Kansas City Royals: What to Watch For in the Second Half

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Here we are, about to enter the second half of the 2015 season, and the Kansas City Royals currently have the best record in the American League. At 52-34, 4.5 games better than the Minnesota Twins, the Royals control their playoff destiny at this point.

Yet, despite being tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second best record in baseball, not everything has gone the way that the Royals had hoped. They have dealt with numerous injuries to their starting rotation, as Danny Duffy, Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura have all missed time. Joe Blanton was forced into the rotation. Alex Rios missed almost two months, and has been a shadow of himself since returning. Omar Infante, until recently, was not hitting. And let us not forget the injury to Alex Gordon just before the All-Star Break.

Even with all of those hurdles, and players who have underperformed thus far, the Royals are still in quite the enviable position. For as bad as some of these outings may have been, they are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to the American League. Things could be much worse.

As we head forward into the second half of the season, and with two weeks exactly before the trading deadline, let us take a look at a few storylines to keep an eye on as the Kansas City Royals seek to make a return trek to the World Series.

Next: Can the offense hold up?

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A major trade at the deadline

It seems as though quite the large faction of Kansas City Royals fans do not expect Dayton Moore to make a major trade at the deadline. It makes sense to have this expectation, especially since Moore has never made an earth shattering move at the trade deadline in his tenure in Kansas City. Why would he do so now?

Well, Dayton Moore has never been in this position at the trade deadline before either. Prior to this season, the best record that the Royals have had at the All-Star Break in Moore’s tenure was 48-46. It is certainly understandable as to why Moore would not have pulled the trigger on a potentially franchise altering move for a rental player to pursue a playoff push that was not necessarily going to happen.

This season, the Royals have been connected to some of the bigger names that could be available. The Royals have been linked to Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Ben Zobrist for possible rental players. In fact, the Royals have even been mentioned as possibly being interested in bringing back James Shields should the Padres make him available.

Instead of the quiet trade deadline that we have gotten accustomed to, the Kansas City Royals could end up making a few major moves in pursuit of another World Series run. It will certainly be interesting to see what Dayton Moore does at the deadline this time around.

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The reinforcements are coming

Despite their excellent record, the Kansas City Royals starting rotation has been decimated by injuries this season. Three of the five starters in the Opening Day rotation have missed time, making the signing of Chris Young perhaps the best of the Royals previous offseason. It is a far cry from last season, when the Royals enjoyed generally good health amongst their starters.

With all of those injuries, it may not be a surprise that the Royals rank 23rd in baseball with a 4.32 ERA from their starting rotation. Likewise, Royals starters have pitched the fewest innings in baseball, tied with the Colorado Rockies with 476.2 innings this season. That bullpen depth that Moore put together in the offseason has been pressed to the limit.

Fortunately, reinforcements are coming. Both Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura have already returned, while Jason Vargas and Kris Medlen are expected to be back shortly after play resumes for the second half. Medlen is going to be quite the Wild Card, as he is coming off his second Tommy John surgery and is entering virtually uncharted water. However, if Medlen can be close to what he was during his excellent two year run from 2012 and 2013, when he posted a 2.47 ERA and a 1.096 WHiP with excellent control, the Royals could have that pitcher they needed.

The Kansas City Royals need help in the starting rotation. With Jason Vargas and Kris Medlen due back soon, they reinforcements may finally be arriving.

Next: Replacing the irreplaceable

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Trying to replace Alex Gordon

We all know that the Kansas City Royals cannot replace what Alex Gordon means to the team. Between his platinum defense in left and his ability to hit literally anywhere in the lineup, Gordon may be the most irreplaceable player that the Royals have. And yet, this is the reality that the Royals will face, with Gordon expected out until September.

As it stands, the Royals are looking at some sort of platoon between Paulo Orlando and Jarrod Dyson to cover the position until Gordon returns. While neither may be an every day option, Dyson and Orlando have had their moments. After a slow start to the season, Dyson has produced a stellar .375/.434/.604 batting line since May 25th while causing his usual havoc on the bases. Orlando, meanwhile, since being recalled from Omaha, has four hits in his 13 at bats, with two home runs and seven RBI.

While both Orlando and Dyson have filled in admirably, neither are really a long term solution. Both players seem destined to fit that fourth outfielder role, are to play in some sort of a platoon instead of being every day players. Yet, as the roster is currently situated, the Royals do not have a choice but to see if some combination of Dyson and Orlando can shoulder the burden of trying to provide some degree of what Gordon provided.

No one player can give the Kansas City Royals everything that Alex Gordon did. However, for now, they need to hope that Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando can come close.

Next: That impact callup

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Who will make an impact during the stretch run?

Last season, Brandon Finnegan burst upon the baseball world in September, as he went from pitching in the College World Series and being selected 17th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft to being a key part of the Kansas City Royals bullpen. Finnegan was able to give the Royals that solid lefty reliever they lacked all season, and his performance during the Wild Card Game was a key in Kansas City being able to mount a historic comeback.

While it may be unreasonable to expect another minor league player to step up and give the Royals the same sort of performance as Finnegan, it is likely that one of the rookies will make an impact upon the Royals postseason hopes. Perhaps John Lamb, who has been dominant with the Omaha Storm Chasers this season, will finally get his chance. Or, perhaps an unheralded player like Balbino Fuenmayor, who has done nothing but hit this season, will be added to the 40 man roster and give the Royals a solid month of offense.

Perhaps that callup has already happened. While Paulo Orlando was with the team out of Spring Training, he had been sent back to Omaha before Gordon’s injury. Now that he has returned, Orlando has hit two home runs, both of which have won games for the Royals. He may not fit the profile exactly, but he is a minor league callup that has made an impact.

The Kansas City Royals will get contributions from an unlikely source that will impact their playoff run. Part of the fun of the second half will be seeing which players make those unlikely contributions.

Next: Royals Five Biggest Weaknesses at the Break