SPRINGDALE — There was a sense of optimism inside a ballroom at the Holiday Inn.

People had more to talk about over lunch than the prospects in the Kansas City Royals’ farm system. Rather than discussing the future, they got excited about the team’s current roster.

Royals pitcher Bruce Chen broke out his best one-liners and told a large crowd of local Royals fans he believes he could be a part of something “special” on opening day. He wasn’t joking.

“With all the moves that we’ve been making, I think we have the makings of a very special season,” Chen said early last week during a stop on the Royals caravan.

After four straight years of at least 90 losses, Kansas City has made some bold moves this offseason that have owner David Glass confident the team can compete in the American League Central.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore got the approval from Glass in early December to make a blockbuster trade that sent former All-Star pitcher James Shields from Tampa Bay to Kansas City.

The addition of Shields and fellow right-hander Wade Davis bolstered the Royals’ starting rotation. It also showed, after years of patiently waiting for its top prospects to develop in the Minor Leagues, Kansas City’s front office wants to win now.

“My expectation for this year is for us to be very competitive,” said Glass, the former Walmart chief executive officer who still lives in Rogers. “I think the expectation levels from talking to the players and the manager and the general manager, all of them believe that they can compete in the Central Division and that we’ve got a shot at winning it.”

Making A Move

Glass moved around the hotel ballroom last week, posing for photographs with fans and signing autographs for fans. There was plenty of goodwill for the 77-year-old owner after years of being criticized by fans and media for the way he ran the team.

The Royals haven’t celebrated a winning season since 2003, and Chen was 8 years old the last time Kansas City won a World Series in 1985. But Glass agreed with Moore they needed to be more aggressive in the offseason and increase their payroll if they hoped to be a contender this year.

Kansas City took a gamble when it included former Northwest Arkansas Naturals outfielder Wil Myers in its six-player trade for Shields and Davis.

Glass admitted it was difficult parting with Myers, who was named USA Today’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2012. But Glass felt like starting pitching was the biggest hole in the Royals’ lineup, and Myers was the price he had to pay to get a pair of potential aces in Shields and Davis.

“You never ever want to trade a guy like Wil Myers,” Glass said. “I think the kid’s going to be an All-Star player, and I think he’s going to be really good.

“But on the other hand, if you’ve got eight position players and a great bullpen, then you’re ready to compete in the Major Leagues. You need to step up and compete now.”

Glass said there were several other trade offers on the table, including some he liked, but Moore felt the deal for Shields was their best option. The move caught many people by surprise, including Chen.

With the arrival of Shields and Davis, the 35-year-old Chen realizes his place in the Royals’ starting rotation isn’t guaranteed. He acknowledged he’ll have to compete in spring training for a spot, and there’s a chance he could end up pitching out of the bullpen.

Still, Chen admitted he’s “very excited” about how the Royals look following all the changes this winter.

“This year they came and said, ‘You know what? We’re going to do something different. We’re going to give away some of our most regarded prospects, and we’re going to get some really, really good players,’” Chen said. “And that’s what we did.

“That shocked a lot of people, but that’s what you have to do in order to win. In order for you to get something good, you have to give something really good, too.”

Naturals Bound

The Royals have a lineup filled with players who have suited up for the Naturals, their Double-A affiliate, including first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and catcher Salvador Perez, who most scouts agree could rise to be one of the game’s top catchers very soon. Glass said several of Kansas City’s top, young prospects could come through Northwest Arkansas during the next two years.

Dennis Leonard, who was a dominant pitcher for the Royals in the 1970s and ’80s, said it made sense for the team to trade Myers and other prospects to immediately upgrade its rotation.

“It’s just like anything else, you build a Minor League system to have a good Major League team,” Leonard said. “The Royals have struggled, and they had to make those trades to try to improve the product on the Major League level.”

Glass feels Kansas City’s fan base has waited long enough. So he got “Big Game” James Shields.

“We’ve got great fans who deserve a team that wins more than we’ve won,” Glass said. “Yeah, I think it invigorates the fan base a little bit. But all of us believe that we’re getting there.”