KANSAS CITY -- Right-hander Homer Bailey was traded by the Royals to the A's for Minor League infielder Kevin Merrell moments before Bailey was scheduled to pitch in Sunday¡¯s game against the Tigers at Kauffman Stadium.

Here are five things you need to know about the deal.

1. What the A¡¯s are getting
A bargain. The Royals were paying Bailey the Major League minimum salary ($550,000) -- the Dodgers are paying what¡¯s left of his $23 million contract in 2019, and the A¡¯s will only absorb about $250,000 of that MLB minimum, sources told MLB.com. And Bailey has been productive, going 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 18 starts. He¡¯s been fabulous of late, going 3-0 in his last six starts with a 2.83 ERA.

2. What the Royals are getting
Merrell was a 2017 first-round Draft pick of the A¡¯s (Competitive Balance Round, No. 33 overall) and he has played mostly shortstop. He will report to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Merrell was ranked as Oakland's No. 17 prospect by MLB Pipeline, which wrote of Merrell, ¡°It could be that Merrell ends up fitting a super-utility role at the big league level, with his speed playing at a number of positions, though it's too early to rule out an every day gig at second base.¡± One rival scout agreed, saying Merrell has the type of speed, athleticism and, perhaps, versatility to transition into a super-utility role.¡°A really good fit for the Royals,¡± he said.

Merrill is batting .246 with 13 doubles, four triples, two homers and 13 stolen bases in 82 games with the A's Double-A affiliate, Midland (Texas), this season. Last year, he was a mid-season All-Star with Class A Advanced Stockton, batting .267 with 10 doubles, three triples and 38 runs scored in 62 games.

3. What the Royals like about Merrell
¡°We liked him a great deal out of the Draft two years ago,¡± general manager Dayton Moore said. ¡°He¡¯s our type of player, speed player. We liked his potential versatility out of the Draft. Oakland selected him relatively high, a Comp pick. We liked him a great deal and he fits our profiles.

¡°He doesn¡¯t have to go on the 40-man roster for two more years. This is just his second full season, and our scouts and coaching staff liked him.¡±

4. How will the Royals replace Bailey in the rotation?
The 40-man options are somewhat limited. Right-handers Josh Staumont and Kyle Zimmer have been mostly serving as openers at Triple-A Omaha. Right-hander Heath Fillmyer, who started three games for the Royals earlier this season, is just coming off a shoulder injury. Left-hander Eric Skoglund, who has started 18 games for the Royals over the last two years, has struggled since coming back from an 80-game suspension, posting a 6.91 ERA in five starts at Omaha. Right-handers Scott Blewett and Arnaldo Hernandez both have ERAs over 7.00 at Omaha.

¡°We haven¡¯t decided,¡± Moore said. ¡°That¡¯s something we are discussing now.¡±

5. What is the big picture?
This seems like a pretty good get for the Royals for Bailey, a guy they signed as a non-roster invite who honestly hasn¡¯t been even a serviceable pitcher since 2014. ¡°All of these deals are in context,¡± Moore said. ¡°Homer Bailey did an outstanding job for us. He was going to be a free agent at the end of the year. You do your best to maximize opportunities for him, he can go and compete for a playoff spot with Oakland, and for us to bring back a player that gives us more depth in our system.¡±

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