The Royals have cratered.
The Kansas City Royals closed out May by getting swept by the Texas Rangers, falling to 22-37 on the season.
They have now dropped six in a row and 16 of their last 19 while sitting in fourth place in the AL Central, 12 games behind the Cleveland Guardians.
After Sunday's 6-3 loss in Arlington, manager Matt Quatraro was asked whether the team needed a shake-up.
His answer was firm.
"A meeting is not going to change the result of that game or the way we are going to come out and play tomorrow," Quatraro said.
Quatraro Isn't Blowing Things Up
The fourth-year manager went further when pressed about whether Kansas City needed to change direction.
"There is no alternative but to stay the course," Quatraro said. "We are not going to blow things up. These guys are working their butts off. We talk about it all the time."
He pushed back on the idea that the coaching staff is disconnected from what players are feeling.
"I'm in there every day," he said. "I see it, I hear it. I'm in the conversations and know what's going on with them."
Quatraro, who signed a contract extension through 2029 this past offseason, added that trusting the people and the process is the only path he sees forward for a team that entered the year with playoff expectations.
"You have to trust the people and the processes that you have and we have to go out there and play better," he said.
A May to Forget
Kansas City opened the month by winning five straight, building on some late-April energy. From there, the bottom fell out.
The Royals went 5-18 the rest of the way to finish May at 10-18, and a pitching staff already dealing with problems only got worse as injuries piled on.
Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic both landed on the injured list, closer Carlos Estevez was already sidelined, and Matt Strahm and Nick Mears joined them throughout the month.
The offense has scored just 221 runs this season, the fewest in baseball.
Bobby Witt Jr. remains the one bright spot.
The shortstop slashed .283/.331/.522 in May with seven home runs and seven stolen bases, continuing to play at an MVP level even as the team falls apart around him.
Should the Royals Sell at the Deadline?
That question is going to grow louder as the summer goes on.
Kansas City sits 12 games back of Cleveland for the division lead, and their playoff odds have dropped from nearly 45 percent entering the year to just 6.8 percent.
Both Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo sit on expiring contracts, and the pressure to move veterans for young talent is building.
Quatraro's message is that he believes in his players and has no interest in tearing things apart.
Whether the front office shares that patience beyond July is another question entirely.
