MLB Trade Deadline: 5 trades Royals should make

What trades can get the Kansas City Royals back in contention for a playoff berth?

The defending World Champions are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs this season. They currently stand nine games back in the division tored-hotd hot Indians and may be limited to making it to the playoffs through the Wild Card.

In that regard, they sit six games back of the Blue Jays for the number five seed. Add in injuries to Wade Davis, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and a few starting pitching options and it just doesn’t feel like their year. Some have even suggested that they be sellers this off-season with Edinson Volquez, Kendrys Morales and Whit Merifield being free agents. They could use these players to beef up the depth and youth of their team.

Still, the Royals seem like a team that wants to go down swinging. This is a team that was 48-50 at this point in 2014 and went on to make the Wild Card. The same team trailed that game 7-3 in the eighth inning before rallying and making it all the way to the World Series. This is not the team to give up with even the slightest of chances left.

Davis just returned to the pen, and Cain should be back soon. This team may  just be a piece of two away from being right in the Wild Card mix with a couple of other teams. It could be a move they make or do not make that will decide if they can get over the hump and back into the dance, or if they are sitting at home wondering why in October.

With that said, here are five trades the Royals should make

Next: 5. Edinson Volquez