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Morale has never been lower for the Kansas City Royals. The club has been embarrassed multiple times this year in double-digit losses, and Sunday's home loss against the San Diego Padres marked another low as they fell 19-2 in a rout.
Entering Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City sits a full 20 games under .500 at 40-60 and may have already run out of time to make the MLB playoffs this year.
Given where they stand, they may have no choice but to sell at this year's trade deadline, not necessarily unloading the entire roster but trading whatever value they can to retool for future seasons around their young core.
MLB.com named every team's biggest trade chip heading into the deadline, and for Kansas City the outlet landed on right-hander Michael Wacha, which comes as no surprise.
Wacha is one of the only starters on the Royals pitching staff who has not been hit with a major injury this year, and that durability is a recurring theme throughout his career.
He logged 60 starts over the 2024-25 seasons combined and is on pace to make 30+ starts in 2026, and in a league where arm injuries have become increasingly volatile, that kind of availability would be valuable to any contender.
Availability alone would not make him attractive if the results were not there, but they are. Across 19 starts, the 35-year-old veteran has posted a 3.77 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 119 1/3 innings of work. He earned the second All-Star selection of his career this year, his first since 2015 when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals, and has been the most valuable pitcher on this roster.
His value is further elevated by the fact that he is not a rental. Wacha remains under contract through the 2027 season on an affordable contract, giving any acquiring team more than just two months of production to work with.
MLB.com does note that Wacha would generate the largest return, but it also depends on how other teams value him and whether the Royals themselves are willing to part with a player of his importance. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Kansas City has no intention of shopping Wacha, but they will be listening to offers.
With the deadline approaching and the Royals' season essentially over, how aggressively they pursue a Wacha deal could define the direction of this franchise for years to come.
Continue reading...
Entering Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City sits a full 20 games under .500 at 40-60 and may have already run out of time to make the MLB playoffs this year.
Given where they stand, they may have no choice but to sell at this year's trade deadline, not necessarily unloading the entire roster but trading whatever value they can to retool for future seasons around their young core.
MLB.com named every team's biggest trade chip heading into the deadline, and for Kansas City the outlet landed on right-hander Michael Wacha, which comes as no surprise.
Wacha is one of the only starters on the Royals pitching staff who has not been hit with a major injury this year, and that durability is a recurring theme throughout his career.
He logged 60 starts over the 2024-25 seasons combined and is on pace to make 30+ starts in 2026, and in a league where arm injuries have become increasingly volatile, that kind of availability would be valuable to any contender.
Availability alone would not make him attractive if the results were not there, but they are. Across 19 starts, the 35-year-old veteran has posted a 3.77 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 119 1/3 innings of work. He earned the second All-Star selection of his career this year, his first since 2015 when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals, and has been the most valuable pitcher on this roster.
His value is further elevated by the fact that he is not a rental. Wacha remains under contract through the 2027 season on an affordable contract, giving any acquiring team more than just two months of production to work with.
MLB.com does note that Wacha would generate the largest return, but it also depends on how other teams value him and whether the Royals themselves are willing to part with a player of his importance. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Kansas City has no intention of shopping Wacha, but they will be listening to offers.
With the deadline approaching and the Royals' season essentially over, how aggressively they pursue a Wacha deal could define the direction of this franchise for years to come.
Continue reading...
