What Will The Royals Do At The 2012 MLB Trade Deadline?

The 2012 MLB trade deadline is only hours away, and some talk has been heating up regarding Kansas City making a deal. Now that the team is almost 20 games under .500 and is officially heading towards another horrendous final record, it is time for Kansas City to consider its future and shed some dead weight.

Perhaps the player that has gotten the most trade consideration lately is closer Jonathan Broxton, who has resurrected his career this year with 22 saves and a 2.34 ERA. Broxton’s numbers were good enough to merit All Star consideration, and teams in the playoff hunt or missing a closer may take a flyer on the right-hander. The Yankees, Angels, Giants and Rangers have all expressed interest. With Joakim Soria returning next year and the Royals out of contention, there really is no need to hang on to Broxton, as good as he has been. Hopefully the team can get some young arms in return, as Broxton has demonstrated strong value all season long.

Kansas City also has two veteran hitters that have become some dead weight to the organization in Jeff Francoeur and Yuniesky Betancourt. After putting together a solid season at the plate last year, Francoeur has struggled this season, batting only .247 with eight home runs. He is a good option defensively, and is a leader in the club house, so Kansas City may be able to find looking for a veteran presence. Betancourt has similar numbers to Francoeur – a .245 average and seven home runs – although he is a bit of a liability defensively.

The final player mentioned in trade rumors is pitcher Jose Mijares, who despite some recent struggles has had a pretty good season. Mijares has posted a 1.72 ERA in 46 appearances, and could be attractive for a team looking for some bullpen help.

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Royals Beat Yankees For Their First Home Win Of The Season

As sad as it is that it came in May, the Royals won their first home game of the season last night, beating the New York Yankees 4-3. The Royals were able to hold on in ninth thanks to a fantastic play at third base by Mike Moustakas, who made a bare-handed grab to throw at Alex Rodriquez to end the game. The win improved the Royals’ record to 8-16 on the season.

Moustakas also contributed at the plate, belting a solo shot in the second inning to give the Royals an early lead, and adding two more RBIs in the fifth. The young third baseman is silently having a very good season for the Royals, hitting for a .318 average this season with 4 home runs and 15 RBIs. He has also played excellent defense at third base, and last night’s game winning throw was just one of several highlight-reel plays he has made at third base this season.

Danny Duffy pitched very well for Kansas City, and improved his record to 2-2 on the season while lowering his ERA to 3.57. The Royals bullpen was solid, save for a shaky outing from closer Jonathan Broxton. Broxton gave up a hit and a walk before a big double play got Kansas City closer to victory.

The big story before the game was New York’s loss of Mariano Rivera, who tore his ACL before the game shagging balls and may be done for his career. Rivera is the greatest closer in MLB history, and his absence surely played a part on the Yankee’s struggles. However, give a lot of credit to Kansas City, the Royals deserved the win and got the winless-at-home monkey off their back.

Kansas City will play New York again tonight at 7:10 p.m. Bruce Chen (0-3) will start for the Royals, while C.C. Sabathia (3-0) will start for the Yankees.

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Late Collapse Costs Royals Series Vs. A's - Kansas City News

There are “tough” ways to lose a baseball game, and then there is the manner in which the Royals dropped last night’s extra-inning affair to the A’s. After taking the lead in the top of the 12th off of a Billy Butler double, reliever Jonathan Broxton allowed two runs and Oakland had a walk-off victory. It was how Broxton gave up the last run that has Kansas City fans fuming.

After former Royal Coco Crisp tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI grounder, Broxton’s control issues began. He hit Yoenis Cespedes on the first pitch of the at-bat to load the bases, then beamed Jonny Gomes on the first pitch of his at-bat to give Oakland the win. It was only the third time the A’s have won a game on a hit-by-pitch in the club’s history.

Broxton’s meltdown wasted some clutch hitting by two of Kansas City’s stars. Billy Butler and Alex Gordon both hit home runs and were responsible for all four of the Royals’ runs. The Royals had chances to add to their total, including a bases-loaded situation in the 5th, but were unable to capitalize.

The Royals’ return home tomorrow with a 3-3 record, and Kansas City can’t help but feel like it missed a golden opportunity to win its first two series of the year. There are some positive signs that should give fans hope – Kansas City’s starting pitching has been fantastic, and the Royals’ main offensive weapons are starting to find their groove. The Royals have a very easy April schedule, and there is no reason to doubt that Kansas City can emerge from the first month of the season with a winning record.

The Royals return to Kansas City tomorrow for the team’s home opener. Luke Hochevar (1-0) will start for Kansas City, while Derek Lowe (1-0) will start for the visiting Cleveland Indians. The Royals lost last year's home opener, 4-2, to the Angels.

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