Despite a productive offseason so far, that's seen them address some major areas of need, the Kansas City Royals have been met with plenty of obstacles.
Some of these have been direct, whether that be high asking prices for desired targets or increased competition for them. But some have been indirect and one of the biggest culprits has been the surprisingly active rebuilding Chicago White Sox.
Not only did they nab a potentially perfect Royals bullpen target after signing lefty swingman Sean Newcomb, they've most notably made some significant strides in the NPB market that could cause some headaches around the division.