What Does Buying at the Deadline Look Like in Kansas City?

On July 14, the Kansas City Royals made it official: They would be buyers at this summer’s trade deadline.

That day, the club acquired right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey from the Washington Nationals for third base prospect Cayden Wallace and the 39th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, setting their deadline strategy into motion.

And with the Royals continuing to play well (4-2 in six games as of July 24 to begin the second half), we can likely expect to see similar aggressiveness as we inch closer to deadline day.

But what does that assertive approach look like for Kansas City? Let’s explore.

More bullpen help is needed

Hunter Harvey was a perfect acquisition for the Royals: A late-inning, high-leverage reliever who fills a glaring weakness for an otherwise solid Kansas City team.

Harvey, once a top pitching prospect with the Baltimore Orioles years ago, has reinvented himself after several seasons in the Nationals’ bullpen. His 3.12 FIP and 3.25 xFIP in 2024 suggest better fortune ahead despite a season ERA of 4.30 thus far.

But the veteran alone can’t fix all of Kansas City’s bullpen issues; they still rank 21st in MLB in reliever ERA (4.21). That’s simply not going to fly in a pennant race.

More alarming is the Royals’ bullpen WHIP of 1.40, which places them 28th among 30 teams. That’s too many baserunners allowed late in games, something a playoff team would undoubtedly capitalize on come October.

Of course, every contender wants relief help at this point in the season, so the Royals won’t be alone in their own pursuits. That makes the Harvey acquisition even more critical in case Kansas City can’t reel in any other targets.

The Royals can’t allow that to happen, however. Not if they’re ready to become a serious contender this fall.

Some notable names for Kansas City to consider: Los Angeles Angels’ closer Carlos Estevez and lefty Matt Moore, Miami Marlins’ closer Tanner Scott, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Yimi Garcia, Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks and Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan.

A bat or two would also be ideal for the Royals

We floated the idea of Kansas City trading for Los Angeles Angels’ infielder Luis Rengifo before the All-Star break, so let’s revisit that for a second.

“Rengifo makes sense for KC: He’s an upgrade over the club’s current second base options, as they have combined for just 1.1 fWAR this season, which ranks 17th in baseball. And let’s not ignore the rest of the Royals’ infield; aside from All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., the group is somewhat lackluster…

Kansas City demonstrated a willingness to be aggressive early by trading for the aforementioned Harvey, so the Royals might just be up to paying the hefty price tag that the Angels would demand for the 27-year-old Rengifo.”

Seth Carlson, Just Baseball

It’s no secret that the Royals still need another bat or two. Their offense, which combines for a .717 OPS (12th in MLB), is slightly above average. But besides the electric Bobby Witt Jr., who is making a case for MVP, there isn’t a ton of upside around him.

That Witt is carrying Kansas City’s lineup largely by himself is a testament to the talent he is. Nonetheless, he still needs help, as any star does.

And the Royals shouldn’t let their opportunity to acquire a bat or two pass them by at the deadline.

Rengifo would be precisely the type they’re looking for: controllable beyond this season and versatile. But other options also exist, including Rengifo’s Angels teammate Taylor Ward, as well as the Miami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Kansas City could also look west for help, with Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics positioning himself as a strong trade candidate as well. And if they want to buy low, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena could be worth a look, too.

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of acquiring one of these bats, however? Prospect capital, of which the Royals have less when compared to other contenders such as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, among others.

And in a heavy seller’s market, that depth of talent (or relative lack thereof) in the minor leagues could make or break Kansas City’s deadline aspirations this summer.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt the Royals are buying at the trade deadline. It’s just a question of how much.

If the season ended today, Kansas City would sneak in as the third wild card team in the American League. But there’s still plenty of season to be decided, including the winner of the AL Central division as the Cleveland Guardians have slipped back somewhat.

That means the Royals should be aiming high this summer, with both of their conceivable paths to October remaining wide open.

Ideally, Kansas City will acquire some combination of a bat and another late inning reliever, or perhaps more. But certainly not less.

If the Royals want to make their first postseason appearance since 2015, they know what they must do.