The KC Royals need to check in on this infielder today

The KC Royals opened the final three games of their current homestand Friday night by beating the Cubs 6-0 after scoring all their runs with two outs in the fifth inning. The win, their 57th of the season, gave the Royals one more victory than they managed during last year's terrible campaign, kept alive their slim hold on the third American League Wild Card spot, and gave them a shot at wrapping up another series win when they face off against Chicago again this evening.

What Kansas City didn't do Friday, though, and with just a few days before Tuesday afternoon's MLB trade deadline, was make any deals. There's no need to worry just yet, but improving his club is something general manager J.J. Picollo must do while there's still time.

Fan and media attention thus far has for good reason focused on the club's bullpen and offense —both areas could stand shots in their proverbial arms. But because the infield situation has become unsettled, Picollo shouldn't pass up opportunities to bolster it.

The back problems he suffered this year seem to have rendered the Royals reluctant, at least for now, to play Michael Massey at second every day (although he's playing there more often); third baseman Maikel Garcia has been spending time at second with Nick Loftin working some at third, and others fill in occasionally at both spots. Those adjustments aren't ideal, especially considering Garcia and Loftin are both struggling at the plate. Clearly lost to Garcia, who's slashing .234/.285/.344, is the leadoff spot he's held since last season, and Loftin is slashing .204/.302/.255 with only one home run.

Where should Picollo look if he wants to shore up his infield?

To Tampa Bay, where Isaac Paredes plays.

The KC Royals ought to give Tampa Bay a call

Paredes is reportedly drawing interest from other clubs, which means Picollo needs to pick up the phone if the Royals want to make their infield better.

It makes sense.

For one, Paredes is, infield-wise, ultra-versatile — he's played every infield position during his five-season big league career, including 284 at third and 67 at second.

And he's good at the plate, where he displays enough power to warrant a serious look. A member of this year's victorious American League All-Star team, he's homered 16 times so far this season (nine more times than Garcia and Loftin combined), and hit 31 homers for the Rays last year and 20 the campaign before that. His .249 2024 average could use some improvement, but he has a nice .356 OBP to go with it. He may not reach the 98 RBI he had in 2023, but the 55 runs he's driven in this season aren't bad.

Team control is another reason the Royals should think about Paredes. Still arbitration-eligible, he can't test free agency until after the 2027 season. He's also quite affordable — Kansas City would be obligated to pay less than half of his current $3.4 million salary.

And manager Matt Quatraro's familiarity with Paredes can't hurt. They were together in Tampa when Quatraro was the Rays' bench coach before joining the Royals last season.

What Paredes might cost Kansas City is, of course, an important consideration. He won't come cheap. Giving the Rays a member of the major league rotation is out of the question, but Picollo could offer up current active roster pieces like Garcia, Loftin, and perhaps MJ Melendez. And as we've noted before, the organization has several Triple-A prospects it can put on the table for the right deal.

Picollo should act now if he's interested in Paredes. If he's on the market, chances are he won't be for long.

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