Should J.J. Picollo and KC Royals approach trade deadline like this AL Central rival?

The Kansas City Royals are in a dilemma. At 38-41, they are in a grey area when evaluating their season. On one hand, they have one of the best players in the game and one of the best pitching staffs in the league. They will be competitive in more games than they won't.

On the other hand, this is a team that, despite Top 10 in both team ERA and WHIP, are two games under .500, with their offense shouldering the majority of the blame. They are still nearly dead last in home runs in the major leagues - only besting the Pittsburgh Pirates - and the worst run-scoring team in franchise history.

As good as their pitching has been, their offense has been equally as bad. Saying their lineup has been a disappointment to this point would be an understatement. The middle of their order carried them to the finish line in 2024, but Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez have not been as powerful or clutch as they were a season ago.

Maikel Garcia (I'll listen to Kyle Isbel truthers as well) is the only player who has shown up for this team outside of the "Big 3." It's evident that the Royals do not have enough support around their stars to foster a healthy offensive environment.

It leaves GM J.J. Picollo with a difficult decision to make. Calling up Jac Caglianone signaled the first major sign that Picollo and his staff sought answers to solve the Royals' offensive woes. He's sent MJ Melendez to Triple-A and DFA'd Hunter Renfroe, two players that team brass were hoping to receive significant contributions from this year.

He's called up John Rave, Nick Loftin, and Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A in an effort to provide a spark. Picollo hasn't sat on his hands as the Royals continue to play inconsistent.

Yet, he needs to do more, and the trade deadline is his last chance to make this roster better and ready for postseason play. With the seller market not looking fruitful at the moment, the Royals may need to take a different approach than usual.

KC Royals may have to consider trading major league talent to acquire the bat they need

July 31st is the deadline for the Royals to improve their team. They have a glaring hole in left field and have plenty of prospects to entice a team to strike a deal. However, their AL Central foe, the Minnesota Twins, may have laid out a different blueprint that the Royals could consider.

Twins president Derek Falvey was on MLB Network radio recently and had some interesting comments about how his team may have to approach the deadline this year, with several teams still in striking distance of a wild card spot.

He talked about being open-minded to trading a major league player for a major league player, in addition to the traditional prospects that teams covet.

We've already seen this type of trade go down this season when Aaron Civale was traded from the Brewers to the White Sox in exchange for Andrew Vaughn. Rafael Devers was just traded from the Red Sox to the Giants in exchange for RHP Jordan Hicks and additional prospects.

The Royals may need to part ways with one of their major league players to get the bat they desperately need.

Exploring who the KC Royals might deal from their major league roster

Take this mock trade as an example; perhaps a combination of Ramon Ramirez, David Shields, and an arm like RHP Steven Cruz could get the job done for a bat. After all, Cruz has been a revelation for the bullpen this season and has a 100 mph fastball in his arsenal.

He could be a fit for a team like the Baltimore Orioles, who have slipped further away from postseason contention. Perhaps they may be willing to listen to offers around one of their outfielders.

Here are a few more names that could make a team pull the trigger on a deal:

Daniel Lynch IV

At 28, Lynch IV could stabilize a team in a similar position as the Royals. He could be a fit for the Los Angeles Angels, who rank 24th in team ERA and have an outfield bat like Taylor Ward, who the Royals would be interested in.

John Schreiber

Schreiber has been a good bullpen piece for the Royals despite his recent struggles. He has a 3.72 ERA and has a sneaky delivery that could be useful for a team needing bullpen help.

Seth Lugo/Carlos Estevez

In baseball and every other sport, you have to give up good players in trades. Guys that you genuinely want to keep are often attractive to other teams.

It would be smart for the Royals to shop Lugo or Estevez's services to ensure they receive a major league-ready bat. Lugo is in the last year of his contract, and Estevez leads the American League in saves.

I would not condone trading Estevez, to be clear, but he may be a means to an end the Royals have to live with.