Heyman: Royals Asked for Montero & Nunez (Updated)

(Updated 1:24 PM) I guess the earlier reports were only half right:

That deal is a lot harder to make if you're Cashman.

(original post below)

Taken in kind with the actual package sent in exchange for Greinke, this has me wondering whether or not the Yankees could have whittled down the Royals demands a bit further. In my opinion, swapping out Montero in favor of Romine, throwing in a mid-rotation prospect or two (such as Nova or Warren), and perhaps Corban Joseph represents a stronger deal for the Royals. More importantly, this would not really hinder the Yankees too much going forward.

In the end, maybe we should take these statements at face value - given the Royals quantity over quality exchange, the Yankees may genuinely have feared Greinke's ability to handle New York.

Sources: Greinke Traded to the Brewers

As per ESPN:

In the deal, the Royals are reportedly acquiring Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitching prospects Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress for the 27-year-old Greinke, 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA in 2010 after winning the 2009 Cy Young.

This deal is, in my mind, about quantity over quality. The Royals were seeking up the middle talent and pitching, and they settled for a sampler of sorts. Given the depth of their farm system, it certainly makes sense to target certain positions (as opposed to asking for the best possible talent), but it still seems as if they settled when they really didn't have to.

While reading about this deal, it became apparent to me that the Yankees were simply not interested in Greinke. A very rough equivalent deal would be Brett Gardner, Eduardo Nunez, Adam Warren, and Andrew Brackman, and perhaps another middle infield piece (David Adams or Corban Joseph) - sure, that's a lot of talent, but they'd also retain their top four or five prospects (depending on how you feel about Brackman). The greatest difference between the two offers is the gap between Escobar and Nunez, which I believe the Yankees could have overcome in offering better pitching. That is entirely speculative, however, and the Royals search for trade partners could have hinged entirely on the shortstop position.

Report: Yanks, Rangers A Bad Fit For Greinke

From Jerry Crasnick:

Once Lee makes his call, the focus will inevitably shift to Kansas City's Zack Greinke, a 27-year-old former Cy Young Award winner and everybody's favorite Plan B. The news on that front doesn't look good for either Texas or New York.

Baseball sources said that Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore is actively gauging the market for Greinke, and that both the Yankees and Rangers rank down the list of potential fits for Greinke. The reason: Neither team has enough of the commodity that Moore is seeking in trade.

The Royals have a wealth of pitching talent in the minor leagues, a hot first base prospect in Eric Hosmer, an elite young third baseman in Mike Moustakas and a hard-hitting catcher, Wil Myers, who is probably going to have to shift to the outfield in the majors. As a result, sources say, Moore has focused on adding up-the-middle position players who are close to major league ready. And neither the Yankees nor the Rangers provide the best match for Kansas City.

The Yankees do have three catchers -- Jesus Montero, Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine -- among their list of top prospects. Infield prospect Eduardo Nunez would likely be part of a Yankees trade package, and sources said that outfielder Brett Gardner's name has come up in conversations between the clubs. But it appears that package wouldn't be enough to pry Greinke loose from the Royals.

I know some of you would love Greinke in Pinstripes, but as I've mentioned many times I'm not high on Greinke in New York, so this report doesn't bother me at all.

What Would You Give Up for Zack Greinke?

According to multiple sources, the Royals may look to move Greinke this winter. While the rumors remain largely unsubstantiated, there are two reasons to believe that the writing is on the wall. First, Greinke's salary will jump $6.25 M in 2011, to $13.5 M. One could certainly argue that the Royals would not have signed Greinke to this extension last season had they not intended to keep him around for the next two seasons, but that leads into the second issue - Greinke's frustrated. It was reported last month that Greinke is not a strong believer in the Royals' rebuilding efforts. So far as I know, he hasn't really backed off of these statements.

I, for one, would hope that the Yankees are involved should Greinke hit the market. His previous issues with depression are a bit worrisome, considering the voracious nature of both the fans and media in New York, but his talent is simply undeniable. I wouldn't sell the farm for Greinke (Montero remains untouchable), and the Royals would be justified to hold out for a considerable haul ... but I'd keep an open mind. Nova, Warren, Laird, and Gardner, perhaps?

What sort of package would you offer?