Royals preparing to trade Aroldis Chapman ahead of deadline
Apr 24, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) looks on in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Royals struck gold when they signed Aroldis Chapman over the offseason, and now they are working on their options for trading him.
Chapman is on a one-year, $3.75 million contract, which makes him extremely affordable for interested teams. The 35-year-old reliever is also having a strong season as he has posted a 2.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 21.1 innings this season. He has 35 strikeouts, giving him 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which is in line with his career average.
The southpaw has rebounded after having a career-worst year in 2022 and is a sought-after item. And the Royals are looking to take advantage of that.
KC, which is 18-43 and has the second-worst record in the AL, is exploring several trade options. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are looking to potentially package Chapman in a trade with someone else. Rosenthal’s report mentions potentially trying to include high-priced catcher Salvador Perez in a deal, though we believe including Jordan Lyles or Brad Keller might make more sense.
Teams might not even want to wait until the deadline to acquire Chapman. They could deal for him now and get him for four months rather than two, though it would just cost them a better prospect return.
Early June isn’t typically when trades are made, but Chapman might be one of the first players to be dealt.
