Royals Predicted To Cut Ties With Several Veterans At Trade Deadline
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With every passing loss, the Kansas City Royals' season takes another step toward disaster.
Following up their playoff appearance in 2024, the Royals had high expectations coming into the new year. But the bats simply haven't cooperated, and outside of one red-hot stretch against mostly inferior competition, Kansas City has consistently been subpar.
Currently riding a six-game losing streak, the Royals are 34-38 on the season. It's hard to justify buying at the trade deadline with that sort of record, and even harder when you consider that by any metric, the Kansas City offense has been one of the bottom five in the sport.
Instead, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer had a pessimistic projection for the Royals at the upcoming trade deadline: selling off veterans, including some who may have more than half a season remaining on their current contracts.
"The Royals got into their season with the best intentions, and there is still buzz here and there about them looking to buy at the deadline," Rymer wrote. "We're not, well, buying it. They have been in freefall since going eight games over .500 on May 9, and things aren't going to get any easier with Cole Ragans seemingly on the sidelines for a long time.
"The Royals won't have a ton to offer the market, but they'll at least have to consider moving short-term chips like Carlos Estévez, Jonathan India and Michael Lorenzen."
Lorenzen is a free agent, but Estévez and India are both under contract for 2026. Ditching their salaries wouldn't be the worst thing for competing in 2026, but only if they reallocate the money instead of putting it back in the piggy bank.
One name Rymer doesn't mention is starting pitcher Seth Lugo, who could wind up becoming the biggest domino to fall. The 35-year-old can opt out of a $15 million salary next season and with a 3.05 ERA in 44 starts as a Royal, Lugo can make himself a lot more money by doing so if he can stay off the injured list for the rest of the year.
Over the next few weeks, the Royals have a chance to either get back in the race or seal their own fate. The mission begins Tuesday as they open a road series with the Texas Rangers, who are right in front of them in the Wild Card standings.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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