Mark Redman has been traded to the Royals for reliever Jonah Bayliss and a player to be named.
This deal seems fine if Kansas City is paying a big chunk of Redman's salary. (That might sound unlikely to you, but keep in mind that the Royals were planning to raise payroll.) Bayliss put up good strikeout rates in the minors (although he walked too many guys), and he's only 25, so he has a chance to be a minor asset out of the bullpen. If this trade frees up money again to get that big bat that we're all hoping for, then it sounds great to me, but I'll reserve judgment until I see the financial terms. Redman was a bad pitcher for the Pirates and he was useless for them going forward, but as a starter with the potential to be league-average, some team should have been willing to pay his most of his salary. So this isn't automatically a good deal. I'll be pleased if the Royals are paying, though.