If the Kansas City Royals are going to trade any one of their players leading up to the MLB trade deadline, Jonathan Broxton makes some sense as a prime candidate. He's only in town on a one-year deal. He's having a near-All-Star season as the team's unexpected closer. If the Royals aren't going to contend in 2012, gaining something of value from Broxton now makes the most sense.
Then again, the team doesn't have to move Broxton if they don't want to. After all, the starting rotation is as fragile as any in baseball and the team can ill afford to not have a stellar bullpen to help bail them out on several nights each week. The team already lost Joakim Soria and Blake Wood to injury in the 'pen and losing Broxton would remove the one savvy veteran who can hold everything together.
Perhaps that's why Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports says that the team won't move Broxton for just anyone.
If #Royals move Jonathan Broxton, source says they are asking for a right-now major league piece in return.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 6, 2012
A return for less than half a season of a closer won't bring a massive haul of prospects no matter who it is. However, Broxton could bring a young starter the Royals lack at this point to help them move forward. Even a team with a closer could be a candidate to bring in Broxton for the rest of the year. The Brewers didn't hesitate to improve their bullpen by adding K-Rod to John Axford to help them win the NL Central. Teams this year will look to do the same.
As well as the team can perform in one direction or the other might determine whether Broxton stays or leaves.