The 2007 Kansas City Royals season was the 39th season for the franchise, and their 37th at Kauffman Stadium. the season began with the team attempting to win the Central Division of the American League - a task not achieved since the division was formed in 1994. In trying to improve on their 62–100 record in the 2006 season, the team avoided a fourth straight 100-loss season. Buddy Bell returned for his second and final full season as manager, while Dayton Moore began his first season as the team's general manager. Anticipation surrounded the Royals' newfound approach to once again become a playoff contender with rebuilding the roster. Roster moves generated much interest in the Kansas City area, including the big-budget signing of starting pitcherGil Meche, and the arrival of young, new talent—such as rookie third baseman Alex Gordon and designated hitterBilly Butler. The team's payroll for the 2007 season was increased to $67 million.
The biggest free-agent pickups for the Royals in 2007 included RHP Gil Meche—who was signed to a 5-year, $55 million deal—and RHP Octavio Dotel, who quickly became trade bait to the Atlanta Braves.
= club option for 2007
= mutual option for 2007
= player option for 2007
Color Code Key
Regular season
Season summary
April
The Royals began the season with expectations of improvement from their fans, and the team never ceased to impress in their home opener against the Boston Red Sox. The Royals defeated the Red Sox 7–1 in front of the sold-out home crowd. The magic did not last, however—Kansas City was just 3–7 through the first ten games of the season, and 8–18 by the end of April.
May
The Royals hit minor spots of winning when the team won 8 of 10 games from May 13 to 23, but finished the month of May on a seven-game losing streak with series sweeps by the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles. Kansas City went 11–17 in May and finished the month with an overall record of 19–35.
was the only Royal selected to represent the team at the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Francisco. At the All-Star break, the Royals had a record of 38–50 and the lowest team ERA in 13 years. On July 31, the Royals traded pitcher Octavio Dotel to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Kyle Davies. The Royals went 13–12 in July, giving the team its first consecutive winning months since June and July 2003. Billy Butler won the Rookie of the Month Award.
On September 12, the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 6–3 to win their 63rd game, guaranteeing that they would not lose 100 games in 2007. The victory ended the team's string of three consecutive seasons of 100 losses of more from 2004–2006. While the Royals struggled with a 9–19 record in September, their overall record of 69–93 was the team's best finish since 2003.
