As the Royals enter the offseason, they are faced with dueling challenges: They will seek to upgrade a roster that finished 81-81 in 2016 and let a homegrown core chase a second World Series championship in three year. They will also attempt to keep the payroll at — or slightly below — its record high from this past season.
As a result, the club could be motivated to peel off a member of its core and execute a major trade in the offseason. For now, the team has shown little inclination to trade one of its central players.