It all started on Dec. 19, 2010. The Royals, seeking young talent while an asset was at its peak, dealt 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers for Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi, and Jeremy Jeffress. At the time, Escobar, had just completed his first full season with the Brewers at age 23. Cain, 24, had also gotten some time with the Brew Crew, playing in 43 games. Odorizzi, 20, was considered as one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and was the key chip in the deal. Jeffress, the former first-rounder, and only 23, had a blazing fastball and loads of potential as well. This was the deal that forever altered the course for the Kansas City Royals, and it was a trade that would ultimately set them up for years to come.
The next big step for the Royals took place in 2011, with Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez all making their Major League debuts. Third baseman turned left fielder Alex Gordon also had a breakout year, finally living up to the hype that garnered him comparisons to Royals great George Brett. Gordon went on to hit .303 with 23 home runs and 87 RBIs while being named a Gold Glover, an award he would win for the next three years. Even with all of the young talent on the team, the Royals would still lose 91 games.
The following season was yet another growing year. After a terrific rookie campaign that saw him hit .293 with 19 home runs in 523 at-bats, Hosmer struggled in 2012, hitting only .232. Moustakas enjoyed some success, hitting 20 home runs and 34 doubles, but his average was just .242. Cain showed some promise on the basepaths and in center field in 61 games, and Perez hit .301 in 76 games. Although there were some bumps in the road in 2012, players continued to develop under manager Ned Yost.
It would be the offseason of 2012 that would yield another franchise-changing move. The Royals, needing a bulldog at the top of the rotation, dealt top prospect Wil Myers, pitchers Odorizzi and Mike Montgomery, and third baseman Patrick Leonard to the Rays in exchange for James Shields and Wade Davis.
The Royals took a big step in the right direction in 2013. They won 86 games, finishing third in the AL Central behind the Tigers and Indians. Shields brought exactly what Kansas City asked for, a change of mentality of the whole staff. Shields emphasized reaching 1,000 innings between the starters, and they came close. Between Shields (228 2/3), Guthrie (211 2/3), Santana (211) and Davis (125 1/3), the Royals staff combined for 776 2/3 innings, only 23 1/3 away from the four main starters each pitching an average of 200. Hosmer bounced back, hitting .302, with 17 home runs while setting career bests in most offensive categories. Perez hit .292 in 138 games, while earning his first Gold Glove and All-Star nod. Moustakas, though, didn't have the same success as these other two, hitting .233 with only 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. Escobar also had a down year, but was a perfect 22-22 in the stolen base department. The Royals were left with hope and a desire to make it further after being left out of the postseason party despite winning 86 games.
The Royals featured a new level of confidence in 2014. Shields once again led the staff with 227 innings pitched, and the rotation this year would post 949 innings as a staff. The bullpen became the three-headed monster of Holland, Davis and Kelvin Herrera, with many saying, "Just get to the sixth with the lead." Greg Holland posted a 1.44 ERA while locking down 46 saves in 48 chances, and striking out 90 in 62 1/3 innings. Davis, moved to the bullpen in 2014, and he found immediate success, being able to throw harder over a short period of time. Davis posted a 1.00 ERA and struck 109 batters in 72 innings. Herrera also dazzled, posting an ERA of 1.41. On the hitting side, the Royals thrived with a contact approach. The Royals were last in baseball in home runs, but had the fewest strikeouts, 985, in the league. Cain had a breakout season as he hit .301 and stole 28 bases. Escobar also enjoyed a breakout campaign, hitting .285 with 31 stolen bases. Hosmer had a bit of a down year, but still drove in 58 runs. The Royals would sneak into the AL Wild Card Game, defeating the A's, and would eventually come within 90 feet of scoring the tying run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Giants.
The Royals were just happy to be in the 2014 World Series, but had their eyes on the ultimate prize in 2015. The Royals would get off to their best 81-game record, 48-33, since 1980. They would go on to win the division by 12 games, winning 95 in the regular season. The playoffs is where they really broke out. Seven times, the Royals came back from a deficit of multiple runs to win the game. They were five outs away from elimination in Game 4 of the AL Division Series in Houston, but refused to back down. In the World Series, they trailed in the eighth or later three times, but would win those three, becoming the only team ever to do so. They did a great job of sticking to their approach at the plate, consistently put the ball in play, even against Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom.
When you look at the base of the Royals' roster, it starts with their homegrown talent. Of the players on the World Series roster, 12 are homegrown, including Perez, Christian Colon, Hosmer, Moustakas, Raul Mondesi, Jarrod Dyson, Gordon, Cain, Danny Duffy, Herrera, Luke Hochevar and Yordano Ventura. That doesn't include Holland (DL) and Terrence Gore (left off roster).
The trade on Dec. 19, 2010 will be forever remembered as the one that helped the Royals set up for success. Without that trade, the Royals wouldn't have had their center-fielder (Cain), their shortstop (Escobar) or their closer (Davis), all of whom had a big impact on the Royals' success.
The Royals have brought back a lost brand of baseball, putting the ball in play, one that is refreshing to watch, and one that ultimately led them to becoming 2015 World Series Champions.
