Kansas City, Mo. ? If the Kansas City Royals fail to pull out of their tailspin this week, management may start shopping their best players, including center fielder Carlos Beltran.

After Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over Detroit, the Royals have a 14-28 record, tied with Montreal for the worst in the major leagues and a shocking, disappointing fall for a team many considered preseason favorites in the AL Central.

“What it comes down to is: We’re going to get to a point where either we win ballgames now and move forward with this ballclub or we look to 2005 and the best way to improve ourselves,” general manager Allard Baird said Tuesday.

But, he added, “I don’t want to say there could be massive movement.”

The Royals began a three-game series Tuesday night with Detroit. Kansas City then entertains Minnesota in a three-game weekend series.

Asked if the next six games would affect his plans for the season, Baird said: “Today is important. Tomorrow is important. It’s a one-game series, the mode we are in right now. It’s not a three-game or a four-game series anymore.”

Baird said he had met with the players and made the situation clear.

“Our players know that. I know that. Everybody knows that,” he said.

After winning 83 games last year — Kansas City’s first winning non-strike season in 10 years — the Royals added several high-profile veterans, such as two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez and one-time San Francisco All-Star Benito Santiago.

Hopes soared, as did season ticket sales.

But Gonzalez has been slowed by injury, and Santiago has not measured up to expectations. Going into Tuesday night’s game, the defense had committed 38 errors, more than any other team in the league except for Minnesota and Detroit. The team ERA of 5.01 was third from the bottom, and only Seattle and Tampa Bay had scored fewer runs.

“Four days ago, it came down to: The next week or week and a half, we need to put this thing together,” Baird said. “If we don’t, then we’re going to be making some changes as we look to 2005. That’s the only thing I’ve expressed to our club.”