We now know the identity of the player to be named later going to the Royals. It’s exactly who we expected it to be.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel are all reporting that Jeremy Jeffress will go to the Royals to complete the trade for Zack Greinke. The deal will be officially announced later this afternoon.
Jeffress, 23, missed the beginning of the 2010 season while serving the end of a 100-game suspension for a second positive marijuana test, but posted a 2.23 ERA and 43/12 K/BB ratio over 32 1/3 innings as a reliever between Single-A Wisconsin, High-A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville. The former 2006 first-round pick made his major league debut as a September call-up, posting a 2.70 ERA and 8/6 K/BB ratio over 10 innings. With a fastball that sits in the mid-to-high 90s, some have called him a potential closer.
Now that we know Jeffress is definitely in the trade, it’s time to wonder if the Royals will soon be willing to part with Joakim Soria, as well. Soria, who turns 27 in May, is owed $4 million next season and has a series of club options from 2012-2014. It’s an affordable and flexible contract, so the Royals have no sense of urgency to deal him, but Jeffress at least gives them some insurance to begin listening.
