A month ago -- heck, even a week ago -- the Royals were expected to be big sellers at the MLB trade deadline with guys like David DeJesus, Jose Guillen and Scott Podsednik reportedly available.
Then the Royals won 10 of 13 games. They gained some confidence. Their manager started talking playoffs. The same guy they've won 27 of 50 games under. All this was done without Luke Hochevar and Gil Meche.
And then question was asked: Why do the Royals have to sell off all their pieces? Why can't they keep Guillen, who is entering the final year of his deal? Heck, keep DeJesus, who has a $6 million option next year. Farnsworth? He's playing great and could be critical down the stretch.
And there's where I get myself in trouble -- talking about "down the stretch." It's hard not to believe Yost about the playoffs because we want to believe. But is it a legitimate thought?
Will McDonald of SBNation.com (also the Will from Royals Review) recently cautioned such playoff talk.
The Royals don't actually have much of a shot of making the playoffs: they're chasing three teams who are all a) better and b) well ahead of them. It's one thing for the fans to dream, but the challenge facing the Kansas City front office is not to do the same thing. For this reason, the Royals are a team to keep an eye on this July. Just two weeks ago, everyone assumed the Royals would be big sellers at the trade deadline. Now, there's a real possibility that the Royals might believe that they have the makings of something that deserves to live on to fight another day, or in this case another season. This would in all likelihood be a mistake, but one the Royals might talk themselves into making.
I was talking to a friend recently about something like this recently.
Basically, with the Royals luck, they'll continue on their hot streak right up to the MLB trade deadline and decide, because they're close in the division, that they're not going to sell off any pieces. Then they'll go 2-for-August and all hope will be lost. It will be "normal" in Kansas City again.
Then, with more of the Royals luck, Guillen's injury won't be enough to keep him out of games or put him on the DL but it will be just enough to nag him all year and just enough to have teams avoid trading for him.
Maybe I'm a pessimist.
Or maybe I'm just a Royals fan.
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