The Kansas City Royals agreed to trade starting pitcher Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for five players, reports ESPN.
The deal would involve the Brewers giving up Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi.
In return, they get 2009 Cy Young winner Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt, along with some cash.
This deal certainly makes sense for both teams.
Kansas City sure isn’t in a position for a playoff run with Greinke, so they might as well have gotten prospects for maybe five years in the future.
Escobar, a 24-year-old shortstop, completed his first big league season just this year, finishing with an average of .235. On the positive side, he has hit 10 triples. This guy still has the potential to become an above-average everyday shortstop.
Lorenzo Cain is the main part of this deal, being a big time prospect. He hit .317 last year between Double A and Triple A. Add 20 stolen bases and a .400 OBP, and you’ve got something special.
Odorizzi is a pitcher that is at the Single A level as of right now, pitching to a 3.43 ERA.
Jeffress jumped throughout the Brewers organization, between Single A, Single A-plus, and Double A, posting a 1.26 ERA at Double A to finish the season.
This opens up a more positive future for Ned Yost and his club.
On the other side, Betancourt is just an average everyday shortstop, posting a .259 average and driving in 78 RBI.
And as you know, Zack Greinke will solidify the rotation along with another newly acquired Shaun Marcum.
Greinke might end up like Roy Halladay, who thrived even more in the National League with a Cy Young Award to his resume.
Also, Milwaukee isn’t a place with New York style media, making it a good place for Greinke, considering the fact that he deals with social anxiety disorder.
The Brewers aren’t in the rebuilding stage, either unlike the Royals.
It’s a win-win trade for both clubs.
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