3 KC Royals who won’t survive on 40-man roster past MLB trade deadline

As the 2024 MLB season progresses, a blink is all it takes to see nearly half of it slip away. The KC Royals are entrenched in a West Coast road trip, visiting Los Angeles and Oakland before heading south to Texas. When the Royals get back to Kauffman Stadium, they'll have completed 79 games in the over-performing 2024 season.

I say overperforming, but it is really a pleasant surprise. This season was meant to be a subtle improvement from 2023. Despite quality free agent acquisitions, internal improvements, and a clearly defined identity fueling tepid optimism, few foresaw a Royals squad solidly in a Wild Card spot and close to the AL Central Lead.

Well, few outside the Royals cluhouse at least.

Which current KC Royals are on the chopping block?

Now, Kansas City has a buyer's burden. This is a feeling that fans haven't experienced in nearly a decade. No one should expect the Royals to go all-in, a la their 2015 counterparts, but rather improve in the margins with controllable players. That is what conventional wisdom says, but Royals executive VP and general manager J.J. Picollo surprised fans this offseason. Could he do so again at the trade deadline?

In that case, the Royals must bid farewell to some notable players. Whether it be moving on to open a roster spot or to a new organization, this team cannot substantially improve this summer without losing or moving a few 40-man players. Here are the most likely candidates and how they would leave Kansas City:.