The Royals expect left fielder David DeJesus and pitcher Gil Meche to draw significant trade interest once the major free agents sign, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Both players are under club control for the next two seasons. Meche is owed $24MM on the back end of the five-year, $55MM deal he signed with the team in December of 2006. Meanwhile, DeJesus will earn $4.7MM in 2010 with a club option for 2011 worth $6MM.
In three years for the Royals, Meche has posted an ERA of 4.12 with 7.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. The soon-to-be 30-year-old DeJesus posted numbers consistant with his career average in 2009, recording a slash line of .281/.347/.434 with 12 HRs.
Kansas City's motivation in trading either player would be to reduce payroll while creating an influx of young talent. The report notes that while the Royals are not expected to be major players in free agency, they have shown interest in veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik.
What teams should be calling Dayton Moore about Meche and DeJesus? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.
