MLB trade rumors: Could Royals trade Wade Davis?

MLB.com speculated over the weekend that the Royals could look to move closer Wade Davis this offseason.

Jim Duquette, MLB.com’s analyst in the video above, reasons that the Royals almost moved Davis at the trade deadline this past July, and if Davis doesn’t sign a long term contract this offseason, the Royals may explore if there is a good trade market for him. While that seems more like outsider speculation rather than any concrete inside info, Davis being moved would have big fantasy ramifications.

Kelvin Herrera is one of the best non-closing relievers in baseball. Over the last 3 seasons, Herrera has a 2.30 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 1.07 WHIP and 24.5% strikeout rate, spanning 211 IP.

Last year, Herrera put together the best strikeout and walk rates of his career at 30.4% and 4.2%. He finished with a 15.2% swinging strike rate, also his best, and well up from 2014 and 2015. Herrera threw more first pitch strikes in 2016, up from a below average 58% in 2014-15 to a strong 64.7% in 2016, which helped get his walk rate down.

Davis being moved likely means that Herrera would be slotted into the full time closer’s role. Herrera briefly closed games for the Royals in August when Davis was on the DL. If that happens, Herrera would emerge as one of the better closing options for fantasy owners this spring, and he’s someone that might be somewhat undervalued in fantasy drafts in the mainstream because he doesn’t have the “proven closer” tag yet.

I would probably rank Herrera in my second tier of closers for 2017, behind the Kenley Jansen/Aroldis Chapman/Zach Britton type tier.