Yes, he can help this year. But the Royals aren't going to make the playoffs this year, let alone compete for a WS (though if they do the former, the latter is infinitely more plausible).
How would Howie Kendrick not help us next year? He wouldn't be a rent-a-player.
I never said--or even implied--that Kendrick wouldn't help the Royals next year. But $10M (his salary in 2014 and 2015) is a steep price. And who are the Angels going to hold out for? Duffy? I've seen a package of Duffy, Cuthbert, and Brickhouse suggested. No thanks. And that's probably the lower end of what they would have to give for him.
Other teams are going to offer more. You know, teams that actually have a legitimate chance at winning now (note: winning now is NOT 81-81 or 84-78).
I'm with Chris on this one. Kendrick is probably the best move that the Royals can make if they go into buy mode. But there is no reason for them to go into buy mode. It's going to take a lot more than adding Kendrick (a 3-4 WAR guy) to make them a playoff team. Seriously. Yes, they have 32 games remaining against teams currently under .500 (some very much so), but they have also been under .500 for most of the season. They also have a lot of tough series left. 11 games against Detroit. 4 games against Boston. 3 against Washington. 3 against Texas.
If I'm the Royals, I deal Santana and Hoch for prospects. Good prospects. Because someone will be willing to give them up. Then you don't have Santana's $13.5M on the payroll or Hochevar's $5M and maybe you go get a long-term starting pitcher or a right fielder or a second baseman in free agency this off-season and bolster your farm system.
I consider it a win if the Royals get a good haul for Santana and Hoch, and sign a big fish (not someone like Cano, but how about a Garza? A Pence?) this off-season, assuming they don't get re-signed by their current clubs.
At the end of the day, it comes down to one simple question. Do you believe in the Royals' ability to finish the season 40-20? Like JFish said, that essentially means sweeping more series than you lose. I don't. That is why I believe they should be selling, despite this hot streak (that probably will continue against Minnesota). If you believe that this team, which has never had a 40-20 stretch in the Dayton Moore era, can finish 40-20, I applaud your optimism and respect your desire for them to buy now.
You can also look at it in a more complicated way:
Can Kansas City be 8 games better than Detroit the rest of the way? Absolutely not. So I'll rule out winning the division.
Can Kansas City be 3 games better than New York the rest of the way? Probably. Frankly, the Yankees success this year is shocking to me. Can KC be 5 games better than Cleveland the rest of the way? I'll give that a 50/50 shot. 4 games better than Texas? Probably not. If the postseason started today, none of those three teams would be in it.
6 games better than Baltimore? Maybe. I doubt it. That is their one and only hope. The 2nd wildcard spot. Because Boston and Tampa are in. Detroit is in. Oakland is almost certainly in. Their one thread of hope is being better than Baltimore, Texas, Cleveland, and New York the rest of the way. And not just better. Significantly better.
I see the writing on the wall. Santana isn't going to be dealt, nor is Hochevar. But they ought to be.