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Royals Acquire Hendriks, Kratz For Valencia

By Steve Adams | July 28, 2014 at 6:10pm CDT

6:10pm: The Blue Jays announced that they have acquired Danny Valencia from the Royals in exchange for Hendriks and Kratz.  Valencia, 29, posted a .282/.328/.382 slash line in 119 plate appearances for KC this season.  The veteran split 117 games between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk in 2013.  In 170 plate appearances last year for the O’s, he had a .304/.330/.553 slash line to go with eight homers.  The 29-year-old has seen scattered MLB action since a mediocre stint as the Twins’ everyday third bagger in 2011. 

5:51pm: Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirms that Kratz is headed to Kansas City (Twitter link).

5:46pm: The Royals and Blue Jays have agreed to a trade, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Right-hander Liam Hendriks is heading to Kansas City in the deal, and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets that catcher Erik Kratz is expected to be joining the Royals as well.

The 25-year-old Hendriks was once considered one of the Top 10 prospects in the Twins organization, but he made his rounds on waivers over the past season after failing to translate his excellent Triple-A numbers to the Major Leagues. Hendriks allowed nine runs in 13 1/3 innings for the Jays this season and has a 6.06 ERA in 169 1/3 innings throughout his big league career. The Aussie right-hander has a strong 3.23 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 362 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level. Baseball America tweets that he was impressive at the Triple-A All Star Game this season — a team that he was named to after posting a brilliant 2.33 ERA in 18 minor league appearances this year.

Kratz, who turned 34 last month, is expected to help the Royals at the big league level. The former Phillies backstop has seen limited time with the Blue Jays in 2014, slashing .198/.226/.346 with three homers. Low batting averages and plus pop have been the story of Kratz’s big league career, as he’s hit just .216 with a .271 OBP in 501 plate appearances but boasts a solid .181 isolated power mark (slugging minus batting average). Kratz is a career .268/.342/.474 hitter in 1618 Triple-A plate appearances. He has consistently rated as a strong pitch-framer and pitch-blocker, and he’s gunned down 32 percent of attempted base stealers in his big league career.

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Kansas City Royals Newsstand Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Danny Valencia Erik Kratz Liam Hendriks

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View Comments (47)
Post a Comment

47 Comments

  1. Tyler 20

    11 years ago

    woohoo!

    Reply
  2. Ted

    11 years ago

    Odds the Jays get anything more than cash for these guys?

    Reply
    • thefridge99

      11 years ago

      Pretty good, I’d say. Toronto has no reason to trade these guys for just cash as they are both high up on the depth chart if there are injuries.

      Reply
  3. Doms

    11 years ago

    Why trade away depth? Unless it was to facilitate something else..

    Reply
    • Jared306

      11 years ago

      They still have AJ Jimenez at AAA doing pretty well and they also have Sean Nolin back. They still have depth. Trading from a strength.

      Reply
      • Doms

        11 years ago

        Both of these guys help contribute to be league roster.. There’s no reason to trade em away for nothing. (If nothing or just cash)

        Edit: they got Danny Valencia

        Reply
    • PurpleJesus

      11 years ago

      Kratz was the 3rd catcher on the depth chart and Hendriks was about the #8 or 9 SP

      Reply
  4. JuanBastardo

    11 years ago

    Stupid trade…..Jays will regret trading Kratz, he was one of the reasons they had that big run of wins in may.

    Reply
    • thefridge99

      11 years ago

      Really? He had a .599 OPS in May, and the Jays are playing pretty good now with him in the minors.

      Reply
    • Alex Andreopoulos

      11 years ago

      its hard to regret trading a 33 year old career minor league journeyman / backup catcher …. how are these feelings possibly evoked ? regret, of all things?

      Reply
  5. thefridge99

    11 years ago

    I gotta think a RH bat to platoon with Lind is coming back, either in this deal or another one.

    Reply
    • Jared306

      11 years ago

      Velencia rakes vs LHP. career .333 hitter vs LHP and is hitting this year .354 vs LHP.

      Reply
  6. Joshua Menezes

    11 years ago

    James Shields

    Reply
    • JacobyWanKenobi

      11 years ago

      The baseball player?

      Reply
    • Encarnacion's Parrot

      11 years ago

      What is James shielding? I need to knooow!

      Reply
  7. zoinksscoob

    11 years ago

    Both teams announced the deal: Danny Valencia for Hendricks and Kratz; Kratz will join the Royals tomorrow.

    Reply
  8. Tanthalas

    11 years ago

    Valencia mashes lefties (which Jays desperately needed), and can play those key 2B/3B positions they needed to fill. Solid pickup for the Jays.

    Reply
    • Ted

      11 years ago

      .333/.369/.561/.879 against LHP, able to mix and match 3B with Lawrie and Francisco? That’ll work for me.

      Reply
    • Alex Andreopoulos

      11 years ago

      This is a very solid depth move. Exactly what the jays need at the moment, without giving up an arm and a leg.

      Reply
  9. Seekrieg

    11 years ago

    Cant decide if this is a sign that the Royals are now officially sellers or not. Valencia is a nice piece and hasn’t hurt the Royals at all. Good pick up for the Jays.
    Royals do need a back up catcher, Brett Hayes isn’t sure which end of the bat he is supposed to use.

    Reply
    • MoCrash

      11 years ago

      It is a bit of a puzzler, isn’t it? Having already dealt Paredes, the Royals now lack a RH alternative to Moustakas, so it appears he’s full-time now. Meanwhile, while Kratz is certainly an upgrade to Hayes, he’s an even more minor part of the offense than Valencia, Hayes having only 53 PA this season.

      Meanwhile, RF remains a sore spot, Hosmer continues to flounder and middle relief is a crap shoot until the 7th. It seems GMDM’s activity lately is merely around the fringes with no positive step towards improvement.

      Reply
      • otis26

        11 years ago

        It’s not the 31st yet. I’m sure DM has had many opportunites to improve the team, but the asking price was too high. This is a position Royals fans haven’t been in for 25 years so I know you’re a little rusty…but the Royals DO have the pieces to make a blockbuster move…but it would empty the farm system which we can’t afford.

        Reply
        • MoCrash

          11 years ago

          Actually, I’m primarily a Cardinals fan, and have been for over 50 years — so pennant races are hardly foreign to my experience — but living only an hour away from KC I tend to follow the Royals closely, especially since that’s what the radio yakkers talk about.

          Reply
    • Brian Lynch

      11 years ago

      I don’t think this is a seller’s move. .Moose has finally started to hit and that made Valencia expendable.

      Reply
      • ChiefIlliniwek

        11 years ago

        yep, getting an arm for a backup/platoon guy is never a bad thing.

        Reply
  10. Kevin Yochim

    11 years ago

    I will always remember Liam Hendriks as That Guy Bobby V Thought Was Right-Handed

    Reply
  11. Tyler 20

    11 years ago

    decent bench piece for the Blue Jays. kinda surprised KC let him go

    Reply
  12. Vancitybjfan

    11 years ago

    When Lawrie is healthy he will probably be the full time 2b

    vs. Lhp Valencica at 3B
    Vs. RHP Francisco at 3b

    a platoon of these guys at 3’rd will be pretty good for the jays

    now the jays just need another starter imo

    Reply
    • Alex Andreopoulos

      11 years ago

      The Jays just addressed their most pressing need. The current SP is fine, and the Jays should not be overpaying for one, unless it is a top-tier SP.

      Reply
      • Jaysfan1994 2

        11 years ago

        Time for an elite setup man, I don’t like Redmond pitching in high pressure late inning situations. BR indicates he’s been lit up when given the lead throughout his career and during this season.

        Reply
        • Alex Andreopoulos

          11 years ago

          Redmond tossing his mediocre no command fastball in high leverage innings also worries me. A high leverage relief pitcher is exactly what the Jays could use right now.

          Edit: I still love Redmond’s rubber arm though, and think he is a useful piece on pretty much every team.

          Reply
          • BeenThereDoneIt

            11 years ago

            Post as BeenThereDoneIt
            You may want to check the advanced stats on Redmond. Not to mention the guy has the second lowest ERA in the AL behind Dellin Betances.
            Nothing to sneeze at. He is perfect in his current roll of long relief/7th inning guy against righties with his good ground ball rate.

            Reply
            • Jaysfan1994 2

              11 years ago

              I’ve checked his advanced stats, late inning with the game close he’s been lit up throughout his career. This year is no different.

              This year: Late & Close= (.429/.500/.619)

              Reply
            • Alex Andreopoulos

              11 years ago

              Except Redmond has rarely been the “7th inning guy” all year, if at all.

              You might want to check the stats. This guy only belongs in low leverage innings.

              Reply
  13. otis26

    11 years ago

    Both teams get help here. I was terrified every day that our backup catcher was Brett Hayes. Hendriks was the throw-in to get the deal done. Maybe pitching in The K will help him like it did Guthrie.

    Reply
  14. thefridge99

    11 years ago

    What is Valencia’s defense like?

    Reply
    • Howie

      11 years ago

      Average at best. lol Maybe slightly better than Juan Francisco lol

      Reply
  15. thefridge99

    11 years ago

    When everyone healthy the bottom 5 will probably look like

    VS RHP

    Lind DH
    Navarro C

    Lawrie 3B/2B
    Rasmus CF
    Francisco 3B or Kawasaki/Goins 2B

    VS LHP
    Navarro C
    Lawrie 3B
    Valencia DH
    Tolleson 2B
    Reimold or Rasmus

    Ideally you’d like to get Reimold in for Rasmus vs. LHP but he’s never played CF so I doubt he could handle it and I’d rather not have Bautista there.

    Reply
  16. ericl

    11 years ago

    Just what the Blue Jays need, another utility infielder

    Reply
    • JamieFC

      11 years ago

      Yeah who needs some guy who hammers lefties…

      Reply
      • ericl

        11 years ago

        Valencia has played 36 games this season. He can’t get into the Royals lineup on a consistent basis. I’d rather have Kawasaki in the lineup than a career backup

        Reply
        • Jaysfan1994 2

          11 years ago

          Kawasaki would be in the lineup vs LHP regardless. The Jays have one of the worst lineups vs LHP in all of baseball, they were hitting .238/.304/.390 going into last night’s game vs LHP.

          Reply
        • JamieFC

          11 years ago

          You’d rather have Kawasaki (a left handed batter) playing against a lefty? And I couldn’t care less how many games he’s played. Look at his career and 2014 lefty splits.

          Reply
    • Alex Andreopoulos

      11 years ago

      Well I guess you can’t please everyone….. sigh

      Reply
  17. Tyler Claus Coners

    11 years ago

    Danny Valencia and Liam Hendricks go through teams faster than I go through underpants.

    Reply
    • BeenThereDoneIt

      11 years ago

      Once a year???

      Reply
      • Tyler Claus Coners

        11 years ago

        don’t judge haha

        Reply

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