MLB.com Anne Rogers looks at the looming trade deadline after the Kansas City Royals’ latest blowout loss.
On Tuesday, they welcomed the Rays to Kauffman Stadium, only for a 10-4 loss to mark the Royals’ fifth loss in their last six games. The series opener also marked the end of June, a month in which the Royals won more games (13) than any other month this season, but still finished below .500 (13-14). Kansas City (35-51) also has the worst record in the American League.
There’s a whole host of reasons why it’s gone as poorly as it has, with the early-season offensive underperformance being at the top of the list. Now midseason, injuries have set in, and the Royals have found themselves relying heavily on their depth.
“We haven’t met expectations at all,” general manager J.J. Picollo said in his homestand-opening meeting with reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “That’s clear. Just look at our record and know who we have on this roster. … Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We need to figure this thing out. Figure out how we can compete at a higher level and bring this thing together.
“I know we have three more months of baseball. That’s a lot of baseball left. When we talk about this year, it also bleeds into next year. It helps us figure out: What do we have on this team that’s going to help us next year? Where do we need to address things this offseason?”
Kansas City Star’s Jaylon Thompson looks at Bobby Witt Jr.’s standout Tuesday game.
But Bobby Witt Jr., did his part for the Royals. He pulled KC within three runs in the third inning with his first of two home runs. Witt has just recently worked his way back into the lineup after taking a rare few games off with a knee injury. “I think it’s just got the timing,” Witt said. “And so they just kind of go from there. Just try to take it how I normally take it (with) my routine. Prepare the way I prepare and go out there and compete.” Witt’s 11th homer of the season came against Rays right-handed starter Jax, who left a 94.7 mph sweeper atop the strike zone. Witt drove the baseball into the left-field seats. Later, Witt homered off Rays reliever Cole Sulser. It was Witt’s seventh career multi-homer game, and his first since Aug. 7, 2024 against the Boston Red Sox.
Thompson also wrote about the Royals holding pat with their coaching staff for now.
The Kansas City Royals aren’t planning to make any major changes within their coaching staff. General manager J.J. Picollo said as much ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. He indicated the Royals will retain their current staff but potentially evaluate further at season’s end. “These are the same guys we’ve worked with for really four seasons now,” Picollo said. “We’ve been through the highs and the lows, and they’ve been challenged before.”
Judy Manning, the wife of the late Shannon Manning, delivered Tuesday’s game ball as the Royals honor the Hallmark designer who first created the crown emblem.
Shannon Manning, who passed away about four years ago, was recruited by Hallmark in 1967 to work in its package design department. Shannon’s design was selected after the Kauffman family asked Hallmark designers to create a lasting emblem for the new team.
“They chose Shannon’s over 16 to 20 people who designed emblems, but they chose Shannon’s, which was a wise decision I thought,” Judy Manning said in an April interview.
More details on what the Royals’ ballpark development could look like, from KCTV5.
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