Including Jose Martinez in this article is a joke. He is a flash in the pan. He is essentially the same player, only with no-defensive value, that you blast the Royals for playing semi-regularly in Paulo Orlando.

Wade Davis was coming off a down year where he was injured. His H/9 and W/9 were up and his K/9 was down. This was not Wade Davis at his peak being traded. In fact, his ERA+ was a little over half what it was the year before. Getting a big bat for 1-year of an injury risk pitcher was a good trade. Sure, they could have risked it and waited until the deadline and maybe they get more. Maybe he is the difference for that team and they don’t have to make the failed trade with San Diego. Maybe, maybe, maybe. All hindsight revisionist history sand bagging.

Jarrod Dyson for Nate Karns was a win. Dyson was a pending free agent that the team had no interest in resigning — as evidenced by the fact that they did not sign him. Karns was a potential back end of the rotation starter or next Wade Davis. A potential rotation piece for a 1-year, 1-dementional player (who as you correctly stated was on the wrong side of the age curve) is a win. There is no way you or anyone in this world could have forseen Karns injuries. If you have that on Karns side, you have to look at it from Dyson’s side as well. Dyson has been injured this year and is currently on the 10-day DL. He would be doing this current team as much good as Karns is.

Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Trevor Cahill for Esteury Ruiz and Matt Strahm. I agree with you that this was not the best trade, especially when you throw in the salary eaten by the Royals.

Scott Alexander and Joakim Soria in three-teamer that netted Erick Mejia and Trevor Oaks. I guess you do not take into consideration in your hindsight vision the very real need for salary relief. I guess that is easy to discount when you sit behind a computer and don’t make real decisions about real people’s money and lives. It may be your opinion that Oaks is nothing but a AAAA pitcher, but there are others out there who have the same internet blogger credentials as you who see it different. Of course, having any other opinion wouldn’t fit into your Royals bashing post would it?

Melky Cabrera for AJ Puckett and Andre Davis. Not the best trade, but at the time it was made the Royals were very real in contention. It is easy to look back on how the team fell off to say you knew that was going to happen.

Miguel Almonte for cash. Please. The pitching-STARVED Angels are not even throwing this guy out there.

Kelvin Herrera for Kelvin Gutierrez, Blake Perkins and Yohanse Morel . No one knows what will happen with these guys. To even comment on the value of this trade makes your post even less credible.