Kansas City Royals: Could Royals become buyers at trade deadline

The Kansas City Royals have really done a good job at messing with our minds this season. From fans thinking the Royals would for sure be sellers to the boys fighting their way back to a .500 record, is it time to consider the Royals buyers?

I don’t even know why anything this team does surprises me anymore. I’ve seen the Kansas City Royals look left for dead after the All-Star Game in 2014 and then go on a tear that ended with them losing in Game 7 of the World Series.

I’ve seen the Royals be down several runs in an elimination game and somehow claw their way back into it and force a deciding Game 5 at Kauffman Stadium back in 2015. The Royals are full of surprises, but their ability to bounce back from their horrendous start in 2017 has been a pleasant surprise for the fans.

The KC Royals more than likely won’t be selling their star players now, but could they actually become buyers at the trade deadline? The Royals could use help in the bullpen as well as a legitimate option at designated hitter, but is that worth giving up what little they have left in their depleted farm system?

A World Series is worth whatever it takes, right?

Delving further into that, the Royals could use some relief help, especially if Nate Karns continues to sit on the disabled list with no return date in sight. That’s important because Karns being injured means Matt Strahm has to fill Karns’ spot in the rotation and that leaves a valuable bullpen position open.

The best arms in the pen are Scott Alexander, Kelvin Herrera, Mike Minor, and Joakim Soria, so one more arm could be useful. If Strahm is able to rejoin the bullpen, then there are five reliable relievers to bring into a game.

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The designated hitter position has been a bit of a sore spot this season, as Brandon Moss just isn’t hitting the ball. His .187 average isn’t exactly a bright spot on the roster and the one thing he’s supposed to do, which is hit home runs, hasn’t happened in nearly a month.

Sure the Royals have other guys they can slot in at the DH spot, but those would be Cheslor Cuthbert or potentially Jorge Soler down the road. Neither is really that much of an improvement over Moss.

While I ultimately don’t see the Royals buying at the deadline, it might be something Dayton Moore has to consider. This is likely the last hurrah for this current crop of Royals players who were all “Raised Royal” together, so why not go all in if necessary?

If the Royals are leading the division by several games near the end of the deadline, then Moore might not have any other choice than to get a strong bat for his lineup. Adding Ben Zobrist made all of the difference for the Royals in 2015, so the team could be looking at a similar situation in 2017.

The biggest factor with if the Royals will be buyers or not will be just how good they’re looking at that time. If they’re several games ahead, then adding someone might be a good decision so they can further their lead. If they’re hanging around with the rest of the pack, then standing pat is probably the best play.

Remember – the Royals don’t have a lot of talent in their minor league system, so giving up a few prospects for a rental might not be the best route to go in this season. But in the end, a World Series is worth whatever it takes, right?

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