The Royals have been awarded the 36th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft next June as part of the Competitive Balance round, the round after the first round, but before the compensatory picks. The Royals will also have the 18th overall pick in the first round of the draft, and could get draft pick compensation if Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, or Lorenzo Cain leave, meaning they could end up with five of the top 50 picks.
The Competitive Balance Round is a way for MLB to give smaller market teams an advantage to make up for financial imbalances.