Next couple of weeks could define Royals’ season after deadline trades. Here’s how

The Kansas City Royals are ready for a postseason push after making some savvy acquisitions at Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.

The Royals bolstered their pitching staff with more veterans. Michael Lorenzen and Lucas Erceg bring a new dimension to the pitching staff while infielder Paul DeJong boosts the Royals’ bench.

The Royals also sent second-year starting pitcher Alec Marsh down to Triple-A Omaha. The surprise move clears the way for Lorenzen to take the fifth starter spot in the rotation.

Such decisions aren’t easy. But they could prove necessary as the Royals seek to snap a nine-year playoff drought.

“You want to have a good team,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “Good teams have balance and right now we feel good about the balance on our club.”

Picollo had made no secret of the Royals’ desire to improve in a couple of key areas. KC entered the trade deadline looking for high-leverage relievers and a versatile right-handed bat.

The Royals believe they answered the first need in the additions of Erceg and fellow relief pitcher Hunter Harvey. Both have electric stuff and can generate a lot of strikeouts.

DeJong, meanwhile, has hit 18 home runs this season and adds power off the bench.

“When we had free agents commit to us, you know, all the free agents that we were able to acquire, you do feel a sense of responsibility to help them in their efforts,” Picollo said. “They’ve done their part and we need to do our part. And that was to just help this team the best that we could.”

So where do the Royals go from here?

They enter August with a 60-49 record and hold the final American League Wild Card spot, just ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

It’s been a while since the Royals were relevant in August. Veterans in the clubhouse are hungry for a playoff run.

“I think we have got to the point where every game is a big game now,” first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “We’ve talked about it all year, where we want to be. We’re here and right where we want to be. … They (games) are all big now.”

The Royals have a chance to catch the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central but currently trail by six games. Later this month, the two teams will play a four-game series at Progressive Field.

Other divisional games in the Royals’ near-term future include three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. Also ahead are pivotal home matchups with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

A strong month would put the Royals in position for a postseason berth. But they will be tested by first-place teams and clubs in the playoff mix.

This season, the Royals are 28-33 against teams with a winning percentage above .500.

September poses a similar landscape. There are road games against the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves on the schedule. KC’s home slate that month includes final series against both the Guardians and Twins.

Those games will have playoff implications.

Members of the Royals’ young core are poised to experience a playoff race for the first time. But the club has surrounded those newer players with veterans who have been there before.

Guys like Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier have postseason experience. And each has already been instrumental in stabilizing the clubhouse and leading on the field.

Now, the Royals will depend on them to keep this team executing in all aspects.

Gotta keep winning

The Royals took the first step in their playoff push by adding veterans who are well-equipped to handle the choppy terrain of October baseball.

The next obstacle is winning meaningful games down the stretch.

“Obviously, (we’re) in a tough race in the division and the wild card,” starting pitcher Brady Singer said. “So we’re just gonna keep trying to put together wins and take it day by day.”

A daily approach has been Royals manager Matt Quatraro’s calling card since his hire before the 2023 season.

The Royals wear it on T-shirts and live by the mantra. It’s the ethos of the organization and has influenced multiple on-field decisions.

From sacrifice bunts to taking the extra base, the Royals have prided themselves on executing the little things. That belief is embedded in their chemistry.

“Any time you can provide and get on base for them (Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez), it just gives us a huge opportunity,” outfielder Kyle Isbel said.

Those opportunities will be magnified over the next few weeks. The Royals have a chance to do something special ... and the players understand what’s at stake.

There are more checkpoints ahead in their playoff journey. A winning season is possible and personal achievements are in reach.

Making the playoffs require a balance of both pursuits. The Royals have acquired the resources and engineered the mindset to do something historic.

Now they must prove they can get it done when it matters the most.

“I think every single one of us believes that this is just the beginning,” starting pitcher and AL All-Star Cole Ragans said. “You know, there is a good bit of baseball left and, you know, our end goal is to be in the playoffs and to win it.”