Kansas City Royals somehow find a taker for Carlos Santana

It was not a secret that the Kansas City Royals would love to move on from Carlos Santana. Not only was he eating up payroll and not going to be a part of the future, but he was also blocking a pair of the Royals top prospects at the position. As they are clearly out of the playoff picture, getting anything for Santana would be a victory.

That trade has finally come to be. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, Santana has been traded to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.

Kansas City Royals finally open first base up for top prospect

This is a bit of a homecoming for Santana. He had been a part of the Mariners’ organization for exactly ten days during the 2018-19 offseason, having been acquired from the Phillies before being sent to Cleveland as part of a three team deal. One would expect that he will actually put on the uniform this time.

However, Santana is a needed piece in Seattle at this point. Their breakout first baseman, Ty France, has a Grade 2 flexor strain and is on the Injured List. Santana’s .216/.349/.341 batting line with four homers and ten doubles in 212 plate appearances is hardly inspiring, but he does have a 98 OPS+. It is possible that the Mariners can, at worst, fill the gap until France is ready to return.

This also opens up a past due spot for Vinnie Pasquantino. He was been called up to make his major league debut in the wake of Santana’s departure, having produced a .280/.372/.576 batting line with 18 homers and 16 doubles in his 296 Triple-A plate appearances.

The Royals also get a couple of lottery tickets in the deal. Mills has seen time in the Mariners’ bullpen this season, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six in his 8.2 innings. As the Royals are amongst the teams desperately searching for viable bullpen arms, Mills will get a chance.

Fleming was the Mariners’ 27th best prospect at the time of the trade per MLB.com, a pitcher who does not have one standout offering or command, but did find some success last year. He has a 4.92 ERA and a 1.300 WHiP in his 67.2 innings in High-A this season, striking out 59 batters with 24 walks. However, he does have solid arm strength and a slider that could be a plus offering with refinement, making him a possible bullpen arm in the future.

The Kansas City Royals have managed to find a taker for Carlos Santana. He is heading to the Mariners for his second stint with the organization.