Royals, Padres swap pitchers

DETROIT After scrambling back into contention in the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals are gearing up to make another bid for a post-season spot.

The Royals acquired three pitchers from the San Diego Padres on Monday, getting starter Trevor Cahill, closer Brandon Maurer and reliever Ryan Buchter. Kansas City sent pitchers Matt Strahm and Travis Wood, minor league infielder Esteury Ruiz to the Padres and will pay more than $7.25 million to San Diego — covering the difference between’s Wood pay and the big league minimum. The deal came one week before the nonwaiver trade deadline.

Kansas City entered Tuesday night’s game at Detroit 6 first-place Cleveland by only 1 1/2 games, and the Royals are also right in the mix for a wild card.

“We wanted to move sooner than later,” general manager Dayton Moore said.

The Royals had been looking to bolster their rotation and bullpen, and did it with one swap. Cahill was 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 starts for the Padres. The 29-year-old right-hander was an AllStar with Oakland in 2010.

Maurer is 20-for-23 on save tries, and 1-4 with a 5.72 ERA. The 27-year-old righty began his big league career with Seattle in 2013 as a starter.

Buchter is 3-3 with one save and a 3.05 ERA in 42 games. The 30-year-old lefty pitched 67 times for the Padres last year.

Kansas City won the World Series in 2015 and the American League pennant the year before that.