Melky Suspension: How Does The Trade For Sanchez Look Now?

Through the first 113 games of the 2012 season, Melky Cabrera was hitting .346/.390/.516 for the San Francisco Giants.

The Kansas City Royals, meanwhile, had already waived Jonathan Sanchez, the pitcher they acquired when they sent Cabrera to the West Coast. Sanchez has since been picked up by the Colorado Rockies, and he's combined to go 1-9 with a 8.07 ERA in 2012.

Dealing Cabrera the year before he put up a career-high OPS seemed like another mistake from the Kansas City front office, but now, after his 50-game suspension for PED's was announced, his career year in 2012 makes a lot more sense.

While that would seem to absolve most of the responsibility from the Royals front office, it shouldn't be shocking that a player nearing free agency would contemplate boosting his performance in any way possible.

Even if his season is finished, Cabrera has made a far more positive impact on the Giants than Sanchez made for the Royals. And from the perspective of a front office, isn't that what is most important?

For more coverage of the Royals, check out SB Nation Kansas City and Royals Review. Baseball Nation, meanwhile, has up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Cabrera story.