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 Swept By Mariners

The Royals have been in a total funk since the 2012 MLB All Star break, and their poor play has lead to another embarrassing sweep. This time, the Royals were downed by the lowly Mariners, losing game four in heartbreaking fashion, 7-6. The loss dropped the team to 41-60 on the season, and Kansas City is now dead last in the AL Central.

Today's game featured a furious rally late, but the Royals once again were undone by some poor pitching late in the game. After Seattle raced out to a 5-2 lead, Kansas City tied it up with clutch hits from Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer. However, the team quickly gave up runs due to some poor pitching and fielding from Jose Mijares, who committed a throwing error after allowing several players to get on base.

The sad news for Royals fans is that the season is essentially over now, as the team has continued to dig a hole it cannot get out of. The team has gone 4-13 since play resumed, despite several series against easy opponents. Kansas City has continued to get some great play from several of its players, most notably All Star Billy Butler, but injuries to the pitching staff has been too damaging to overcome.

The team has two upcoming home series next, hosting the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. Game one against Cleveland will be Tuesday, July 31st, and Luke Hochevar (6-9) will get the start for Kansas City.

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Billy Butler's Blast Leads Royals To Victory - Kansas City News

On a day in which Texas’ Josh Hamilton made headlines by hitting four home runs in one game, Billy Butler decided to grab a bit of the spotlight as well. Butler hit a three-run homerun in the eighth inning to propel Kansas City to a 6-4 victory over Boston. The win improved the Royals’ record to 10-19 on the season.

It appeared that Kansas City was on its way towards another frustrating loss. Despite giving up just three runs, Danny Duffy struggled and lasted 4 1/3 innings. Kansas City’s offense had a big third inning, but had been dormant since. The game was in doubt until Daniel Bard walked both Jarrod Dyson and Alex Gordon in the eighth. That would be the end for Bard, who struggled with his control all night and even had two balks. Boston’s Matt Albers relieved Bard, and three pitches later, Butler crushed a pitch to give Kansas City a lead it would not relinquish.

While Butler’s homer will get all of the headlines, several other Royals had key contributions to the win. Chris Getz and Humberto Quintero both came up with big hits in the second inning to drive in some runs. Getz has significantly improved his performance at the plate this season, and has been a pleasant surprise for a Royals team that is struggling to consistently score. Kansas City also got quality pitching from Kelvin Herrera, Jose Mijares and Jonathan Broxton after Duffy left the game. With the Royals’ starting pitching struggling lately, it is encouraging to see the bullpen step up.

The Royals’ face the Red Sox again tonight at 7:10 p.m. A victory would give the Royals a winning record in its AL East home stand against New York and Boston. Bruce Chen (0-4) will start for the Royals, while Jon Lester (1-2) will take the mound for the Red Sox.

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