It's time to win or clean house for Royals

The Blue Jays are off to a rough start, prompting many observers to wonder if it's time for club president and CEO Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins to dismantle their roster.
Well, the Royals entered Thursday only a half-game ahead of the Blue Jays for the worst record in the Major Leagues. And the roadmap for a rebuild -- as early as this year's non-waiver Trade Deadline -- is much easier to envision for Kansas City than Toronto.
For years, the Royals have known that 2017 was likely to be the final season in Kansas City for many core contributors who produced consecutive American League pennants and the 2015 World Series title.

Consider this list of players eligible for free agency in the coming offseason: first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, center fielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar and left-hander Jason Vargas, who has been the Royals' best starting pitcher this year.
For the moment, Kansas City is not willing to engage other teams in trade talks, a source said. Internally, the organization believes in its ability to recover from a bad month -- just as it rallied from a below-.500 record in July to reach the 2014 World Series. Ownership is highly unlikely to order any such moves early in the season, given the amount of fan support at Kauffman Stadium and through local television ratings.
But if the Royals fail to turn their season around, rival executives expect those prospective free agents to be available via trade -- especially because of changes to baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Since compensatory Draft picks now occur later in the selection order, there's less value in tendering qualifying offers to star players.
Which teams are ideal trade partners for Kansas City? Hosmer, even after a slow start, would be a great addition for the Yankees, who have the worst OPS at first base of any MLB team. The Mets need more offense at third base and in center field, making Moustakas or Cain excellent fits there. Cain also could have appeal to the Giants and Dodgers, who have been scouring the Majors for right-handed outfield bats.
The Royals' bullpen -- the backbone of the franchise's renaissance -- already witnessed the departure of Wade Davis in an offseason trade with the Cubs. More changes could follow this July. While there's less urgency for GM Dayton Moore to move relievers Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria -- who are under club control through 2018 -- late-inning relievers typically have maximum value at the Trade Deadline.

The Yankees received substantial prospect packages for Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller last year, even though Chapman was on an expiring contract. Particularly with Herrera, who has been an All-Star in each of the past two seasons, the additional year of control should stimulate even greater interest.
The Royals can mute such speculation by climbing back into the AL Central race, which is plausible enough. The Indians aren't off to an especially robust start, and the division includes the worst record for any first-place team in the Majors.
But the Royals' lineup -- which made its name on contact hitting and superb baserunning -- isn't what it used to be. Kansas City entered Thursday ranking last in the Majors in runs scored. If that doesn't change, the roster will.