After the debacle last night known as Jonathan Sanchez's last start, there's no team in baseball with a worse starting rotation than the Kansas City Royals. The former Giants starter had a total meltdown and lasted only one-plus innings and jolted the rotation for the rest of this week as Ned Yost had to make up for the innings lost with Everett Teaford. Yet even Teaford's inclusion in the rotation is Plan B or C at this point, and it's clear Dayton Moore has to do something.
↵Perhaps that's why the Royals are checking in on the starting pitching market despite being likely sellers at the MLB trade deadline at some other positions. Jon Broxton or Jeff Francoeur might be dealt soon enough, but the Royals have reportedly checked in with the Chicago Cubs on an strong asset of their own: Matt Garza.
↵CBS Sports' Danny Knobler writes, "The Royals are determined to add at least one high-quality starting pitcher who could help them contend in 2013, and they understand that it could be easier to obtain that pitcher now rather than wait until this winter. With one of the strongest farm systems in the game, the Royals have trading chips to offer, even without giving up their very top prospects."
↵Garza is 5-7 this year for the last place Cubs with a 4.02 ERA, his worst since 2006. However, he's a dependable starter who would instantly be the best starter on the Royals by far and would anchor a team in need of a few more solutions for the rotation. The bullpen is largely set, so if the team could gather one or two frontline starters, they could make some noise in the AL Central.
↵The Cubs will deal Ryan Dempster first, but Garza is likely to find a new location in the next two weeks.