As the Deadline closes in, Royals face 3 big roster questions

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KANSAS CITY -- Happy Trade Deadline Day!

This afternoon figures to be chaotic, with teams swapping players at a rapid rate before 5 p.m. CT, when trades can no longer be made. An interesting wrinkle is that only three games are being played, so most teams are enjoying a team off-day. The Royals are included in that, and what’s even more interesting is that they’re traveling to Toronto this afternoon.

They’re holding the plane until 5:30 p.m., in the event they trade a player from the current roster; it’s easier not to have that player travel to Canada and find a flight back to the States to join their new team.

The whole thing can be a logistical nightmare and total insanity -- but that’s the fun of Deadline Day.

Here are three storylines to watch as 5 p.m. ticks closer…

1. Can they add pitching?

The Royals are down to three starters in their current rotation: Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Seth Lugo. The bullpen was absolutely nails during Wednesday’s 10-inning shutout, but the Royals can’t expect that every time.

Dallas Keuchel, who threw five innings in Triple-A Omaha, would likely be the next man up when it comes to starters. The Royals need depth, a lot of it, and they’ll be diving into the pitching market before the clock strikes 5 p.m.

Veteran rentals who make some sense include Adrian Houser, who was scratched from Wednesday's start with the White Sox in anticipation of a trade, his teammate Aaron Civale, the Orioles' Charlie Morton or the Pirates’ Andrew Heaney. The Royals had some interest in Rays right-hander Zack Littell, too, before Littell went to the Reds on Wednesday night.

None of these players would come at a high price, and all could give the Royals some innings.

This weekend in Toronto, the Royals will have Wacha start Friday and Lugo start Sunday. Saturday is listed as “TBA” -- an immediate eyebrow-raiser because that would be Cameron’s day to start. So why isn’t he listed?

Manager Matt Quatraro said Wednesday that Cameron is “completely available” on Saturday, and he threw a bullpen on Wednesday that keeps him on track to be able to start in three days.

But, Quatraro said, the Royals could pivot.

“We have the ability to pitch him that day, but we also have the ability to pivot based on matchups and see how we get through [Wednesday] and what happens at the Deadline as well,” Quatraro said. “There’s a lot of things that could still happen.”

Perhaps the Royals acquire a starter at the Deadline who could slot in immediately on Saturday and push Cameron back a few days. Perhaps Kansas City wants to break up its starters and potential bullpen games, so instead of having Wacha, Cameron and Lugo pitch three consecutive days and then have two days of uncertainty with bullpen games or shorter starts, they spread it out and allow for more rest.

It’s all very unclear right now. We’ll see if it becomes any clearer by Friday.

2. Is more offense on the table?

Before the Royals’ rotation fell apart with injuries, the main priority as the Deadline neared was offense. They brought in two veteran players, utilityman Adam Frazier and outfielder Randal Grichuk, who aren’t the impact bats that transform an offense but who have already improved the lineup depth and the balance of the position player group. Frazier brings a professional left-handed plate appearance; Grichuk does the same from the right side, but also with some legitimate power.

What else can the Royals do to improve their offense? They’re in need of better-hitting outfielders to improve the group they have right now, but whether they find a fit this season remains to be seen.

The Royals added Frazier and Grichuk as rentals because they both fill a specific need and didn’t come at a high price (Triple-A infielder Cam Devanney for Frazier and middle reliever Andrew Hoffmann for Grichuk).

But if the Royals were to make a splashier trade, it must be for a player with control as the front office looks for ways to improve in 2025 and ‘26.

3. Or is what they’ve done, and who they have, enough?

Part of the reason the Royals kept Lugo this Deadline is because general manager J.J. Picollo didn’t feel like he would be able to find a package that would compare to Lugo’s talent and what he means to the team on and off the field, especially with the Royals feeling confident that Lugo would re-sign and stay in Kansas City (which, obviously, he did).

You never know what’s going to come of the Trade Deadline market. Trades are a two-way street -- one player might make the perfect fit for a team, but the team giving up that player has to be willing to negotiate.

If the Royals don’t find a trade partner, would they be willing to stand pat with what they’ve done and what they have? It’s clear through its actions that Kansas City continues to believe in the core players it has, so does the front office believe that’s enough to help them finish off 2025?

“What we’re not going to do is make poor decisions,” Picollo said last week. “We’re not going to try to make something happen that’s a bad decision for the organization in this moment or the future. We’re not going to do that. At the end of the day, if this is the club we have, this is the club we have.

“... At the same time, I think it’s obvious we’re trying to get better, any way we can make our team better. But you do have to be realistic that at the end of the day, if nothing happens that you really prioritize, you don’t want to go down a rabbit hole that doesn’t make sense for the organization.”