September baseball is lurking around the corner, allowing the Royals to expand the roster to add two more players and get a look at some more prospects. The Royals can reward players that have excelled this year, but one consideration will be the 40-man roster. The Royals have a full roster right now, but may begin shuffling it up to get players they need to protect from the Rule 5 draft this winter.
Players must be protected after four seasons if they signed at age 19 or later, or after five seasons if they signed younger than age 19.