Danny Duffy, who, until Thursday, had been the longest-tenured member of the Royals, is headed west, joining the defending world-champion L.A. Dodgers ahead of Friday’s MLB trade deadline. While maybe not the blockbuster trade fans had hoped for (that would come later), Duffy represents a solid upgrade for a suddenly shorthanded Dodgers pitching staff.
A native of Lompoc, California (situated 150 miles west of Dodger Stadium), Duffy finishes his Kansas City tenure with 1,048 strikeouts, good for sixth-most in club history. He also ranks seventh in games started (204) and eighth among all-time Royals in innings pitched (1,172 1/3). By virtue of his 10-and-5 status (10 years of MLB service and five with the same team), Duffy could have vetoed the trade to Los Angeles, but apparently the 32-year-old will not be exercising that right.
A three-time Opening Day starter, the 6’3” hurler arrived in Kansas City as a third-round pick in 2007, debuting in the bigs four years later. The owner of a lifetime 3.96 ERA, Duffy made a successful return from Tommy John surgery in 2013 and was an integral part of the Royals’ rotation during their World Series run in 2015. Duffy was later rewarded with a five-year, $65-million extension, the third-largest contract in franchise history, trailing only deals signed by Alex Gordon ($72 million) and Salvador Perez ($82 million).
When healthy, Duffy, who landed on the injured list with a strained flexor tendon earlier this week (he’s aiming to return in 3-4 weeks), should provide valuable rotation depth for the Dodgers, who are currently without ace Clayton Kershaw (shelved since mid-July with “forearm inflammation”), reigning Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer (still on leave amid sexual assault allegations) and hard-throwing right-hander Dustin May (Tommy John surgery). In exchange for Duffy, the Royals will receive a “player to be named later.”
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