KANSAS CITY -- When the calendar flipped to July, all we heard from a lot of teams, including the Royals, was the need to get to the All-Star break to have a better idea of Trade Deadline strategy.
Well, the All-Star break is here. Is there any more clarity?
For the Royals, the clearest point about this season is how much of a disappointment it’s been for a team that had high expectations after a 2024 playoff run, finishing over .500 again in ‘25 and returning that core group of players in ‘26. But nothing has gone right for Kansas City through its first 97 games of the season.
- Record at the break: 38-59 (Fifth in AL Central, 13 games back)
- Record at the break last year: 47-50 (Third in AL Central, 12 games back)
- Playoff odds: 0.1%
- Remaining strength of schedule: .488 (27th in MLB)
“It wasn’t what we wanted,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said after the Royals were swept by the Orioles at Camden Yards this past weekend. “It wasn’t what we thought we were capable of doing. And for me, for guys in this clubhouse, it sucked in a way, because of what we did, and the team in Spring Training that we thought we had. We showed up, and we didn’t play the way we thought we were going to. It’s frustrating. But now you put that in the past. You have a couple of days to regroup and get back to work, because we’re not just going to roll over.”
The Royals are, admittedly, in a tricky spot with the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline approaching. They clearly won’t be buyers in a traditional sense, meaning they’re not going to trade prospects to infuse the Major League roster with pieces that will help them this year. They also won’t be sellers in a traditional sense, meaning a full teardown will not be in effect.
So what do they do?
Kansas City would like to acquire talent that’s ready or near-ready for the Major Leagues, which will help begin to construct the roster for 2027 and beyond. The trickiness comes into play here, though, because that will likely mean trading controllable pieces the Royals also want and need to rely on next year and beyond.
For example, trading starter Michael Wacha could net young, controllable talent -- although how much would vary based on how other teams view the 35-year-old right-hander. But his potential departure would also leave a gaping hole in an already thin rotation for the next two seasons (assuming the Royals pick up his ‘28 club option).
Kansas City does have rental pieces to trade away, like outfielders Lane Thomas and Starling Marte, along with reliever John Schreiber. Reliever Matt Strahm is also a free agent next year, but his struggles this season have probably zapped his trade value. Two other high-leverage relievers, Alex Lange and Daniel Lynch IV, come with two years of club control, so the Royals will certainly have conversations about them, with Lynch likely garnering the most interest. Lefty Kris Bubic is on an expiring contract, too, but he needs to get back on the mound -- even if that’s in the bullpen at this point -- for teams to feel good about acquiring him given his injury history.
General manager J.J. Picollo likes to say that the Trade Deadline is a way to improve your team, regardless of whether you’re a buyer or seller, and he will stick by that mindset again this season. The improvement’s focus must be on 2027, though, and the Royals won’t be picky about what area in which they add depth, because the rotation, bullpen and position player group all have varying needs.
Biggest need
Retool for 2027 and beyond. The Royals need to address parts of their entire roster, but it doesn’t need to be this huge overhaul. They need to use this Deadline to begin acquiring young, controllable talent that can help them right away next year. No small task because it will require giving something important up, but building next year’s roster should be at the forefront.
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Biggest chip
All-Star Wacha would likely bring the biggest return, but the Royals must decide if they’re willing to part with him. They will also see what the interest is in lefty reliever Lynch, who has two more years of control and past starting experience.
Key player for second half
Vinnie Pasquantino’s first half was abysmal, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that. He struggled immensely to produce power in the middle of the lineup and production overall, and then he dealt with a right hamate injury before returning near the break. If he can look more like his 2025 version in the second half of this season, it will give the Royals confidence in his future role.
Determining factor
The Royals have had multiple opportunities to try and play their way back into contention, and they just haven’t. So the Deadline has become about adding players for 2027. The determining factor in that, though, is how conversations with other teams unfold -- specifically, how do other teams value what the Royals have? That will give the Royals a better idea on how they can maximize their current players’ values to bolster their roster for future years.