The Royals Do Not Have the Assets for a Blockbuster Trade

Watching the trade rumors, and the subsequent trades, there is a feeling of anticipation. Teams like the Oakland A’s have decided to go all in on this season, doing everything possible to not only make the postseason, but to win the World Series. Yes, getting three months of Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes cost the A’s Yoenis Cespedes, but in order to get top flight talent, one needs to trade something comparable.

That, more than any theoretical financial difficulty, may be the biggest obstacle towards the Royals bringing in a true difference maker. The Royals do have potential superstars in Yordano Ventura and Salvador Perez, neither of which Dayton Moore would be willing to move. Of course, if the Royals were to suddenly decide that it is time to sell, players like James Shields, Greg Holland and Wade Davis would be attractive to teams in contention.

It is also possible that any of the Royals top prospects would be interesting to teams looking to rebuild. Even though Kyle Zimmer has yet to appear this season, he is still considered to be a future top of the rotation starter. Sean Manaea has put together a solid year in Wilmington, and could be a nice piece in the middle of the rotation. Adalberto Mondesi has struggled in Wilmington, but is also 18 years old playing in High-A ball. The Royals certainly have the prospects to land a player, if that is what a team wants.

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Without moving any of the top prospects, which Moore may be loathe to do for a rental, do the Royals really have enough for an upgrade this season? At a time when players such as Jake Peavy cost a team two of their top pitching prospects, even marginal upgrades have been costly. With so few teams waving the white flag on the 2014 season, it is a seller’s market. It takes talent to bring in talent. The Royals, aside from untouchables such as Ventura and Perez and their elite prospects, may not have enough to truly help facilitate a trade.

Even if another team is willing to take a chance that a disappointing player such as Mike Moustakas or Eric Hosmer actually develops into the player that they were supposed to become, what type of return would the Royals get? In all likelihood, another, similarly disappointing player. That just would not be the upgrade that the Royals need.

The Kansas City Royals from last night are likely to remain the Kansas City Royals that we see tomorrow. For a team that is so close to a playoff berth, that is truly disappointing.