MLB Trade Rumors: Royals 'Quietly' Informing Teams They're Open to Deal

The Kansas City Royals, who are currently in last place in the American League Central, are reportedly ready to start selling off assets to build for the future. 

Per FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, the Royals have "quietly" told other teams they will likely be willing to negotiate before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. 

One person suggested to Heyman the Royals could be "open to anything" as opposed to just dumping veterans who will become free agents at the end of this season. 

Kansas City finished a respectable 80-82 in 2017, but franchise cornerstones Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer left during the offseason as free agents. Mike Moustakas returned on a one-year deal worth $6.5 million in March after failing to generate significant interest on the open market despite hitting 38 homers last season.

The Royals' payroll this season is $130.6 million, which ranks 20th in MLB, per Spotrac. Moustakas, Jason Hammel, Kelvin Herrera, Lucas Duda and Jon Jay are among the notable players eligible for free agency after 2018. 

Only the Baltimore Orioles (15-34) have a worse record in MLB than the Royals' 16-33 mark. They are on pace to have the worst winning percentage (.327) in franchise history.