The Kansas City Royals are stuck in the middle of a weak American League Central division. At 38-41, they are 11 1/2 games back of first place, but they are only 3 1/2 behind in the Wild Card race.
As such, the trade deadline is going to be a very interesting time for them. It is unclear what they will ultimately do, as they don't appear to be a clear contender, but aren't out of the race just yet.
Chad Jennings, Aaron Gleeman and Tim Britton of The Athletic listed the Royals as a team that could potentially buy or sell at the deadline, along with the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians.
"In the middle are these three teams. They’re not exactly trending up — quite the opposite — but they’ve not exactly dropped out, either. The AL wild-card race is going to twist and turn a lot in the next few months, and it’s conceivable that one of these AL Central teams will get hot and decide to go for it while another will turn cold and decide to sell. A third could attempt to thread the needle."
The Royals have been let down by their offense this year. Their pitching staff has held up its end of the bargain, but can only do so much to help them win games.
If they buy, the Royals will need to invest heavily in a power bat to give the lineup a little more thump.
If they can't turn their season around however, they likely will sell.
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