Anne Rogers
MLB.com
KANSAS CITY -- A week ago, the Royals had just finished winning five of their previous six games, including the first two games against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
On Tuesday, they welcomed the Rays to Kauffman Stadium, only for a 10-4 loss to mark the Royalsâ fifth loss in their last six games. The series opener also marked the end of June, a month in which the Royals won more games (13) than any other month this season, but still finished below .500 (13-14). Kansas City (35-51) also has the worst record in the American League.
Thereâs a whole host of reasons why itâs gone as poorly as it has, with the early-season offensive underperformance being at the top of the list. Now midseason, injuries have set in, and the Royals have found themselves relying heavily on their depth.
âWe havenât met expectations at all,â general manager J.J. Picollo said in his homestand-opening meeting with reporters on Tuesday afternoon. âThatâs clear. Just look at our record and know who we have on this roster. ... Nobodyâs going to feel sorry for us. We need to figure this thing out. Figure out how we can compete at a higher level and bring this thing together.
âI know we have three more months of baseball. Thatâs a lot of baseball left. When we talk about this year, it also bleeds into next year. It helps us figure out: What do we have on this team thatâs going to help us next year? Where do we need to address things this offseason?"
While the clubhouse is still focused on winning as many games as possible with 76 to go, itâs clear the Royals need to use the final three months of the regular season to determine what this roster needs to win in 2027, including internal and external pieces.
A major factor in that determination is the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, but who will be traded isnât yet clear and likely wonât be until the upcoming All-Star break (July 13-15).
âWe want to give ourselves ample time to see if we can make some sort of run to feel better about the last two weeks of July,â Picollo said. âMost of the action usually happens in the last two weeks anyway, so I think thereâs enough time. We as a front office will work internally on the different possibilities that can happen, but we havenât made a determination whether or not weâre going to be moving forward in adding guys to the team or taking guys off the team."
The Royals will get calls on impending free agents, like pitcher Kris Bubic (if healthy) and outfielders Lane Thomas and Starling Marte. Theyâll have conversations about relievers, like Daniel Lynch IV and Alex Lange. Far more interesting will be whether they trade starters Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo, both of whom are under contract for 2027.
In the rotation to begin next season, Kansas City canât count on Ryan Bergert (Tommy John surgery) or Cole Ragans, who will undergo a left elbow surgery on Wednesday that could end up being a full reconstruction. Bubic is a free agent. That leaves Wacha, Lugo, Noah Cameron -- who allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday -- Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila as the Major League returners.
âIt makes it a little more difficult to talk about moving any of our starting pitching,â said Picollo, who also mentioned the bullpen needing major upgrades this offseason. âDoesnât mean we donât listen, doesnât mean we donât examine. But we know that if we make a trade like that, now you got to replace them. If we expect to win in â27, you got to replace it.
âBird in the hand is sometimes better than what youâre going to get for the future. But we wonât know that until we have really specific conversations."
Among other topics discussed on Tuesday, Picollo also continued to maintain his confidence in the Royalsâ coaching staff. A full evaluation will come at the end of the season rather than making changes midseason.
âI know what this group is about,â Picollo said. âI know how they work. Theyâre very curious. They want answers. They want to try to find solutions to the questions we have. I know theyâre prepared every day. And thatâs all we can ask. At the end of the year, you take a look and say, âIs this really moving in the direction we want to go?"
âBut right now, just keep having conversations with them, share what weâre seeing as a front office. Let them share concerns they have with us, so together we can be part of the answers with each other."