3 Trade Landing Spots For Royals' Michael Wacha

The Kansas City Royals are trending toward becoming sellers at the August 3 trade deadline, and veteran right-hander Michael Wacha has emerged as one of their most attractive trade chips.

At 38-59 and well out of contention, the Royals will listen on Wacha, who just earned his first All-Star selection since 2015 at age 35.

Wacha carries a 3.77 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 119.1 innings and leads the American League in innings and quality starts, providing exactly the kind of dependable, innings-eating stability contenders covet in October.

He is signed through 2028, so Kansas City does not have to move him, and per Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are seeking a "massive" return. Here are three landing spots that make sense.

Toronto Blue Jays

ESPN's David Schoenfield identified the Blue Jays' most necessary deadline move as acquiring Wacha.

Toronto sits at 45-51, just 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot, keeping their season alive.

Wacha would provide veteran stability to a rotation that ranks middle of the pack in starting pitching WAR, and he would benefit from Toronto's superior bullpen support compared to Kansas City's, which ranks worst in the majors.

San Diego Padres

The Padres are a team willing to add a trustworthy starter as they push for the postseason at 48-48.

While San Diego has been linked to bigger names like Tarik Skubal, Wacha would be a strong, more affordable option to deepen a playoff-caliber rotation.

The concern for Wacha's individual value would be San Diego's offense, which ranks near the bottom of the league in run support, but his ability to pitch deep into games would be a real asset for a Padres team built around pitching and defense.

New York Yankees

The Yankees are among the teams ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel named as potential landing spots.

New York is currently running a four-man rotation while awaiting the returns of Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, and Wacha would provide insurance and depth for a postseason push.

His flexibility to flex into the bullpen if needed adds to his appeal, and the Yankees have the resources to meet Kansas City's steep asking price if they decide rotation depth is a priority.

Other teams like the Cubs, Braves, Athletics, and Cardinals, the team that originally drafted him, have also been floated as fits.

Kansas City has no urgency to move Wacha given his years of control, but with a massive return on the table, the Royals will at least listen as the deadline approaches.