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The defending American League champion Kansas City Royals finally got their ace.
The Royals secured the services of coveted right-hander Johnny Cueto in a four-player trade with the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, less than 24 hours after striking out in their initial attempt to deal for the impending free agent. The Reds will receive left-handed pitching prospects Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed in return.
Cueto, a 20-game winner in 2014, is expected to join the team Tuesday.
"I'm excited about my next chapter,'' Cueto told reporters Sunday through his translator and Reds catcher Brayan Pena. "I know they play baseball very good. I'm excited because I know it's going to be good for my career and good for the team.''
Saturday's proposed trade fell through moments before Cueto prepared to make his final start prior to the deadline, when one of the players reportedly involved in the deal did not check out medically.
Related: 3 things to know about the Johnny Cueto trade
Cueto, who was informed of the failed trade during his bullpen session by teammate Michael Lorenzen, shook off the rumors by dominating the Colorado Rockies with a four-hit, eight-inning shutout.
"I'm very thankful to my teammates, my fans, and my coaching staff," Cueto said about his eight seasons in Cincinnati. "It's a very emotional time for me. But I understand it's part of the game. I'm just excited about my next step."
| Pitcher | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cueto | 2.62 | 8.27 | 0.93 | 2.9 |
| Edinson Volquez | 3.15 | 6.83 | 1.25 | 1.6 |
| Yordano Ventura | 5.19 | 7.66 | 1.35 | 1.0 |
| Danny Duffy | 4.03 | 5.68 | 1.41 | 0.7 |
| Jeremy Guthrie | 5.35 | 4.68 | 1.54 | 0.2 |
The acquisition of Cueto significantly bolsters the Royals' World Series chances. Kansas City entered Monday with the best record (59-38) in the AL.
Cueto, owner of a stingy 2.62 ERA and career-low 0.93 WHIP across 19 starts, arrives just in time for the Royals, who recently demoted opening-day starter Yordano Ventura for one day and were dealt a season-ending injury to left-hander Jason Vargas.
The Reds will also send cash to the Royals to help offset the roughly $4.3 million that remains on Cueto's $10-million salary. Finnegan and Lamb were immediately sent to Triple-A Louisville following the trade, with Reed assigned to the Reds' Double-A affiliate in Pensacola.
"There is a lot of interest in Johnny (Cueto) and we felt that this was the best value we could get,'' Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "Johnny is going to a great situation there. He has people that he'll know. He's on a team that has a chance to go to the World Series.''