If there is a particularly good thing about Zack Greinke being traded to the Brewers, it is that Yuniesky Betancourt might be on the way out of Kansas City as well.
Yuniesky Betancourt Likely Part Of Zack Greinke Trade
Bernie’s Crew, the blog that originally reported the Greinke trade, is also reporting that the Brewers would get Betancourt and an extra $2 million in the deal. For the Royals, that would seem like addition by subtraction.
Betancourt was long renowned as a talented shortstop, but has yet to produce anything commensurate with that alleged talent on the field. In a terrible 2009 season split between the Mariners and Royals, Betancourt posted an on-base percentage of .274, rapped out just 32 extra-base hits, and played miserable defense, compiling negative 1.7 Wins Above Replacement according to FanGraphs. He was marginally better in 2010, but still had a sub-.300 on-base percentage and failed to produce even a full Win Above Replacement for the Royals.
If Greinke had to be moved — and he likely did, after hiring a new agent and demanding a trade — then the Royals were already dealing from a position of weakness. Knowing that, pawning Betancourt off on an unsuspecting team seems like a coup.
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