Kansas City Royals: 7 Bold Predictions for the Second Half of Their Season

With the first half of the 2011 MLB regular season beginning to wind down, it's time to look ahead to the second half of the campaign.

The Kansas City Royals are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and they will have much work to do after the All-Star break if they want to improve on their current 34-51 record.

Here are my bold predictions for the second half of the Royals' 2011 season.

They Will Trade Melky Cabrera

Royals center fielder Melky Cabrera was thought of as trade bait by many around Kansas City before he got started with KC.

He is having a great season, hitting .283 with 11 homers and 48 RBI, while doing a superb job in center for the Royals.

The fact that he is only 27 years old makes him look attractive to other teams that will be interested in him.

I see KC trading Cabrera for a prospect by the deadline, in order to make room for emerging CF prospect Lorenzo Cain.

They Will Trade Wilson Betemit

Betemit has been a solid bat off the Royals' bench over the past two seasons, but I believe that his time with the club is nearing its end.

He is a liability on defense, and with rookie Mike Moustakas manning third base, there is no room for him in the lineup.

Other teams, like the Cardinals, could look at him as a short-term replacement at third, since he can fill in there from time to time and also offer some power at the plate.

I think the Royals will waste no time in disposing of Betemit once the deadline draws near.

The Starting Rotation Will Continue To Struggle

The Royals currently have one of the worst starting rotations in baseball.

Right-hander Kyle Davies is statistically one of the worst starting pitchers of all-time, and ace Luke Hochevar has had yet another underachieving season for Kansas City.

Their current record is 18-37, with an ERA of well over five for the season.

What makes it even worse for KC is that it doesn't appear that their starting pitching will improve anytime in the near future.

Alex Gordon Will Continue His Surprise Season

Alex Gordon has easily been the biggest surprise of the season for the Kansas City Royals.

Coming into play today, he is hitting .298 with 10 homers and 46 RBI to lead a revamped offensive attack for KC in 2011.

What's been more impressive has been his defense, where he has a ML-leading 16 outfield assists for the year.

He should have been named to his first All-Star team last week, but instead he will have to wait it out to see if he will be voted in as the American League's last roster spot.

Another Top Prospect Will Get Called Up

2011 has been the year of the prospect call-up for the Royals, and I see that trend continuing into the second half of the campaign.

The next closest prospect that could make the jump from Triple-A to the big leagues is CF Lorenzo Cain, who appears to be the heir to Melky Cabrera in center. As of right now, he is the most ML-ready out of any of the organization's prospects.

Another likely prospect that could get the call is top second-base prospect Johnny Giavotella.

Giavotella appears to be on the doorstep of getting the call to the Majors—all he needs is for current starting 2B Chris Getz to stumble a bit.

The Royals Will Play Just Under .500 Ball

I understand that the Royals historically have played worse baseball as the season has gone on, but I don't see that happening this year.

With an improved 'pen and a young, talented lineup, Royals fans have more to look forward to in the hot summer months this season.

Led by veterans Jeff Francoeur, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler, this is not a team that many will want to play over the next few months.

The Royals Will Finish 4th in the AL Central

Finishing in fourth place in your division might sound like a failure, but for the Royals it would be an improvement from their dismal 2010 season.

KC is no stranger to the Al Central's cellar, as they have finished dead last in the division in five out of the last seven seasons.

I see them playing better baseball in the second half of 2011, mainly due to their rookies getting more comfortable and settled in to the Majors.

Expect improved play from this young team over the next few months under the direction of veteran manger Ned Yost.