The KC Royals' next six games could make or break their season

With the second half of the season almost here, it's officially just about time to figure out once and for all whether the KC Royals will be all-out buyers or sellers. It's a possibility that the next six games could be the contests that give us a strong answer about which direction the team should be leaning.

When the Royals get back from their All-Star break, they'll restart the season against a Miami Marlins team that is not really among the contenders for the playoffs in the National League, but also isn't a total pushover. Then, it's three games against NL Central leading Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field to start next week.

KC Royals face crucial six-game stretch to determine trade-deadline strategy

After that series, the KC Royals will take on one of their most formidable opponents of the last few weeks. When Bobby Witt Jr. and company head to Chicago to take on the Cubs, it will be an honest-to-goodness test to see if the club can rise to the occasion and start taking down postseason contenders.

The Royals have been borderline at best playoff contenders for several weeks now. Playing six games against NL teams isn't going to help all that much. But it can give the team a shot in the arm, should they manage to pull of some upsets and bundle wins.

More than getting back into playoff contention inside of a week, should the Royals manage to win a bunch of games in a short period of time, it could show the squad is really starting to gel.

While the Marlins are 10.5 games out of first in the NL East and 7.5 games out of the wild card, they're also third in their division. The Marlins are almost certainly not headed to the postseason, but they're a bump in the road for anyone who wants to get to the playoffs. They're a decent team that isn't the pushover they usually are. A series win in Miami could go a long way towards showing the Royals are ready to make a run.

Following that series, the Cubs are one that can show Kansas City really has turned a corner. Chicago is in a fight for the NL Central crown. Every win counts for them. The pennant race begins in earnest on Friday.

If the KC Royals can take two of three in Wrigley, the rest of the American League should take notice. So too, should GM J.J. Picollo. He took a step towards the team being buyers on Wednesday when he acquired Adam Frazier. Success in the team's first six games out of the All-Star Break might convince him it's time to go all in.