.44 ERA through his most recent start. The club has Trevor Bauer pounding the strike zone in Triple-A, and Saunders is the most expensive arm on their big league roster, and is a free agent at the end of the season."
The Orioles, Tigers, Indians and Blue Jays are the other teams listed which shows just how competitive the AL Central and AL Wild Card spots will be this summer.
Saunders, 31, is a safe bet to pitch at a decent level for the rest of the season. He has a career 4.11 ERA in 8 major league seasons and went 12-13 last year with a 3.69 ERA for the DBacks. He's also pitched approximately 200 innings every year for the last four seasons.