The Royals start a nine game road trip to California Friday. This trip, I believe, will be the pivotal series for the future of KC. It's so important Luke spent all our funds for the year to fly me out to San Diego to cover it. (Editors Note: Not true, we have other plans for that $7)
The reason this road trip is so pivotal is two fold. First is timing. The MLB draft will be completed while the Royals are back, back, in Cali, Cali. So the scouting staff and execs will be able to shift their focus to the trade market. Second will be if we made up any ground or not. The Twins are still 5.5 games up in the Central. We need to gain multiple games on this road trip.
This trip is a perfect set up of series in order to make up ground. The Royals will be playing the hapless Padres. The Friars are coming off a terrible series in Arizona where they had multiple double digit loses. Current odds in Vegas at the Aria Sports Book has the Padres at 1000/1 odds to win the World Series. The Royals need to take three from them (according to Zach though they could take two and still be on track). This will make sure we lose no ground and may even allow us to jump a bit.
After leaving Americas Finest City, the Royals will head to San Francisco to face the Giants. The Giants, thank god, are still without He who's shall not be mentioned. They are also not coming together as a team. This two game stint could also easily be a sweep for the Royals.
And their final stop in Cali will be a four game series in Anaheim. The Angels just celebrated Albert Pujol's 600th career homerun. But with Mike Trout on the dl, and a pitching staff that is still underachieving, this should again be a series win for the Royals.
All told, after this road trip, if the Royals don't go 6-3 minimum they need to seriously start thinking of the future. But if they do at least this and gain ground to under 5 games back it maybe stay in the same holding pattern we have done for the past two months.
Obviously I want to see the Royals come out here and dominate. That's why Luke paid so much for me to be out here. (Editors Note: ahh, never mind….) But if we don't. It signals this team is not a contender, and we should start the processes of reloading.
Either way I hope to see a bunch of you at Petco this weekend!
