KC Royals Enter The Most Pivotal Month Of The Season

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Nov 1, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (right) and owner David Glass celebrate with the Commissioners Trophy after defeating the New York Mets in game five of the World Series at Citi Field. The Royals won the World Series four games to one. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports /

The KC Royals are about the enter the most pivotal month of the 2016 MLB Season. If the playoffs started today, the Royals would be a wild card team. But if the Kansas City Royals want to repeat as AL Central champs and eventual world champs, they will have some big decisions to make in the next 30 days.

The month of July is the most critical month of the season for most competitive MLB teams because it is in July where managers and general managers must decide if their team has a realistic shot at the post season that year. July is the month where the GM can either sell the farm, or bolster the farm, which often has big ramifications down the road.

The general idea for teams at the extremes, either totally out of the playoff race, or a sure contender, is fairly straight forward. Teams like Baltimore, Cleveland, Washington and the Cubs know that they are contenders and will certainly not be selling top MLB talent. On the other hand, teams like Oakland, Atlanta, San Diego and Cincinnati know that if the offer comes, they are sellers of MLB vets with higher salaries in exchange for young and/or raw players.

Where things get murky are teams near the margins. Seattle is 40-39 and 10.5 games out of first place. Are they buyers or sellers? After all, Seattle is only 2.5 games back in the Wild Card race. How about the Miami Marlins? They are 41-38 and 6.5 games back in the division but only .5 games back in the Wild Card hunt.

Next: The Second Wild Card

Sep 30, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a walk-off single against the Oakland Athletics during the twelfth inning of the 2014 American League Wild Card playoff baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

The Second Wild Card

Speaking of the Wild Card, the addition of the second wild card spot has made the buy or sell decision even harder. More playoff spots means more teams have a chance to play in October. Which, in-turn, means that there will be a few more buyers in July than in previous years. No one wants to miss an opportunity to do what the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals did in 2014, where two wild card teams got hot and met in the fall classic.

Where Do The Royals STand?

Well as of July 2, Kansas City is 42 – 37 and 6 games behind the AL Central leading Indians. The Indians are in the midst of a historic hot streak winning their last 13 games in a row.

Certainly Cleveland is going to lose again at some point, they may even go cold and rattle off an equally impressive losing streak (I doubt it with their pitching but it could happen). So the KC Royals will have some opportunities to close the gap.

The old adage was to try and be no more than 6 or 8 games out of first by the All-Star break to determine if a team should go for it.

Well that’s exactly where the Kansas City Royals are right now with the All-Star break only a few weeks away. However, with respect the the Wild Card, if the playoffs started today, the KC Royals would have the 2nd wild card spot.

If the Royals standing stays about where it is right now for the next few weeks, Kansas City’s management will likely conclude that the team has another shot at a title.

Essentially, all this boils down to the fact that, if the Kansas City Royals standing stays about where it is right now for the next few weeks, it is likely that Kansas City’s management will conclude that the team has another shot at a title. Which, in turn, means the KC Royals will likely be a buyer at the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline on August 1st. My guess is that KC will go after a starting pitcher (kind of obvious right?).

On the other hand, if the Kansas City Royals have another 8 game losing streak between now and then with a few other series losses, it becomes doubtful that KC will wager more of the farm to make another title run. In this scenario, KC Royals players who are not team controlled after 2016 like Kendrys Morales, Edison Volquez, and Luke Hochevar, may be dealt for players who can help in 2017 and beyond.

Next: Kendrys Morales, The Sleeping Giant Awakens

My guess, based upon how the season has gone so far, is that the KC Royals will still be in the division hunt by the end of the month, and/or will at least be a wild card contender. This means the Kansas City Royals will be buyers and we already know what they will be shopping for. My only hope is the pitcher they acquire has a better 2nd half of the regular season than the last SP rental…..because the KC Royals will need it.

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