Kansas City Royals: Five Reasons 2017 Became a Down Year

3.) Trades That Didn’t Pan Out

There can be a number of reasons why a given trade is seen as a mistake in hindsight. Injuries, underachieving players received or overachieving players sent away could each lead to fans questioning the general manager.

It’s impossible for any GM to hit on every trade. But Dayton Moore had hit on enough over the years that the Kansas City Royals seemed to be in good hands heading into the offseason. That’s when Moore’s luck started to run out.

Among high-profile deals, it’s impossible to say the Royals won their offseason trades with the Cubs and Mariners—at least as it pertains to 2017.

Among high-profile deals, it’s impossible to say the Royals won their offseason trades with the Cubs and Mariners—at least as it pertains to 2017.

Sending closer Wade Davis to Chicago left a gaping hole at the backend of the bullpen—one the team never could fill this year. The team’s return, Jorge Soler struggled mightily in the big leagues. Karns seemed to be a good addition to the rotation in exchange for fourth outfielder Jarrod Dyson. However, Karns’ season-ending injury curtailed his impact on this campaign.

Moving ahead, both could be seen as good deals. Soler would need to become a solid contributor to make fans forget about the missed opportunity this season. If Karns recovers fully from his injury, his trade could easily be seen as a success. The struggles of the right fielders in the Royals organization showed the impact Dyson, who also got injured in Seattle, could have had on the team.

That’s not to mention the midseason trade with San Diego that failed to pay off. But more on that later.