Playing Picollo: What it takes to make a deal

Royals Review writer Jacob Milham analyzed a mock offseason trade exercise conducted with podcast co-host Jeremy Greco, who simulated moves as Kansas City Royals general manager J.J. Picollo. Milham acted as opposing front offices across negotiations involving six players, ultimately agreeing to four mock trades and rejecting two proposals based on organizational needs and prospect evaluations.

Under the proposed simulated agreements, Kansas City acquired pitchers Reid Detmers, George Kirby, and Ryan Feltner, alongside outfielder Dylan Crews. To complete these hypothetical deals, the simulated Royals parted with major-league pitcher Daniel Lynch IV and several top prospects, including David Shields, Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez, and Sean Gamble.