The Kansas City Royals have begun to tear down the remnants of the 2015 World Series championship team and now look to stock the farm system after trading closer Kelvin Herrera to the Washington Nationals. The Royals acquired three Minor Leaguers: infielder Kelvin Gutierrez, who was ranked as the Nationals’ No. 10 prospect, outfielder Blake Perkins, the No. 11 prospect, and right-handed pitcher Yohanse Morel.
Gutierrez will head to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Perkins will be assigned to Class A Advanced Wilmington and Morel will join the Surprise Royals of the Rookie League. Herrera, who is eligible to be a free agent after this season, had a 1.05 ERA with 14 saves.
General Manager Dayton Moore explained what the club liked about the three prospects:
Perkins is a 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder, a second-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He hit .234 with 11 doubles, a homer and 39 runs scored in 65 games at Class A. Gutierrez is just 23 and hit .274 with six doubles, three triples, five homers and 36 runs scored in 58 games for Double-A Harrisburg this season. He was also 10-for-11 in stolen-base attempts. He was added to the 40-man roster last fall.