BALTIMORE, Maryland (TheScore.com) – The Kansas City Royals have reportedly grown weary of Yordano Ventura.
On Wednesday morning, only a few hours after the combative right-hander triggered a brawl at Camden Yards by hitting Manny Machado with a 99-mph fastball, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that executives from two teams said the Royals have offered Ventura in trade talks within the past month.
Once considered a major part of the Royals’ future, Ventura continues to cause headaches for those in Kansas City’s clubhouse and front office – last year, the 25-year-old incited bench-clearing incidents in three consecutive starts – and even manager Ned Yost admitted after Tuesday’s melee that his teammates are “probably” frustrated by his antics.
Though the Royals have stood by Ventura in the past, given the increasing gulf between his stuff and effectiveness – he throws 99 mph, but owns a 5.32 ERA (81 ERA+) with a 14.7 percent strikeout rate in 12 starts this year – the reigning World Series champions are curious to see if other teams are interested in their hard-throwing Dominican.
Ventura, who insisted the pitch that hit Machado merely “got away” from him, will make only $21.25 million over the next three seasons, and with a pair of $12-million team options potentially keeping him under team control through 2021, rival clubs may be willing to take a chance on him, even if they envision him in a relief role.