Have you’ve ever thought about what type of players the Royals sign, draft, trade and claim off waivers? I can almost guarantee that most Royals fans don’t think about this. I know I used to be one of them. That changed for me after watching an MLB Central episode on MLB network in 2018. That was the same year the Royals traded pitcher Kelvin Herrera to the Nationals. Why do I bring this trade up you may ask? The answer is simple, the type of players the Royals got back in return, not just talent wise but personality wise as well. I feel like many baseball fans forget to think about a player’s character, not just talent on the field. I believe this has a big impact on how players interact in their communities. I believe it is very important for players to interact with fans out in the community, so fans know what type of person they are. I think this is something people should think about before they get a player’s jersey in baseball or any other sport. Some MLB organizations in my opinion don’t make character a top priority when adding a player to their team. The Royals on the other hand look for good character in every player they sign. I believe this is one of the reasons why you don’t see the Royals rush in free agency to sign a player as quickly as some teams do, aside from being a small market team. The next time you are thinking why didn’t the Royals sign, draft or trade for a certain player, I want you to remember this—does the player you are thinking of fit the Royals values. if yes, I want you to also think about the Royals financial situation. I believe many sports teams from across the sports world need to follow in the Royals footsteps when bringing in certain players more than they probably do for many reasons. The main reason is because younger sports fans look up to professional athletes; and secondly, it can define the organization they play for. I consider the Royals a top class organization compared to many other professional sports organizations from around the country based on how they interact with the Kansas City community and how they treat their employees. The best example of this is during the coronavirus. The Royals agreed to pay all of their players during these difficult times in our country; however, the Royals did have to make pay cuts elsewhere.
