Royals add OF Velázquez in trade with Cubs

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals made their second trade in as many days on Monday evening when they sent reliever Jose Cuas to the Cubs for Nelson Velázquez, a 24-year-old outfielder who has been added to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

TRADE DETAILS
Royals get: OF Nelson Velázquez
Cubs get: RHP Jose Cuas

Velázquez had a .934 OPS in 13 big league games for the Cubs season, with five of his seven hits going for extra bases, including three home runs. He’s spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Iowa, where he’s posted an .802 OPS with 16 homers. In 90 career games with the Cubs over the last two seasons, Velázquez has slashed .210/.290/.407 with nine home runs.

“We like his power potential,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “... By our count, he hits the ball hard and drives the ball. There’s very little chase. There’s some swing-and-miss that we think we need to address, but again, just trying to add depth and options for us at the right-hand side of the plate in the outfield. We thought it was a good fit.”

The Cubs’ fifth-round pick in 2017 out of P.J. Education (Puerto Rico), Velázquez is a natural outfielder with a strong arm and can play all three positions, but Picollo said the Royals envision him as a corner outfielder. They’d like to see him in the big leagues this season, but first they’ll get to know him better in Omaha first while waiting for an opportunity.

Cuas, 29, signed as a Minor League free agent with the Royals in 2021 and made his memorable Major League debut last season. He has appeared in 45 games for the Royals this season, posting a 4.54 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 21 walks.

The move clears a bullpen spot for the Royals, who would like to see a number of Triple-A pitchers in Kansas City later this season, and gives them reliable depth in the outfield in Velázquez. It comes a day after the Royals traded infielder Nicky Lopez to the Braves for lefty reliever Taylor Hearn and likely will not be the last move the Royals make as Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline nears. Closer Scott Barlow is still on the trading block, and the Royals could move on a couple more players like righty relievers Taylor Clarke and Carlos Hernández, starter Ryan Yarbrough and outfielder Edward Olivares.

The core of the Royals’ team -- the young position players and pitchers they see as the foundation for their future -- haven’t been made available this Deadline. Picollo confirmed Monday that there was some interest in starter Brady Singer -- the Dodgers have reportedly checked in on the 26-year-old righty -- but said it would have to be a “very large” deal to move on from Singer, who has two more years of control left, and “it doesn’t seem like that’s something that’s happening.”

Picollo also squashed any rumors of conversations involving veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who has 10-and-5 rights and would have to approve any trade. So for the Royals, this Deadline is about improving on the margins as they look to their core to improve internally.

“We’re looking at the reliever market, and a reliever market may not return a large player or somebody that’s going to greatly impact our current core,” Picollo said. “If we can improve marginally along the way and help with pieces, that’s probably what we’re going to get done through this Deadline.”

Deals like the swap on Monday are what they’re looking to add: Velázquez is a young player with upside who supplements the Royals’ core by giving them depth. They’ve maintained that they would prefer to add Major League-ready talent in these trades. But that might not always be available to acquire, and the Royals have made clear over the last month that they won’t turn away from adding young prospects years away from Kansas City.

“We need help in a lot of areas,” Picollo said. “Our farm system needs help. Our Major League team needs help. So it comes down to the team that has interest in whatever player they’re asking about, where’s their depth? What are they willing to deal from? … I’d like to think we can get guys to help our Major League team a little bit sooner.

“But that’s not always going to be the case. It doesn’t deter us from making a trade. If there’s value in somebody that’s in A-ball, we’ve got to be open-minded to that as well.”