The asking price for Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ervin Santana is high, possibly higher than what the Chicago Cubs got in return for Matt Garza, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Santana is one of the top starters still available on the trade market. The Royals acquired Santana from the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason, and the right-hander has rebounded from a disappointing 2012. Santana is 6-6 with a 3.08 ERA, and is averaging nearly seven innings per start.
The Royals are looking for major-league ready talent in return for Santana, according to Rosenthal. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star echoes Rosenthal's reports; he hears that the price for Santana "will be steep."
Kansas City entered Friday with a 48-51 record, seven games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central. General manager Dayton Moore originally sounded uninterested in selling at the trade deadline, telling Dutton "we're going to keep pushing." The tune has seemingly changed, because Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star reports that the team "won't pass up a deal that makes them better in 2014 just to win an extra game or two in 2013."
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