The Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics agreed to a trade on Tuesday. With the MLB trade deadline right around the corner, Kansas City is reportedly acquiring reliever Lucas Erceg, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Oakland is receiving prospects Mason Barnett, Will Klein and Jared Dickey in the deal, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
The Royals are hoping to reach the playoffs in 2024. Kansas City is currently seven games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. They are right in the middle of the AL Wild Card race, though.
Kansas City is buying at the deadline in hopes of snapping their postseason drought. The Royals have attempted to be aggressive in trade talks. In fact, they reportedly even attempted to acquire Randy Arozarena before the Tampa Bay Rays traded him to the Seattle Mariners.
Nevertheless, the Royals have been able to make some impactful moves. Adding Erceg, a reliable reliever, will help Kansas City.
Royals trade for Lucas Erceg
Erceg is currently in his second MLB season. He's impressed on the mound, pitching to the tune of a 3.68 ERA in 38 outings. Erceg does not always receive attention since he's pitched for a lackluster Athletics ball club, but that does not mean he has not been impactful.
Kansas City prefers to lean on its bullpen. It was the team's strength in 2015 when they won the World Series. The Royals are once again trying to build a quality bullpen with a respectable core of relief talent.
Bullpens are important. Adding relievers at the deadline, with the exception of a few star closers, usually does not provide too many headlines. Bullpen acquisitions can completely change the dynamic of a roster, though.
Erceg projects to be a pivotal addition. The question is whether or not the Royals will make any other additions before the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
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