After a hot start, the Kansas City Royals (43-37) have cooled off considerably and could use a boost at the deadline. General manager J.J. Picollo is under pressure to get the team a playoff berth for the first time since 2015, and it may not happen if he stands pat.
Picollo plans on making moves in light of Kansas City's recent skid, via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
“The Royals are in an interesting position,” Rosenthal explained. “General manager J.J. Picollo told MLB Network on Sunday that he plans to be aggressive at the deadline. But he also indicated he does not want to be too aggressive, lest he compromise the team’s long-term goals.”
While it's unlikely that the 53-year-old sells the team's top prospects for a star, some bullpen and outfield reinforcements are in order.
“The decisions might become easier if the Royals fail to snap out of their 3-11 skid and fade from contention; at that point, Picollo would buy only modestly, if at all,” Rosenthal said. “At the moment, the Royals are prioritizing bullpen help over their outfield needs, according to a source briefed on their thinking. Through Sunday, their ’pen was last in the majors in strikeout rate, and their outfield ranked next-to-last in OPS.”
Who could Kansas City acquire, and who might it let go in the process?
The Royals are likely to keep their longtime veterans
Kansas City has taken steps forward in the last few seasons. If it finishes above .500, it'll be the first time since its World Series-winning campaign in 2015.
While Picollo wants to upgrade the team, he also doesn't want to risk ruining the squad with over-aggressive moves and returning to the cellar, via MLB.com's Brian Murphy.
“The thing we have to keep in mind is, I like to think that we're just getting into a window where we're going to have a nice handful of seasons,” Picollo said. “How far do we want to push this thing is something that we have to answer as a front office.”
Part of maintaining that winning baseline is keeping the clubhouse leaders.
“But I will say that I feel an obligation personally to the guys that committed to this team and chose Kansas City, and to the Salvador Perezes and the Bobby Witts who have chosen be here long term to add to this club,” Picollo continued. “So, we will be aggressive, and we’ll look at anything and everything.”
Some outfielders the Royals could go after include Tommy Pham of the White Sox and/or Oakland's Brent Rooker, as well as Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, and Kevin Pillar of the Angels, via MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Some possible bullpen options include the Athletics' Mason Miller and Austin Adams, the Angels' Carlos Estevez, and the Pirates' Aroldis Chapman.
If the Royals can upgrade both of these areas without selling the farm, they'll be in a good position for a playoff push. The squad entered Monday a half-game out of the third wild card spot.
“If we can do that and be in a better spot going into the second half of the year,” Picollo said, “I'll be happy to do it.”
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