Royals’ Rosenthal flattered by trade interest, but proclaims desire to remain in KC
The Kansas City Royals’ shutdown relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal isn’t going to pretend he’s oblivious to his name being tossed around as one of the top trade candidates in Major League Baseball this summer.
After a year out of the game due to injury and a year in which he bounced around and pitched ineffectively, he’s flattered by the interest.
The Lee’s Summit native also wanted to make it clear the interest isn’t mutual.
Rosenthal, 30, signed a minor-league contract with the Royals this offseason to play for his hometown team and for a manager he has a very good relationship with in Mike Matheny.
When asked by The Star following Tuesday’s night’s win in St. Louis about the trade rumors, Rosenthal made it clear he’s not looking for an exit strategy.
“I’ve been kind of in that situation before,” Rosenthal said. “It’s a little bit different now, but at the same time it’s such a different situation. At the end of the day, it’s a huge compliment that I would be even in that conversation, especially the path I’ve had the last few years. To be back in those conversations where people want me, it’s a good feeling. No doubt.
“But there’s no question that this is where I want to be. This is the team I’m invested in, and I believe we can win. I believe that started tonight. “This is where I want to be. I want to help this team win. I think we’ve got a chance to do something special and make a real run at this. I know all the way to the top, they believe that as well. Whatever happens, happens. It’s out of my control.”
Rosenthal, a former All-Star, was dominant out of the bullpen in 2014 and 2015, when he posted a 45-save season followed by a 48-save season.
The Cardinals released him following the 2017 season, a year in which he spent time on the 60-day disabled list with an elbow injury. Rosenthal had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season.
Last season, Rosenthal showed he still had high-end velocity and four-seam fastball that averaged 98 mph. However, he struggled with command and posted a 13.50 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 26 walks while opponents batted .208 against him in 15 1/3 innings in stints with the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers.
This season, Rosenthal’s average fastball velocity is back at 97.9 mph, but he has converted each of his seven save chances and posted a 1.46 ERA with opponents batting a mere .186 against him. He also has a 1.05 WHIP and 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
“It’s just one of those great stories in baseball, a guy that has willed and worked himself into being the topic of conversation all through baseball because of how well he is pitching,” Matheny said.
The decision to trade or not trade Rosenthal falls to Royals general manager Dayton Moore. He will have to weigh what he’d be able to acquire in exchange for Rosenthal, how the potential acquisition fits with their needs and the club’s odds of making a playoff push in this shortened season.
This year’s trade deadline comes at a point where any team getting Rosenthal would only have him for a one-month period as opposed to two months in a normal season with a July 31 deadline.
The short timeframe, along with the uncertainty in a season in which players and teams have had large chunks of time wiped out by the COVID-19 coronavirus, may temper the quality of a trade package the Royals potentially would receive in exchange for Rosenthal.
There certainly seems to be some sentiment that if the Royals make a move to weaken their team, they’d want to get a player or players who they definitely expect to be a part of their major-league roster in the future — not fringe prospects.
It remains to be seen if that’s too much to ask in the current climate.
“Every situation is different,” Moore said. “It’s our job to evaluate proposals that potentially make our team better and we will do everything to make sure we’re making decisions that are best for the Kansas City Royals, not only now but for the long term.
“If we make a trade and move major-league talent, obviously, we have more of a mindset on the future than the present. But it doesn’t take away the importance of the present because the 28-man roster still has the task of figuring out how to win baseball games. There are no excuses. It’s the major leagues.”
