So the Royals aren't doing well this year for various reasons. What to do as a fan? The intensity is down, the games matter less, and while a Mantis-fueled hot streak might be out there, it's unlikely.

We talked about the disappointing season to this point and offered some perspectives on what this season means in relation to the previous three and going forward and pointed out a few bright spots.

Also, there were a couple of praying mantis stories.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

*(this episode may contain a couple of curses - nothing very bad though)

Two weeks ago, we talked about who the Royals might acquire at the trade deadline. Last week, we talked about who they might sell at the deadline.

Turns out, after injuries to Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis, the Royals ended up with a pretty quiet deadline. We talked about the factors that lead to the lack of activity and what might happen next. 

After the break, we talked about Danny Duffy's incredible start against Tampa and what it may mean for him going forward. He's had a rocky road, but his work in the rotation this season could signal an emergence as a force.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

The Royals have not started the second half well. While the 2014 season saw them make a comeback with a similar record, the odds are against another trip to the playoffs.

The sensible thing is to explore some trades and try to bolster the farm system. But we aren't talking about trading anyone just to dump them off. We go over the most likely trade candidates and why 2017 can still be another successful year if they play the market right.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

The Royals have opened the second half with a stumble, losing two winnable games in Detroit, then getting hammered in two losses back home against Cleveland. They sit at .500 as of this recording and are nine games out of first.

There's still time, but the Royals are going to have to find some pitching help. Their regulars are inconsistent, and the fifth spot is a nightmare.

Will it come from the minors? Will it come via trade? We argue that the help is more likely to come from a trade and go over some names and approaches.

We're hoping the Royals will right the ship, but it's probably going to require a change somewhere. The trade deadline is less than two weeks away...

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @ TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

The Royals managed to limp to the end of the first half and then dominated the All Star Game. 

We covered a lot this week, including: Dayton Moore's resume, Hosmer and Salvy in San Diego, the state of the AL Central, and general impressions about the first half.

In our second segment, we revisited the over/under calls and some of our bold predictions from back in spring training. 

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

Right now the Royals are fighting through injuries and inconsistency and it's got everything feeling pretty fragile. The Royals title defense isn't going as planned but what is there to be done about it?

Who will the Royals turn to in close games while Wade Davis is on the DL? Will they go make a trade? And what state does that leave the organization in after 2017?

These are the questions we asked and answered this week.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

This week, we talked about the injury to Lorenzo Cain and what it means if he's out for longer than expected. The Royals have faced some injuries, and Cain is another big name to get hurt this year. 

We also looked at how the Indians are shaping up against the Royals this year and asked if they're going to start running away with the division.

After the break, we posed a question about a Danny Duffy contract and compared the rookie performances of Cheslor Cuthbert, Whit Merrifield, and Brett Eibner. 

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

We caught up with BP Kansas City's Clint Scoles to talk about the Royals draft and the players selected and how they reflect a shift in the Royals draft approach. Clint's writeups are available here and here. Follow Clint at @ClintScoles.

We also discussed how Alex Gordon may fit back into the lineup when he returns from the disabled list, who may get sent down, and how the AL Central may shape up the rest of the way.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected]. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

After a tumultuous week and an awful losing skid during the road trip, the Royals bounced back with some strong pitching and a couple wins heading into a homestand.

On top of that, they made a big change to the roster, committing to Whit Merrifield full time and designating Omar Infante for assignment.

We discussed the pitching of Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, plus the approaches of Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert. Finally, we looked at the implications of the Royals stark home and road splits, as inspired by Darin Watson at BP Kansas City.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected].

After a week of Royal dominance and frenzy hitting, it all went cold. It all went dark. The best of times have turned into the worst of times and the Royals have lost every game on the road trip so far, scoring just barely over a run per game and giving up way too many.

Then Yordano Ventura went out and beaned Manny Machado and restarted all of the fretting about his antics from last season.

We tried to come up with some answers - for the offense, for Ventura, and what the Royals might do to handle the skid.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to [email protected].