Royals GM J.J. Picollo's Trade Deadline Message Shows Need For Urgency In KC
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Every game the Kansas City Royals play for the rest of July means just a little bit more.
Though it's been a disappointing season so far, the Royals aren't buried in the American League Wild Card race. They trail the Seattle Mariners by five games for the final playoff spot entering play on Tuesday, and they picked up a big 9-3 win in their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Before that game, general manager J.J. Picollo gave an update about his team's highly-anticipated buy/sell decision at the Jul. 31 trade deadline, which will dictate the tone of the last two months of hte season in addition to affecting the team's future for years.
"I think it's going to be a really interesting July," Picollo said, per Rob Collins of FOX 4 Kansas City. "I think the way we have to look at things, from a self-evaluation perspective, is we've just got to get more consistent."
"Right now, I think everybody's waiting for us to win seven in a row to say, 'Alright, we're definitely buyers.' That's not the case. I think what we've really got to do is focus on 'what do every three games look like?' You win a series, you gain a game, you're that much closer to being in it."
It sure seems like Picollo is itching to make moves to improve this Royals roster. But as a small-market general manager, he's also bound to the principles of frugality and practicality. And Kansas City can't just go bananas and add payroll left and right if they feel they only have about a 10 percent chance at the playoffs.
It's all a calculated game of risk assessment, and Picollo is prepared to wait things out until he feels like he has the full picture. That might not placate the Royals fans who are anxious for answers, but it's the way the vast majority of execs in his position operate these days.
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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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