The Royals Needs Have Shifted

Maybe they can get by without that outfielder.

When the Royals started their season at 34-19 and were firmly in a playoff position, we knew they still had holes. They were winning despite some very obvious needs, and they were likely to fall off some without working to fill those needs. And in the 41 games since, they’ve gone 17-24 so that prophecy quickly came true. Only a funny thing happened on the road to this stretch, and it feels like they are now looking in different areas to improve their team than it was less than two months ago.

Okay, they still need bullpen help. That hasn’t changed since the first week of the season. This unit has had its moments, and the addition of Kris Bubic does appear to have added another element, but they need more than a former starter who, quite frankly, never really put it together in that role. They have a unit full of relievers who generally don’t get enough strikeouts and they generally put too many runners on base. So that hasn’t changed. But the need for an outfielder may have dissipated at least somewhat over the last few weeks. And two other needs have popped up in a way that may be a little expected.