Ervin Santana a target of trade rumors — literally
The Kansas City Royals expected to be having a better season than 46-51 with a week to go before the July 31 trading deadline. With the club eight games out of a playoff spot and too many teams to climb over, Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger appropriately wonders if the Royals will get to selling valuable commodities they otherwise might lose during the coming free agency period in the next offseason.
Namely, right-hander Ervin Santana, who has been anything but a disappointment after coming over from the Angels in a trade. He's been a co-ace, in fact, with James Shields. But signing Santana longterm would be expensive — at least $13 million per season — and his career pattern suggests too much inconsistency to lock up for five years safely.
He didn't say much in Mellinger's column, but Santana apparently found it humorous to be called a "trade target." So he did what any other major leaguer might have: He and buddies Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez made a short film and posted it to YouTube.
The gist: The teammates are sitting around the clubhouse talking when — without warning — INNNNNNNCOMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIING!
Good acting, strong special effects. Three stars. Maybe a little light on the story. But much of it remains to be written. As Mellinger points out, Royals GM Dayton Moore should be able to get something like the package the Cubs got from the Rangers for Matt Garza. It would help the Royals get better. This season's record won't matter soon, anyway.
If they don't cash Santana in now, it all might blow up in K.C.'s collective face. Figuratively.
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