The Royals’ window does not close in 2024

The Royals got off to an incredibly hot start and everyone was sure they’d be buyers at the deadline. They have struggled a fair amount since the beginning of June and finally fallen out of playoff position - though not far - which has caused the naysayers to rise back up and demand the team sell. One common refrain is that this team isn’t built to contend long-term, so adding talent at the deadline would be stupid.

That simply doesn’t make sense. According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource page, (an excellent look at the state of any team’s roster,) the Royals have only three guaranteed free agents next year. Will Smith, Garrett Hampson, and Jordan Lyles will all be free agents next season.…