Kansas City Royals: Making Predictions for the Team's Second Half

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The Kansas City Royals season has been all over the place. They have gone from worst team in baseball to now potential buyers as the trade deadline approaches. After sending three representatives to the All-Star Game the second half hopes are limitless. What can fans expect?

Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore is going for it with the team’s core one last time. What will that ultimately mean? With basically two weeks to the deadline rumors are beginning to fly. Dee Gordon and now Jaime Garcia have both been linked to the Royals. There is more on the horizon than potential trades.

This writer loves the deadline, but once it passes there will still be plenty of baseball left to play. As the first half proved you simply can never know what is going to happen. It is a characteristic that makes true baseball fans so attracted to the game.

As the Kansas City Royals resume play on Friday now seems to be as good a time as any to make some predictions. Some seem safe, some realistic, and some crazy (that I’m sure will result in plenty of strongly worded comments). One thing that is certain we need to be prepared for anything.

The Kansas City Royals are 44-43 and three games out of the American League Central lead. Postseason baseball is definitely a real possibility yet again. The burning question is can this team do it as it is currently constructed?

With GMDM’s buyer stance that answer seems to be not quite. This leads me to my first and most boring prediction:

The Kansas City Royals will ultimately not make any significant moves by the non-waiver trade deadline.

I don’t think this comes to pass due to lack of effort. There are plenty of names floating around that will surely interest the team. I discussed a few here. The problem resides with teams looking for hefty returns for their players and the Royals less than impressive farm system.

The best assets that are currently in the minor league system are players the team will be counting on heavily in the coming months. That fact will make it difficult for Moore to push his chips all in. While it sounds great in a Hollywood storyline, it’s not the kind of thinking that is great for job security.

Working the phones and “giving it the old college try”, but in the end there is a very strong possibility that the roster remains unchanged as the calendar turns to August. That is not to say that there is not a trade that is within the realm of possibility out there.

As the Kansas City Royals look to challenge Cleveland in the second half some reinforcements are clearly needed. With Nate Karns seemingly on the verge of season ending surgery, there is a spot that needs solidified in the rotation.

That brings us to a deal that has all the dots needed to connect:

The Kansas City Royals will acquire SP Lance Lynn from the St. Louis Cardinals

Lynn is not the sexiest name that could potentially move by the deadline. In fact I’m not even what you would consider “excited” about this possibility. However, as I have wrestled with this idea the last few days I have at least warmed to its potential.

Lynn will not require a long term financial commitment. He is set for free agency at the end of the year. That is a positive as it keeps money open to put into retaining say…Lorenzo Cain.

He would also slot in nicely into the number three spot in the rotation behind Danny Duffy and Jason Vargas. His 3.61 ERA in 102.1 IP would push Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel to the four and five spots. While people where high on the rotation at the beginning of the year, this result should be even more inspiring.

A Kelvin Herrera plus a Bubba Starling type prospect should get the deal done. It addresses needs the cross-state team has without completely wiping out the pipeline. While this seems like a realistic approach, let’s get a little crazy. Fair warning you are not going to like this.

The Kansas City Royals may be all in, but at the same time they had long been expected to sell this year. Rather than trying to set this up I am simply going to rip off the band aid:

The Kansas City Royals trade Eric Hosmer before the trade deadline.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 09: Eric Hosmer /

This prediction goes against everything my heart screams. My mind on the other hand makes a compelling argument. We want to contend and removing Hos from the equation seems counterintuitive.

We also want to contend beyond 2017. Moving a player such as Hos could help continue the positive momentum the team has had the last handful of years. The Yankees are in a spot were acquiring Hosmer could bolster their title chances. They also have the young talent that could reinvigorate the Kansas City system.

While losing Hos would be a noticeable blow in the second half, first base could become a rotating spot (a la the rotating DH) that helps give guys ABs. While not ideal it is still a reasonable situation. Add in the fact that Hos is nearly a lock to play somewhere else next year and you have a situation that merits at least strong consideration.

While there are multiple routes the Kansas City Royals could take in the coming weeks one thing is certain. We have no idea what is going to happen.

Kansas City Royals: Making Predictions for the Team’s Second Half

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