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Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez, left, congratulates Cheslor Cuthbert on his two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 5, 2016. The Royals are seven games back in the AL Central.
DAILY DEBATE
Should the Kansas City Royals be buyers or sellers?
Sellers
DUNCAN MARSHALL
@_dmarsh
Dayton Moore, the general manager of the Kansas City Royals, and the rest of the front office staff should be thinking about selling as the MLB All-Star Game and trade deadline grows nearer.
With a record of 45-43, sitting seven games out of first place in the American League Central Division and 4.5 games back of a wildcard berth, it is safe to say the thought of the Royals repeating as World Series champions is getting smaller.
A season-ending injury to Mike Moustakas allowed Kansas City to call up third-base prospect Chesler Cuthbert. Cuthbert has exceeded expectations since his call up, hitting .282 with eight HR and 27 RBI, and would be
a good selling option for the Royals if they end up admitting their post-season hopes are as good as gone. Cuthbert won't beat out Moustakas for the starting spot at third-base next season so the Royals should look seriously into any offers they receive about him.
The Royals have the possibility to trade Cuthbert to a team looking to buy to help Kansas City's future odds of making the postseason.
The Boston Red Sox will most certainly be buyers at the trade deadline and they conveniently have a lack of production from their two rotating third basemen, Travis Shaw and Marco Hernandez. If the Red Sox are seriously looking to bolster their third baseman to make a hard push for the playoffs, the Royals should ask for Yoan Moncada in return. Moncada is the Red Soxs' number
one prospect and happens to play second base, a position all Royals fans would like to see filled for the long-term.
Kansas City is kind of in an awkward middle ground right now, where they aren't close enough to the playoff race to buy and aren't far enough away to be a major seller. If the Royals don't make any moves don't be surprised, but if they do, expect Cuthbert to be dealt to a serious contender.
Buyers
▶ DYLAN SHERWOOD @dserwoodKU
The pitching rotation still isn't fully set for the second half of the season, and this should be a concern to Royals General Manager Dayton Moore. To combat this, the
World Series Champions are in trouble with their players. Yes, guys like Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez and Eric Hosmer are still Royals, but someone needs to come in and contribute right away.
Royals should buy a pitcher to complete the rotation and set them up for another postseason run.
Pitching has been an issue all year. Most of the starting pitchers are back from last season's team and have had their ups-and-downs throughout the first half of the season.
Yordano Ventura, Edinson Volquez, Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy will continue to be key pieces in Ned Yost's rotation after the All-Star Break. But pitchers Chris Young and Dillon Gee have both been in-and-out, and the rotation
needs five strong players.
The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching and if the Royals want to make a move they will have to do it within the next three weeks. Just last year, the Royals acquired Johnny Cueto for several minor league players from the Cincinnati Reds, so why not go after another star pitcher?
The first half of the season looks similar to the position the Royals have been in the past two years, and if everyone stays healthy, the team can make a deep run at the postseason for the third consecutive season.
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