The trade deadline passed this afternoon and while it was a very exciting and amazing spectacle to watch as other teams made franchise-impacting moves, the Royals preferred their internal options and did not make a single transaction today. The Royals were linked to numerous players, especially pitchers signed through 2015, but in the end, this is the team we're rolling with.
But they may not be done!
Today is a deadline, but, it's not. From talks with KC officials, team plans to stay aggressive once players clear waivers in coming weeks.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 31, 2014
If you're confused, today is the non-waiver trade deadline, meaning the last day players can be dealt without passing waivers. After today, for a player to get dealt, they must clear waivers, meaning every team must pass on picking up that guy for the waiver fee (a nominal amount). So typically the kind of players available in August are players with bad contracts, or are not very valuable - the kind of player that no team wants for free. So...sound strategy.
Royals fans were generally pleased with today's events.
Furious.
— RVA_Royal (@RVA_Royal) July 31, 2014
The Royals got worse today.
— Jared Speckman (@Speck60) July 31, 2014
Dayton Moore is betting his job on the waiver wire.
— Brian (@BrianMcGannon) July 31, 2014
You have to keep up w the Joneses to win in baseball
— Bob Fescoe (@bobfescoe) July 31, 2014
Absolute clown show in KC. Presented with three options, the #Royals once again chose the worst one.
— Kevin Agee (@Kevin_Agee) July 31, 2014
Dayton Moore has a plan guys, relax! pic.twitter.com/JT6p4NPzhd
— Royals Panic Button (@Cerner4Royals) July 31, 2014
Was told Ned was called away from meeting with a group about 14 min. before the deadline by Asst. GM. #royals
— Curtis Kitchen (@curtiskitchen) July 31, 2014
The Tigers made a move, picking up Rays pitcher David Price.
The last three AL Cy Young Award winners will now be in the Tigers rotation: Scherzer, Price, Verlander.
— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) July 31, 2014
And the Indians, just 1.5 games behind us, traded their starting shortstop and their 2013 All-Star starting pitcher. Losers.
Well, we didn't land the big bat like Emilio Bonifacio that we all wanted, but if we hold onto this rabbit's foot, eat our vegetables, say our prayers, maybe, just maybe, this team will improve and find its way into the playoffs. I feel confident, do you?