It appears that the first half of the offseason, the one with the stellar signings and contenders looking to improve their rosters, is well in the rearview mirror by now.
The second half; the one with the minor additions, big bounce-back bets, veteran incentive-laden contracts and under-the-radar trades, is still very much in place.
For a team with a small budget like the Kansas City Royals, the latter is where they live.
Last week, they signed veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman to a one-year deal on the cheap.
This week, they traded outfielder Michael A. Taylor.
They are not done, at least according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
“The Kansas City #Royals have been busy on the trade market, and still have a couple of more deals they are lining up now. Stay tuned,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
The Kansas City #Royals have been busy on the trade market, and still have a couple of more deals they are lining up now. Stay tuned.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 24, 2023
As a reminder, Dayton Moore is no longer calling the shots and the new front office may not have the same approach and opinions, so they are still shaping up the roster.
Could we see a big, shocking move like trading Salvador Perez?
That seems unlikely since he has 10-and-5 rights and was recently extended, but it remains a possibility.
Perhaps they explore the market for high-leverage reliever Scott Barlow, who had a 2.18 ERA in 2022 and is approaching free agency.
Perhaps another team is willing to take a chance at Hunter Dozier‘s upside.
In any case, during these days of little to no news, some trades would be fascinating to get us all warmed up for spring training.
Let’s see what the Royals have in store for their fans.
NEXT: The Royals Made An Interesting Depth Move Over The Weekend