3 ways the KC Royals could fumble 2023 MLB trade deadline

The KC Royals are clear sellers at the impending MLB trade deadline. Being buyers would be the most puzzling Royals move this century, and they have some real headscratchers.

The KC Royals need to avoid these mistakes ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

They do have some assets that contenders could chase, though. The Texas Rangers already acquired Aroldis Chapman, and he is dealing for the AL West-leading Rangers. The Royals' big return in that trade, namely pitcher Cole Ragans, already made his Royals debut and impressed in his first start. Fans have to be feeling better about that trade return following a middling reaction to the Royals first notable trade of the season.

Other players, like pitcher Scott Barlow, infielder Matt Duffy, and even outfielder Edward Olivares, could attract interest ahead of the August 1 deadline. But those are really the remaining obvious crop of players that do not factor into the Royals' future plans and have a semblance of trade value. Now, the team's plans could change on a dime or with an overwhelming offer for a younger player, but none of the deadline's top assets reside in Kansas City.

The lack of big targets on the Royals roster is both a good and bad thing. It is good because the expectations are fairly low ahead of the deadline. The Royals netting a franchise-defining return for any one player is highly unlikely this summer. But that means that any trade they make has to be done deftly. It leaves little room for error across the spectrum of trades. There are plenty of ways the Royals could mess up the trade deadline, but here are my three most important things to avoid in the trade season.

Not be active sellers.

I cannot stress this enough. From my perspective, not many teams will have J.J. Picollo's phone going crazy over guys like Olivares and Nicky Lopez. They have value, sure, but the Royals need to let teams know that they can not only move such players but that they want to do so. Need to do so even.

The Royals can provide contenders with some budget options, players with minimal contracts, or ones that do not require a hefty return. By my assessment, there are eight teams remaining in the AL Wild Card Race alone, or no more than six games back as of July 18. Any one of those teams may not want to go all-in ahead of the postseason, especially with so many horses in the race. A general manager who needs to at least look like he is trying or a shocking injury could press the issue more. The Royals could have a player that provides at least a temporary fix or insurance policy for both situations.

I am sure that general managers around MLB have plenty of players on their watchlist. After all, some teams have dedicated pro scouting departments to identify future free agents or trade targets. But, from a fan perspective, most Royals players are not at the top of any such list. Like a Memorial Day sale, Kansas City needs to make it known they are selling and willing to do business with nearly anybody.

"It really comes down to any club that has interest in our players," Picollo said. "How well do they match up? Do they have what we are looking for? You are clearly trying to get the best return that you can."

The Royals' front office is making it known, especially in the pitching corps, that they are not pigeonholing prospects anymore. The previous regime's extent of that affected what players they would even consider drafting or trading for before considering their performance at all. Picollo and crew sound more flexible and open to different options because you can always teach skill, but you can't teach talent.

Prioritizing MLB-ready over high-ceiling.

This was a big concern just a month ago and remains one for me.

Picollo himself said that an ideal trade return includes players that "are major-league ready or close to major-league ready." That piqued a lot of interest, considering the organization's lack of high-end talent across the board. But Picollo said this more than a month ago, so his plans and perception could have changed. The best-case scenario for the Royals at this trade deadline includes acquiring talent, no matter if it is MLB-ready or not.

"We just have to stay with that process," Picollo said, "and play the long game rather than the short game."

The front office toed this line well with the Chapman trade. They netted two prospects, one that can contribute to the major league club and another who has the talent only international free agent money can buy. Ragans looked good in his debut, and 17-year-old outfielder Roni Cabrera is absolutely abusing Dominican Summer League pitching. Since joining the Royals, Cabrera is posting a 1.200 OPS and 186 WRC+. Is that only in six games? Yes. Was he putting up similar numbers with the Rangers? Also yes.

The point being, the Royals simply need talent across the board. The competitive window looks more like 2025 or 2026 as of right now. That includes players in A-ball, including Frank Mozzicato, Cayden Wallace, and Ben Kudrna. The Royals need to find talent behind that group and also ahead of it. Also, prioritizing MLB-ready players over talented players is not portraying confidence in the developmental staff. Trading for unpolished players and turning them into polished prospects is the best way to earn Royals fans' trust again in this developmental staff. After all, there are some possible success stories waiting in the wings in Nebraska.