3 must-do-things for the KC Royals in the second half

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Major League Baseball, an otherwise mathematically precise enterprise, traditionally marks the half-way point of its season not by dividing the 162-game schedule by two, but instead by reference to the All-Star Game—the campaign’s first half is everything before, and the second half everything after, the ASG. So, with the Midsummer Classic over, the KC Royals open second half play tonight against Tampa Bay at Kauffman Stadium.

Unfortunately, they begin the final half of the 2022 season in an unenviable position. Defeated in 56 of 92 tries, the Royals are on pace to lose almost 99 games, a result not hoped for or expected when spring training began belatedly four months ago.

The club needs to improve drastically, but that probably requires change. Calls for the dismissal of pitching coach Cal Eldred and, to a lesser extent, manager Mike Matheny, continue. But despite the mid-May discharge of hitting coach Terry Bradshaw, the front office doesn’t seem inclined to let anyone else go this season.

So, with staff changes likely off the board for now, what must the club do in the second half?

Here are three suggestions.

The KC Royals need to avoid finishing last in the American League Central.

Not surprisingly, their 20 games below .500 record gives the Royals sole ownership of the AL Central cellar, trailing even near-hapless Detroit.

Fortunately, though, the Tigers are well within striking distance. They lead Kansas City by a game, so overtaking and passing them won’t require much heavy lifting.

Reaching third place is a different story. The Royals trail the White Sox, who are suddenly playing more like the defending Central champs they are instead of also-rans, by 10 games. KC has little, if any, chance to finish in third.

Fourth will have to do for this club. Last place must be avoided.

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The KC Royals need to trade Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield soon.

The major league trade deadline is 11 days away. In an ideal world, deciding what to do with Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield would be easy.

Keep them.

But today, Kansas City’s is an imperfect world. Although the club has improved lately, it’s still a last place team beleaguered by unreliable pitching, frequent poor play, and the taint of an unfortunate vaccination controversy. And Benintendi is playing out his contract while Merrifield is having the worst offensive season of his career.

It’s time to trade them both.

Benintendi’s is the easiest case; the notion of him re-signing with KC is fantasy. Despite his vaccination status, which prohibits him from playing in Toronto, his Gold Glove defense, .317 average and .386 OBP will keep demand for him high, so the Royals need to move him to secure an adequate return before he becomes a free agent.

Merrifield’s situation is a bit different. Kansas City has resisted all previous temptation to move him, but he’s slashing an utterly un-Merrifield-like .240/.292/.343. There’s also the vaccination issue—Merrifield is unvaccinated and compounded the problem with a statement suggesting he might vaccinate if he played for a contender, which met with swift but split fan and media reactions.

What effect that statement might have on Merrifield’s Kansas City future remains to be seen, but it won’t be cited as a reason he should stay. He needs to be dealt while he has some trade value left.

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The time has come for the KC Royals to start playing their budding stars.

Playing some hot prospects was the silver lining to the cloud of Kansas City missing 10 regulars in Toronto last week. Forced to replace them for four games, the Royals reached down to the minors and called up Nick Pratto, Nate Eaton, Maikel García, Freddy Fermin and Michael Massey, none of whom had played in a major league game before, and Ángel Zerpa, Sebastian Rivero, Brewer Hicklen, Gabe Speier and Collin Snider, all of whom had.

Naturally, all eyes were on Pratto, Eaton, García, Fermin and Massey. All saw action during the four-game series with the Blue Jays and, while results were mixed, they brought refreshing energy to the field.

That was especially the case in the series opener, which the suddenly younger Royals won 3-1. Pratto started at first base and Eaton in center, and Zerpa, pitching on just three days’ rest after winning his first big league game as the club’s 27th man in a doubleheader against Detroit—and by rule being immediately optioned back to the minors—held the Jays to one run in five innings. Eaton slammed his first major league home run in the ninth.

More. Look what the kids did!. light

Kansas City dropped the three remaining games, but none were without encouraging moments for the newest Royals. Pratto played first base all four games, went 2-for-4 in Game 2, and clubbed his first big league homer in the finale. Massey, who’d been lighting up minor league pitching in his stints at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, pinch hit in Game 2, played second and went 2-for-4 in Game 3, and played third and added another hit in Game 4.

The Royals returned all 10 call-ups to the minors when they restored the 10 unvaccinated players to the roster Monday.

Now, the club needs to call back some of those youngsters at the earliest opportunity, which may well come when it trades Benintendi, possibly Merrifield, and perhaps even Michael A. Taylor and Hunter Dozier. Trading them opens left and center fields, where Benintendi and Taylor play, time at second and in right, where Merrifield spends most of his time, at first base where Dozier frequently plays, and creates immediate openings for Eaton and Hicklen (center or left), Pratto (first and left), and Massey (second and possibly third).

And KC should find a way, before the season is out, to squeeze Zerpa into its shaky rotation.

Playing all or most of these minor leaguers will also complement the additions of Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, who are making themselves quite comfortable in the majors.

The Royals aren’t going anywhere this season. The time is ripe to play the kids.

Next. What will be Benintendi's KC legacy?. dark

The season’s second half is upon Kansas City. The club needs to avoid last place, trade at least a couple of players, and promote some key minor leaguers.

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3 must-do things for the KC Royals in the second half

The KC Royals need to avoid finishing last in the American League Central.

The KC Royals need to trade Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield soon.

The time has come for the KC Royals to start playing their budding stars.

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