The Royals traded outfielder Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for left-hander Jonathan Sanchez on Monday, upgrading their rotation and clearing the way for hotshot prospect Lorenzo Cain to get a chance in center field.

It was the second significant trade involving a starter this offseason. The Atlanta Braves shipped Derek Lowe to the Cleveland Indians last week.

The Royals also received Double-A pitcher Ryan Verdugo in the deal.

Read more: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/72...nathan-sanchez