Royals, Padres Shuffle Arms

Royals Get: Trevor Cahill (4-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 72/24 K/BB, Age 29)
Ryan Buchter (3-3, 3.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 47/18 K/BB, 1 SV, Age 30)
Brandon Maurer (1-4, 5.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 38/8 K/BB, 20 SV, Age 27)
Padres Get: Travis Wood (1-3, 6.91 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 29/20 K/BB, Age 30)
Matt Strahm (2-5, 5.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 37/22 K/BB, Age 25)
Esteury Ruiz (3 HR, 23 RBI, .419 AVG, 9 SB, 200 wRC+ at AZL, Age 18)

At 50-47 and a game and a half back of the Indians as of this trade, the surging Royals have worked their way back into the playoff hunt and shuffled arms with the Padres to make sure things keep going the way they are. The biggest name coming to Kansas City is Trevor Cahill, who is in the middle of a comeback season. Through eleven starts, the San Diego native is 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP, striking out 72 to just 24 walks in 61 innings. He's no ace, but it's reminiscent of his 2010-2013 stretch with the A's and Diamondbacks, when he was a serviceable mid-rotation starter. With Nathan Karns out for the season, that will be a helpful addition. For his career, the 6'4" righty is 73-79 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 273 games (185 starts). Ryan Buchter isn't exactly a household name, but he's been pretty dominant since he surfaced in San Diego. Over 42 appearances this year, he has a 3.05 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a solid 47/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 38.1 innings. Those are back-end numbers that could be very valuable in a stretch run. For his career, Buchter is 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, striking out 30.7% of the batters he faced. Somehow, in this Padres bullpen that also includes Buchter and star reliever Brad Hand, Brandon Mauerer has held on to the closer's role, and he'll also be going to Kansas City. Maurer hasn't been that good this year, putting up a 5.72 ERA, though his 1.19 WHIP and 3.23 FIP are much better. He's been penalized by a .315 opponents' BABIP, which isn't extremely high but is the highest mark he's allowed since his rookie 2013 season. Together with Buchter, he'll help strengthen that bullpen that hasn't seen much consistency. For his career, Maurer is 14-25 with a 4.96 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP, striking out 274 and walking 92 in 319.2 innings. Cahill will be a free agent after the season, but Buchter is under team control through 2021 and Maurer through 2019.
San Diego is out of the playoff race, so they got rid of three of their better pitchers in favor of some younger arms and one veteran. Travis Wood is the one veteran, having pitched eight years for the Reds, Cubs, and Royals. He's been up and down, but this year has been a down year following his signing with Kansas City. Through 28 games (3 starts), he is 1-3 with a 6.91 ERA and a 1.82 WHIP, striking out just 29 and walking 20 in 41.2 innings. He's been equally bad between the bullpen and rotation, putting up a 6.28 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP over 25 relief appearances as well as an 8.31 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP in three starts. He has been victimized a bit by a .369 BABIP, leading to a better 4.52 FIP but it's still not what you want. Many pitchers have revitalized their careers in San Diego (See Trevor Cahill), so he has a chance there. He's under control through 2018. For his career, Wood is 44-55 with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 287 games (136 starts). Matt Strahm, who turns 26 after the season, may be the most exciting pickup, as he dominated in his rookie 2016 (1.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 30/11 K/BB) before taking a step back in 2017 (5.45 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 37/22 K/BB). Young and controllable through 2022, Strahm could become a fixture in the San Diego bullpen. One thing's for sure, San Diego is a long way from his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota. Lastly, Esteury Ruiz is a long way off, but he could develop into an exciting prospect in time. At the age of 17 last year, he slashed .313/.378/.512 with five home runs and 13 stolen bases over 56 games in the Dominican Summer League, and his bat hasn't slowed down this year. Promoted up to the complex-level Arizona League, he has dominated the low-level pitching, slashing .419/.440/.779 with three home runs and nine stolen bases over 21 games. It's a small sample, but the 18 year old is flashing above average tools across the board and could become a top prospect if he keeps hitting like this.