Royals say they’re content with current roster — with or without a deadline trade
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals signal no intent to sell at trade deadline despite veteran interest.
- General manager J.J. Picollo emphasizes long-term value in trade decisions.
- Outcome of Guardians series may influence Royals' deadline market activity.
Kansas City Royals general manager J.J. Picollo knows his phone will be ringing excessively over the next few days.
And he isn’t shying away from picking up and listening to the best offers — with one exception: The Royals will not be sellers at the deadline, which arrives Thursday, July 31 at 5 p.m. Central Time.
“What we’re not going to do is make poor decisions,” Picollo said. “You know, we’re not going to try to make something happen that’s a bad decision for the organization in this moment or in the future.”
Picollo took it a step further. He is content with standing pat at the Major League Baseball trade deadline if a desired offer is not feasible.
“At the end of the day, if this is the club we have, this is the club we have,” Picollo said. “You know, we have the pitching and we have the offense that we think can improve. At the same time, we are trying to get better. …
“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.”
The Royals sit 50-53 overall entering Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium (Friday night’s game was postponed due to weather). It’s a pivotal series with both teams jockeying for playoff position in the American League Wild Card race.
Multiple teams have expressed interest in the Royals’ top veterans. One of the most prominent names in trade rumors is All-Star pitcher Seth Lugo.
Lugo has a $15 million player option that he could decline at the end of the season. He controls his own destiny and might elect for free agency and pursue a long-term deal elsewhere this offseason.
Picollo said he has spoken with Lugo. There have been conversations, but the price tag will require a large return.
“We’re a much better team with Seth Lugo here than not here,” Picollo said. “Whether that is 2025 or 2026, if you move a guy like Seth Lugo, you better be really sure that you are getting something back that makes this team significantly better.
“Because if you take a guy like that out of your rotation, you are not the same team.”
The Royals are searching for a proven bat on the trade market. The club’s preference would be that such an impact hitter would also play in the outfield. However, the Royals haven’t found significant traction in their trade discussions thus far.
A main reason is the slow-moving nature of this year’s leadup to the trade deadline. A wealth of teams are still deciding whether their playoff potential is real. The Royals are one of six American League teams that are within 5 1/2 games of the final wild-card spot.
The Guardians are one of those teams. The Royals could gain pivotal ground against their AL Central rivals this weekend. Cleveland is currently 1 1/2 games ahead of the Royals in the wild-card standings.
Picollo knows each game holds a little extra importance.
“I think every one of these games means a lot,” he said. “I mean, we are playing a team that we are neck and neck with right now. You know, somebody wins three or somebody loses three, that changes what it looks like.
“I’m saying that and I don’t think it’s going to be the ultimate decision why we do or don’t do something. We still have a ton of games after that, but it certainly influences what you may do.”
The Royals will play a split doubleheader against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon. Heavy rains postponed Friday’s series opener. Game 1 is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. Central at Kauffman Stadium, with Game 2 to follow at 6:15 p.m. Central.
How the Royals perform this weekend could impact their trade discussions.
“It may speed up a little bit and you may have to think a little bit differently after the next couple of days,” Picollo said.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Royals say they’re content with current roster — with or without a deadline trade."
