The trade deadline has come and gone, many teams were buyers, many teams were sellers. Many teams got better, others got worse. The Royals? Well they're somewhere in the middle. The Royals made the one trade they had to make in Whit Merrifield. The guy wanted to go to a contender, and he got his wish. Ironically, it's not his choice to get vaccinated, it's required by Canadian laws and mandates. This trade was not only best for Whit Merrifield, but a shining example of the Royals' care for public health. Well done Boys in Blue!
In all seriousness, Whit had an excellent career at the wrong time for the Royals. He led the AL in hits two years in a row, was top 3 in stolen bases, and lands at 12th all time for the Royals in hits upon his exit. He joined the year after the Royals won the World Series, and never got a chance to see a Royals team with a winning record, not for lack of trying. He played hard, but just like the fans, apathy struck after efforts with no reward. In the end I commend the guy, and he will go up there as one of the best Royals of the 21st century, bad exit aside.
Enough about Whit though. To be frank, the Royals did not do enough. The trades they did make were decent to pretty good, I would have liked to have seen more for Whit but not terrible, and Cam Gallagher deserves time as a starter, which he will get with the Padres more than he will with KC. It's sad to see him go, but the trade made for him fills farm system needs and will be beneficial for the Royals' future, which is something the Royals' must focus on at this point. One move that wasn't so great for their future was trading away Emmanuel Rivera. WHY would you get rid of a young guy who looked promising at a position of little depth? This is a move the '00s front office would have done to earn capital that they'd blow on a bust or bad trade, and if the front office wants to stay in office they need to limit these types of trades and keep young, promising guys on the roster as long as possible. All other trades made by the Royals though have been good, again I would have liked to see us trade away Barlow, Staumont, or Keller to get in on the reliever market (and the fact that the Royals have like, a thousand relievers now) and would have liked to have also seen more of an effort to get Hosmer back or make another blockbuster deal for a position of need. The young guys are there and will get paid, it would have been in the Royals best interest to get a veteran that's been with the team before and could give this team a boost for further development and fan support. Given the deal he got however, it's possible the Royals just straight up couldn't afford him.
No matter, they still could have made something happen though and I am disappointed but not surprised that something didn't really come about. This deadline saved no one's job and I think we will see moves made to better the organization and team for the long run as we near the end of what has been a tumultuous and pretty bad season. Eldred's more than likely gone, Matheny and Moore are on thin ice, and I wouldn't be surprised if Piccolo also makes an exit. In the end, the Royals need to focus on bettering their future, and there's glimmers of hope for the fans to look forward to. That's saying something after years of ineptitude, grief, and bad decisions. Yes, I know we said that last year, but this team will have a chance to build on their young guys. I'd give it another year or two, but the Royals will be back as competitors if our young core stays here and they continue to build upon them. Time will tell.
Burn Notice: 5/10 Hot stove was more lukewarm
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