After exchanging farewell hugs with his now former D’backs teammates, Grichuk brimmed with anticipation on his way to the airport. He was joining the Royals ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. He was embarking on a new path.

Some contenders in the MLB have been eyeing Royals pitcher Kris Bubic in a possible trade, but now he is dealing with an injury.

With three starters now on the IL, could the Kansas City Royals shift their thinking for the MLB Trade Deadline?

A main reason is the slow-moving nature of this year’s leadup to the trade deadline. A wealth of teams are still deciding whether their playoff potential is real. The Royals are one of six American League teams that are within 5 1/2 games of the final wild-card spot.

The Kansas City Royals have had their eyes on Jarren Duran at the MLB trade deadline, and Seth Lugo or Lucas Erceg could be their ticket.

The Royals are making it clear to clubs that any deal for pitcher Seth Lugo would require controllable outfield help in return.

If the Chicago Cubs make the postseason, adding another quality starter who can slot into a playoff series would make them a serious World Series threat.

The Arizona Diamondbacks showed a clear direction they plan on going after trading first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday. For the past month, the Diamondbacks have been on the fence about whether they should sell or buy at the deadline.