Kansas City Royals Trade Deadline Overview
The Kansas City Royals Seemingly struggled throughout the year, being riddled with injuries and general ineffectiveness in several aspects. Yet, they are still in the thick of the Wild Card race and only five games behind the Indians in the Central.
This was a key season for the Kansas City Royals and how the 2010’s would be defined in the American League. Fresh off of consecutive World Series appearances, the Royals opened the vaults and loaded up for a chance at repeating as champions. They brought back Alex Gordon at a team record contract, and signed Ian Kennedy and Joakim Soria, trying to show that the losing teams of the past twenty years were officially a thing of the past.
However, this year has not gone according to plan. Gordon has missed time due to injury, and Mike Moustakas, who had been showing that his breakthrough campaign in 2015 was not a fluke, is out for the year. Both Chris Young and Kris Medlen have struggled and have dealt with injuries. Omar Infante was finally healthy, but had absolutely nothing left in the tank, finally being released.
Even with these problems, the Kansas City Royals are hanging around in the midst of the American League playoff hunt. While they are five games behind the Indians, they are only a game out of the Wild Card, and have a chance to make the postseason for the third consecutive year. But what can they do to get there?
Next: The best of times and the worst of times
Over the past few years, Dayton Moore has sought to build the Kansas City Royals in the image of Kauffman Stadium. They have done exactly that, as the Royals have put together the best home record in baseball. However, at 13-25 away from Kansas City, the Royals have the third worst record in baseball on the road.
In a way, this makes sense. The Royals rely heavily on their speed and defense, two aspects which may not play well in the smaller ballparks around the American League. After all, just look at how they have played in Yankee Stadium over the past few years – smaller ballparks geared towards power hitting teams just are not their strength.
Statistically, these struggles are not a surprise. Heading into last night’s slate of action, the Royals ranked second with a .274 batting average and seventh with a .322 on base percentage. However, they have not been able to get those key hits, and the power has once again been lacking, as they rank last in runs and homers.
Those issues are exacerbated on the road. Away from Kauffman Stadium, the Royals are 21st in baseball with a .306 on base percentage and 24th with a .691 OPS. With that being the case, they are unsurprisingly next to last in runs scored on the road, leading only the woeful Atlanta Braves.
While this formula has worked in the past, Moore may have taken that strategy to an extreme this year. However, that split between the Royals success at home and on the road is not just due to their offensive woes away from Kansas City.
Next: A struggling pitching staff
The Kansas City Royals, in the past few years, have focused on being able to get six solid innings from their starting rotation while using a stellar bullpen to close the game out. The bullpen has done their part, posting a major league best 2.66 ERA while ranking tenth with a .226 batting average against, providing that level of comfort that the Royals have come to expect at the end of the game.
Once again, the issue is the Royals starting rotation. Ian Kennedy has been about what was expected, posting a 4.19 ERA and a 1.237 WHiP, although he has given up 18 homers in 81.2 innings. He is, also, the only starter with an ERA+ better than 100, and he comes in at 105.
Chris Young has been a disaster this season, averaging over three home runs allowed per nine innings while posting a 5.61 ERA, which is actually a lot better than his 6.99 FIP. Edinson Volquez may have pitched the worst game in baseball history on Friday night, as his ERA jumped from a solid 4.12 to 5.15. Yordano Ventura still has not taken that step forward to be the ace the Royals need him to be, tantalising with his potential while struggling with the mental aspect of the game.
In a bit of a surprise, Danny Duffy, who started the year in the bullpen, has been the best starter for the Royals this year. He has posted a 3.54 ERA and a 1.082 WHiP, striking out 50 batters in 40.2 innings. However, he has struggled to last more than five innings, pitching into sixth in only half of his starts.
If the Royals are going to make another push for the postseason, they will need to fix their holes. But where should they start?
Next: The problem spots
As currently constructed, the Kansas City Royals have three truly gaping holes – the starting rotation, shortstop and the designated hitter spots.
By the end of the year, the combination of Kennedy, Volquez, Ventura and Duffy should be able to be at least mediocre, which is much better than they have been thus far. The biggest question mark is that fifth starter spot. Based on the early returns, Chris Young, Kris Medlen and Dillon Gee do not provide much in the way of confidence. Getting another middle of the rotation starter, which would help soldify the back end of the rotation, could make a big difference.
Kendrys Morales has also disappointed this year. A year after posting a stellar .290/.362/.485 batting line with 22 home runs and 106 RBI while winning the SIlver Slugger award, the Royals designated hitter has been abysmal. He has, however, been heating up lately, posting a .356/.442/.556 batting line with five extra base hits in his last 13 games heading into last night. There is hope that Morales can turn his season around and produce at the level the Royals need if they are going to remain in contention.
Shortstop may be the biggest concern. Alcides Escobar is essentially in the lineup for his stellar defense, but his offense has been atrocious. His .252/.276/.311 batting line has been worth an OPS+ of 56, less than the OPS+ of 60 that Omar Infante produced before being released. Escobar also has not been the same defensively, costing the Royals five runs a year after saving nine. How much longer can they keep him in the lineup?
Now that we have identified the weaknesses, what can the Royals do to change their fortunes?
Next: Is there a solution?
Last season, the Royals gutted their farm system to acquire Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist. That decision certainly worked, as they won their first title in thirty years, but that has left the cupboard bare for any moves this year.
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Chances are, any moves that the Royals end up making will either be internal, or a minor move to strengthen their depth. They have already had solid returns from Whit Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert as they have been forced into action, but can they get that type of production from other players in the minors?
If the Royals do go outside the organization for an upgrade, their options may be limited. Kyle Zimmer has continued to battle injuries, and may profile as a reliever at this point. Miguel Almonte struggled in his first taste of Major League action last year, and has been awful in Omaha, posting a 5.06 ERA and a 1.657 WHiP, walking 29 batters in 44.1 innings. Raul Mondesi has performed relatively well in his second stint in AA, but has missed time due to a PED suspension and is likely the Royals shortstop of the future. Can they really move him?
If not, the Royals may have to make do with moving their AAAA players. Long time minor leaguers, such as Brett Eibner and Reymond Fuentes, may be of interest to teams looking for depth, especially for an impending free agent. However, it is unlikely that the Royals would really get a piece that could make a true difference without moving a top prospect, and they are currently lacking in that area.
Next: Rockies Trade Deadline Overview
The Kansas City Royals may well be the same team that they are right now after the trade deadline. Unless they get improvement from their struggling rotation and their lineup, that may not be enough.