For the second year in a row, the Kansas City Royals look to be sellers as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, hoping to improve their farm system by trading away players who aren’t a long-term fit.

That means that, for the second year in a row, the team that finishes the season in Kansas City will look dramatically different from the one that started it.

While many more losses will follow the trade deadline, many interesting things could take place in Kansas City, things which hopefully will eventually lead to the resurgence of the franchise.

Which deals get made?

Last year the Royals were able to move players much more quickly than they have this season. By this time last year, the Royals had flipped Jon Jay and Kelvin Herrera for a considerable return. They would soon add more prospects by trading Mike Moustakas. And they would sell Terrance Gore and Lucas Duda, and trade Drew Butera.

This year’s trade market has been cold and the Royals have yet to make a single trade of significance.

They have several players under contract beyond 2019 that they would love to move if the right deal presented itself, starting with Ian Kennedy and possibly including Alex Gordon.

But they are more desperate to get anything in return for the guys with expiring contracts. Most likely to be traded are pitchers Homer Bailey and Jake Diekman and outfielder Billy Hamilton. Martin Maldonado and Gore might have some value somewhere. What the Royals can get in return may not be franchise altering, but anything helps.

Second round of auditions

Losing seasons open windows of opportunity for players trying to prove themselves. When a team no longer cares about wins and losses, it can patiently permit lenghty auditions, trying to find out which players are building blocks and which are merely stop-gaps.

Unfortunately, a few guys who looked like building blocks last season took a big step back this year. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielders Brett Phillips and Jorge Bonifacio all floundered in 2019, but may get a callback. Each is benefiting from a lack of other options at his position within the organization.

A year ago Cheslor Cuthbert’s career appeared to be dead. But injuries and O’Hearn’s failure gave the 26-year-old another shot at the big leagues, and he’s been at least passable. With Hunter Dozier locking down third base, Cuthbert needs to show he can handle first base and be a run-producer. O’Hearn may return to KC and take some of Cuthbert’s playing time down the stretch. But the opportunity is there for Cuthbert, and he needs to seize it.

Getting an even longer look have been the pitchers at the big league level. With so few big-league quality starting pitchers, Brad Keller and Jakob Junis will receive infinite number of chances to figure things out. Glenn Sparkman may not have as long a leash, as the Royals may try some other options. But if Bailey gets dealt, someone will have to start. Eric Skoglund, suspended for the first half of the season, will probably get another look.

Ready for openers?

With almost no starting pitchers in Triple-A pushing for a promotion, the Royals may experiment with using an “opener” rather than a starter. This strategy is gaining acceptance around the league, and the Royals look ready to give it a try. They’ve been toying with it with flame-throwing Josh Staumont and reclamation project Kyle Zimmer at Triple-A. Both guys have more than enough talent and just need to find the right fit. Opening may be just the ticket to finally tap their ability.

It’s finally Bubba Time!

Fans finally have the long-awaited debut of Gardner-Edgerton product Bubba Starling. At long last, the center fielder was healthy and hitting enough to be called up from Omaha. The Royals held him back, probably making sure his success is sustainable, and trying to get anything they can in exchange for Hamilton.

At worst, Starling is essentially a copy of Hamilton – a great defender who can’t hit. But Starling’s newfound success at the plate provides hope he’s finally ready to thrive in KC. His immense popularity on the Kansas side of the city will provide a boost at the box office, if nothing else.

Late season promotions

Expanded big league rosters and minor-league playoff races always cause a lot of player movement in September. Trades will open roster spots in Kansas City even earlier. The reshuffling the last two months of the season will provide lots of opportunities and some indication of who the Royals see as pieces of the future. Aside from Staumont and Zimmer, guys to watch for in KC will be pitcher Richard Lovelady, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, and jack-of-all-trades Erick Mejia.

Movement in the minor leagues will be just as interesting. Will top prospect Khalil Lee get a promotion to Triple-A? Will stud pitchers Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch successfully adjust to Double-A? And will uber-prospect Bobby Witt, Jr., currently at the Arizona rookie league, get promoted to a full-season club? Witt is already 19 and should be ready for the challenge.

Soler’s historic chase

Jorge Soler is on pace to hit 42 home runs. That would easily surpass Moustakas’ team record of 38. The Royals bear the embarrassment of being baseball’s only team without a 40-homer season in their history. With home runs flying out of parks at a record pace league-wide, the accomplishment might seem somewhat tainted. But juiced balls and a tighter strike zone aside, Soler’s emergence has been a much-needed breakthrough for the power-starved Royals.

Another strong finish

Despite a horrendous overall record, the 2018 Royals finished with a flourish, inspiring great optimism for 2019. But the new season started with a thud, and too many guys – Keller, Junis, O’Hearn, Jorge Lopez – took a step back. It would be refreshing if some prospects could infuse some energy into the club once again this year. Wins and losses won’t matter, but a recovery of some hope could still be attained down the stretch.

The Kansas City Royals struggle to straddle the fence between building for the future and competing in the present. The balancing act forces them to make difficult personnel decisions. Factor in the clubs’ fiscal restraints, and the Royals’ roster makeup is by no means an exact science.

Expectations for 2019 being what they are, there might not be a real point to nitpick every decision. But it’s hard not to question some of the team’s decisions.

Look no further than an outfielder who is visiting Kauffman Stadium this weekend, the California Angels’ Brian Goodwin. The name sounds familiar, of course, because he’s the same guy who was a part of the Royals’ outfield plans, until he wasn’t.

On March 25, three days before opening day, the Royals waived Goodwin when he seemed a lock for Kansas City’s active roster. The Royals, after all, had traded for Goodwin in the middle of 2018 and thrust him into their outfield mix.

Goodwin’s presence gave the Royals the opportunity to send Jorge Bonifacio and Brett Phillips to the minors. They preferred to play Jorge Soler at designated hitter. Their top prospects weren’t ready to make the jump to the big leagues. The situation seemed perfect for Goodwin. It all made perfect sense.

But suddenly and without warning, the Royals sent the 28-year-old packing.

“I was shocked,” Goodwin told the Los Angeles Times earlier this season. “I had plans to find a place to live in Kansas City … not necessarily buying anything, but being there for the year. They told me they were going another way and I wasn’t in the plan. It was short and sweet but to the point. Well … it wasn’t very sweet.”

The Angels, probably as shocked as Goodwin was about the development, quickly snatched him off waivers and inserted him right into their lineup. So far, he’s rewarded them with a .333 batting average (which would lead the Royals) and a .423 on-base percentage entering the weekend series in Kansas City. He’s versatile, athletic, a good defender – just they type of thing the Royals typically value.

While the Royals’ outfield hasn’t been the reason for their sluggish start, it’s hard to fathom not having a place for Goodwin on the roster. By jettisoning Goodwin, they set themselves up for some less-than-desirable fits in right field. First, they started the season playing Whit Merrifield in right, and putting Chris Owings at second base. Then, they shifted to another arrangement – playing Jorge Soler everyday in right, which they had very recently said they wanted to avoid. Their intention had been to employ the oft-injured Soler at designated hitter whenever possible. But with Goodwin gone, they backpedeled from that declaration.

The optics of Goodwin returning to Kauffman Stadium with enviable stats are not good. But strange as it looks, the Goodwin decision is not the Royals’ only questionable move in this young season.

Keeping Terrence Gore on the roster: The idea seemed crazy. Reserve a roster spot for a pinch runner who possesses no other big league-caliber skills? What value would a pinch-running specialist have on a team with no chance at the playoffs? Thus far, the gamble has had mixed results. Gore has hit far better than anyone ever thought he might. But a “designated runner” prone to getting picked off in do-or-die situations is worth nothing.

Rushing Kyle Zimmer to the big leagues: Injuries have riddled Zimmer’s seven professional seasons. His experience entering 2019 was limited to less than 270 minor league innings. He didn’t pitch at all, anywhere, in 2018. Thrusting him under the bright lights of the major leagues while he was still rebuilding his arm, not to mention his confidence, seemed hasty. Zimmer’s talent wasn’t enough to get him through the first month of the season. He faltered in three games and was sent to the minors to regroup.

Signing Owings and playing him daily: The Royals signed Owings to a one-year deal for $3 million as a super-utility man. They had a more athletic super-utility option in Roselle Herrera, who was costing them just $560,000. But they expelled Herrera and brought in Owings. Ok if he’s going to fill a need just until prospect Nicki Lopez is deemed ready for the major leagues. But it’s not ok to play him every day. That’s what the Royals are doing. Owings has played in all but one game this season, hitting just .157 with no power or speed to provide any value. (FYI, Herrera found a spot on the Miami Marlins’ roster.)

Bringing back Lucas Duda: Most baffling of all is that the Royals decided to start the season with both Frank Schwindel and Duda – two big, slow first basemen – instead of keeping Goodwin. Schwindel has since been sent to the minors. But the Royals retained Duda, who is a redundancy. With a lefthanded first baseman in Ryan O’Hearn already on the roster, Duda provides nothing unique, and he is by no means part of the Royals’ future. The Royals were unable to trade Duda for anything last summer, and he appears to be worth even less now.

The Kansas City Royals major league season got off to a great start. But quickly reality set in – this team won’t be very good.

Rather than focus on that sad fact, however, Royals fans have somewhere to look for hope. The truly important baseball played this year will be at Wilmington, Delaware, and Lexington, Kentucky, not in Kansas City.

The Royals are doing their best to find a winning combination to put on the field this season. But more importantly, they are trying to ascertain which of the current Royals could play on a playoff contender in 2021 and beyond. Brad Keller and Adalberto Mondesi are definitely keepers. Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler and Salvador Perez might still be around. Others are auditioning for roles.

But the Royals’ true hope for glory is still in the minors. A couple of solid drafts and some trades for prospects have restocked the developmental system. So while you grin and bear the current reality, keep an eye on the following farm teams, which kicked off their seasons on Thursday.

Omaha Storm Chasers: Several players starting the season for the Triple-A affiliate were only held off the big league squad to retain their service time for a more opportune window. And more than a handful will see time in Kansas City this season.

The big league Royals bullpen has been an unmitigated disaster thus far. The Royals elected to start the year with some veteran acquisitions in order to allow a few key prospects to activate their major league service time a little further down the road. But that time will come soon. Richard Lovelady should be an instant upgrade when he’s called up. The Royals might also find some pitching help in Scott Blewett, Josh Staumont and Arnaldo Hernandez.

Nicky Lopez is big-league ready and just waiting for the right time to step into the Royals infield. (If current Royals utility man Chris Owings doesn’t get things going, the right time may come sooner than later.) Humberto Arteaga is in the same boat and plays essentially the same position as Lopez. There will be room for one, if not both, in Kansas City soon.

Former big leaguers Jorge Bonifacio and Brett Phillips have got to prove they can hit in order to be reunited with the Royals. Meanwhile Bubba Starling appears ready to finally realize his immense potential, and a call to KC should happen later this year.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals: Most of the attention at Double-A will be on outfielder Khalil Lee, the Royals’ #2 prospect. He combines elite-level speed, power and athleticism, and just needs more polish. Playing in Lee’s shadow, but not to be overlooked, is Junction City native Nick Heath, who possesses the type of speed that plays well in Kansas City.

The Naturals’ catcher, Meibrys Viloria, is so advanced defensively that when the Royals were in need of a backup last season, Viloria was promoted from the Single-A level all the way to the big leagues. He’s starting the season in Double-A just to make sure he gets to play every day.

Wilmington Blue Rocks: This is the team to watch. The high-A affiliate of the Royals will be bulging with top prospects. In fact, if you want to see what the 2022 big league Royals will look like, just check out a Blue Rocks team photo. Eleven of the Royals’ top 30 prospects, including six of the top seven, started the year in Wilmington.

In last June’s amateur draft, the Royals loaded up on college pitching prospects, and now those elite prospects are all clustered in Wilmington. The Royals’ top rated prospect, Brady Singer, will front a rotation that includes Daniel Lynch (the #4 rated prospect) and Jackson Kowar (#7). That trio may soon make up three-fifths of the Royals’ big league rotation.

MJ Melendez, the Royals’ #3 prospect, will share catching duties with Sebastian Rivero, another prized backstop. Nick Pratto (#5) is at first base.

Seuly Matias, who clubbed 31 homers last season, headlines the outfield as the #6 prospect. He’s joined there by Kyle Isbel (#10), Brewer Hicklen (#13) and Blake Perkins (#23).

The Royals don’t always leave players at Wilmington for the entire season. If the top prospects excel at high-A, they may find themselves fast-tracked to Northwest Arkansas, bringing them one step closer to the big leagues.

Lexington Legends: This pitching staff merits close watch this summer. The rotation is packed with potential in Chris Bubic (#9), Austin Cox (#22) and Jonathan Bowlan (#29), and should soon be bolstered by Carlos Hernandez (#11), Yefri Del Rosario (#12), Yohanse Morel (#20) and Janser Lara (#30), who stayed back in extended spring training. That means seven of the Royals’ top 15 pitching prospects should pass through Lexington this summer.

The most intriguing member of the staff, however, will be Ashe Russell. Picked in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, Russell ran into off-the-field problems and disappeared for more than a year. But he resurfaced in the Royals’ training program last summer and may finally be ready to realize his potential.

In the field, the Legends will feature the Royals’ #13 and #24 prospects in outfielder Michael Gigliotti and shortstop Jeison Guzman.

Prospect watching can provide a lot of relief during the lean years. Watching from afar as players like Perez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and the late Yordano Ventura climbed the minor league ladder made all the Royals’ losing prior to 2013 a little more bearable. The same will be true during the current rebuild.

It’s almost football season.

Kansas City Royals fans are about to revive what had become a tradition. If they haven’t stopped paying attention already, they will soon ignore the Royals to fully devote their attention to their favorite football teams.

Over the past five seasons, from 2013 to 2017, Royals fans actually experienced what is commonplace to a few privileged fan bases – meaningful fall baseball. There are few things better than trying to juggle watching the slate of football games while following a baseball team in a pennant race.

That won’t be the case this year. Is there anything to keep Royals fans interested with the Chiefs, college and high school football all kicking off in the next couple of weeks?

Actually, if you like watching young prospects cut their teeth in the big leagues, if you enjoy following the rebuilding process, if looking for signs of hope on the horizon is your deal, then yes, there are things to keep you interested.

A star at shortstop:

There is a pretty depressing argument about who is the best shortstop in Royals’ history. It boils down to two candidates, Freddie Patek and Alcides Escobar. So who was better, a weak-hitting, solid fielder with some speed, or another weak-hitting, solid fielder with some speed? Both benefitted from playing supporting roles on really good teams.

But there is hope for something better. Royals fans have been hearing for years about the potential of Adalberto Mondesi. Now they are finally getting a glimpse of what Mondesi can do. Manager Ned Yost recently said he thinks Mondesi has no idea how good he can be. A slick fielder with incredible speed and surprising pop in his bat, Mondesi has the chance to make fans forget Patek and Escobar entirely.

The bar is remarkably low. If he can stay healthy, bat .250 with 10-15 home runs and 25 or more stolen bases for several seasons in a row, there will be no question who was the best Royals shortstop. Those goals seem low for a guy with Mondesi’s talent.

The outfield derby:

Kansas City will have to sort through a host of potential outfielders over the next couple of years, before some of their top prospects start to percolate to the majors. Guys who have been around a while need to show they can contribute to a winner. Jorge Bonifacio must hit. Jorge Soler must get healthy and show his hot start to 2018 is sustainable.

Some new acquisitions are forcing their way into the equation, and may eventually push the Jorges to the side. Brett Phillips is a star with the glove. But can he hit? Will Brian Goodwin, who has been injured for the past several weeks, finally play up to his initial billing? What role will suit the versatile Rosell Herrera? These questions will begin to be answered over the next month.

A mashing first baseman:

Veteran minor-league first baseman Ryan O’Hearn had to be frustrated watching the Royals try to mold Hunter Dozier to the position at the big league level. But O’Hearn bided his time and finally got his chance. And so far, he’s blasting homer runs and holding his own. Don’t panic over his low batting average just yet. He makes hard contact and can get the ball over the fence.

Pitching. Lots of pitching:

Seemingly every night some young pitcher makes his debut for the Royals. Kansas City started spring training with a veteran rotation consisting of Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, Nate Karns, and one young guy in Jakob Junis. Injuries and ineffectiveness wiped out that plan. The door swung wide open for just about everybody in the upper minors.

Brad Keller has done nothing less than pitch like one of the best rookies in baseball. Junis has been inconsistent, but good enough. Beyond that, a stream of hurlers have taken their shot. While perhaps none of them will be starters when the Royals again contend in the American League, plenty of arms will be needed in the rotation and in the bullpen. So the auditions have started. Among the 11 starters used by Kansas City so far in 2018, count Heath Fillmyer, Eric Skoglund, Burch Smith, Glenn Sparkman, Trevor Oaks and Jorge Lopez as potential rotation options for the future. Each will get plenty of innings in September.

Roster expansion:

Think you need a scorecard to know who’s on the field now? Wait another week. When the league allows teams to expand their rosters on September 1, the Royals could conceivably call up any of the minor leaguers listed on the 40-man roster. They won’t bring up 15 more players, but they will call up several. One guys worth watching if he gets the call is Josh Staumont, a reliever known to throw harder than 100 mph.

#1 draft choice at stake:

If you find yourself rooting for the Royals to win games, stop. The Royals have nothing to gain, and one significant thing to lose, by winning games – the first pick in the 2019 amateur draft. Difference makers can be found in any spot in the draft, but it’s ideal to have your pick of any amateur in America. Wouldn’t it be fun to add a future Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones or Ken Griffey to the Royals mix?

These are some things to keep in mind while you’re watching football.

But to anyone who grew up studying the back of baseball cards, there are lots of numbers that matter. Championships aren’t the only thing that capture the imagination and make baseball a beautiful thing to study.

Batting averages, home runs, ERA and strikeouts, and less traditional measures such as Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) go down in the record books and make some players into legends, and others just faces in the crowd.

The halfway point of a season is the most logical point, as well as the easiest mathematically, to evaluate how things are going. Obviously, things aren’t going well in Kansas City. But a review of individual statistics may provide some glimmer of hope, or at least something other than wins and losses to obsess over.

2018 Projected Team Leaders at the Halfway Point:

Hits: Whit Merrifield, 170; Home Runs: Mike Moustakas, 30; RBI: Mike Moustakas, 100; Stolen Bases: Whit Merrifield, 32; Wins: Jakob Junis, 10; Saves: Kelvin Herrera, 14; Strikeouts: Jakob Junis 180

Mike Moustakas: Of all their current players, the Royals are most desperate to trade Moose, so a good first half was critical to his market value. He started out hot, as if to prove everyone wrong who passed over him in free agency. With 8 home runs in April, it looked like he might threaten the team record of 38, which he established in 2017.

But a cool couple of months have clouded Moustakas’ prospects considerably. He completed the first half with 15 home runs, and probably won’t finish out the season in Kansas City, so last year’s record is safe. His 134 career home runs place him eighth on the Royals all time list, and just 10 more would move him past John Mayberry into seventh. (One note for Moustakas to consider after this season: were he to return to Kansas City as a free agent, just 64 more homers in a Royals uniform would move him to second place on the team’s list.)

Salvador Perez: The Royals entered the season promising to give the big catcher more days off from behind the plate. Before they could enact that plan, however, Perez missed a month with a knee injury. The Royals did play him 10 times at designated hitter and once at first base. So they have made some effort to rest him. His 11 homers in 60 games looks good, but his other numbers are down from previous years. His string of five straight all-star games is in jeopardy.

Whit Merifield: His 4 home runs look paltry compared to the 19 he belted last season. However, his 30 walks in the first half already top the 29 he drew last year. And his 16 stolen bases have him on pace to surpass the 34 bags he swiped to lead the American League last year. He is currently in third place in the league in that category.

Jorge Soler, Jorge Bonifacio and Cheslor Cuthbert: Manager Ned Yost swore he would make sure Soler, Bonifacio and Cuthbert each get at least 500 at bats this season. It seemed imperative to the rebuild that the team find out what it has in these three players.

This isn’t going to happen. First Bonifacio was suspended for half the season, and has just returned. Then Cuthbert sustained a back injury in mid-May and has missed more than a month. He’s batted just 103 times thus far, with dismal returns. Soler batted 223 times before breaking a bone in his foot. The good news is that he was tapping into his infinite potential before the injury, and hopes to return soon.

Lucas Duda: The big first baseman smashed 30 home runs last year, so the Royals signed him, mostly hoping to trade him midseason. Approaching that home run total again would have been nice. No such luck. He sits on just 5, and probably has little trade value, if any.

Danny Duffy: The supposed “ace” of the Royals pitching staff was an enormous disappointment the first two months of the season. For the past month, he’s been solid (and at times spectacular), and with a 4-7 record so far, he may still reach double digits in victories, a feat he’s only achieved once. He’s on pace to set career highs for starts and innings.

Jakob Junis: With a 5-9 record currently, Junis still has a chance to reach double-digit wins. Doing so would top the 9 wins he tallied his rookie year. But in direct contrast to Duffy, Junis started the season brilliantly and has since fallen apart. Junis, Ian Kennedy (1-8) and Jason Hammel (2-9) might each threaten the season record of 19 losses by a Royals pitcher.

Kelvin Herrera: Although he was traded well before the halfway point of the season, Herrera is essentially guaranteed to lead the team in saves. He had 14 when he was dealt, and no other Royal has more than 2.

Though he’s still only 28 years old, Herrera is third in most games pitched by a Royal. He spent very little time as the team’s closer, but departed Kansas City just one save away from fourth place on the team’s all-time saves list.

Royals fans can’t forget 2018 soon enough. But the numbers posted by individuals make up a larger story of careers and statistics are added to record books. Even in the worst of seasons, they are part of what makes baseball a wonderful game.

Not many things have gone right for the Royals in 2018. If fans haven’t given up already, with just over a quarter of the season in the books, they are forced to search pretty hard to find any positives.

One thing the Royals did try that has turned out as planned was the addition of a true leadoff hitter in veteran Jon Jay.

During the Royals’ renaissance of 2013 to 2017, their lineup was effective in spite of the lack of a traditional table setter at the top of the order. The Royals tried just about everything. They acquired Nori Aoki, a traditional leadoff type. They tried to capitalize on Alex Gordon’s knack for getting on base. They tried Lorenzo Cain for his dynamic combination of speed and power. And more frequently than could be believed by analytics specialists, manager Ned Yost plugged Alcides Escobar into the top spot. While Escobar stinks at just about everything at the plate, Yost believed he brought some sort of good luck – which was dubbed “Esky Magic” – to the role.

As the Royals search for a direction in 2018 (are they rebuilding or not?), they brought in a veteran in Jay who knows the leadoff role and plays it the traditional way. With almost no power potential, Jay hits singles and coaxes walks at a rate much higher than anyone the Royals have used in the role recently.

“I try to set the table for the guys behind me,” said Jay, owner of a .355 career on-base percentage. “When I hit at the top of the lineup, I’m just trying to get on base, and to see a lot of pitches.”

The Royals’ disappointing finish in 2017 could be blamed in part on the team’s lack of a table setter. Kansas City’s leadoff hitters combined for a .279 on-base percentage, lowest in the majors. Their 89 runs scored ranked second to last.

Though not used in the top spot every game, Jay is demonstrating he fits that role. He entered the weekend series with the New York Yankees second on the team in batting average at .299 and second in on-base percentage at .363.

Jay is happy to play the leadoff role when called upon, but doesn’t criticize the Royals for the way they filled that spot in the past.

“Every team is built a little bit differently, and the past couple of years, you could say that they didn’t have a true leadoff hitter, but I don’t see it that way,” said Jay. “Everything was constructed differently and it worked, obviously.”

The Royals acquisition of Jay appears to make sense on several levels. Aside from being the leadoff hitter they’ve lacked, Jay fills a void that appeared in the offseason. When the Royals lost Cain to free agency and Jorge Bonifacio for half the season due to suspension, they needed a stopgap while they wait for minor league outfield prospects to develop.

Furthermore, Jay joined the Royals on a one-year contract, allowing them to showcase him to be traded mid-season. It’s a safe bet that some contending team will need an outfielder as the July trade deadline nears, and the Royals can then flip Jay for prospects. His $3 million contract isn’t a big investment, and won’t be a deterrent to any potential trade partner.

Jay’s future with the Royals is beyond his control, and he’s choosing to focus on the here and now.

“I am just taking it one day at a time here,” said the nine-year veteran. “I just always try to play hard, lead by example and just help the team in any way I can.”

Jay understands being traded is just part of the game, but said that he likes being a Kansas City Royal.

“It’s an adjustment for me and my family. I love coming to the field here in Kansas City, and I just love playing baseball. So I just plan to show up here every day and do all I can to help the team.”