KC Royals must consider these key factors before trading from pitching depth
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals will seek a left‑field bat and right‑handed bench help at Winter Meetings.
- Club considers trading starting pitchers to acquire offense but weighs injury risk.
- Front office must balance veteran innings, young development and playoff urgency.
The Kansas City Royals will head to the Winter Meetings in Orlando with a few objectives remaining on their offseason list.
The Royals are expected to pursue an outfield bat — likely to play in left field — to pair alongside Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel. The club could also seek a right-handed platoon option to further balance their bench.
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason so far. However, the Royals do have interest in a few players on the trade market. The club has reportedly inquired about Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan.
Both players are former All-Stars. Additionally, they fit an offensive need as the Royals scored 84 fewer runs in 2025.
Duran hit .256 with 16 home runs and 84 RBIs last season. Donovan posted a .775 OPS (on-base plus slugging) while logging 132 hits in 118 games.
There’s a lot of interest in both players around the league. And the Royals are considered a popular landing spot because they have a surplus of starting pitching. KC will enter the 2026 season with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic penciled in as the projected rotation.
The Royals also have Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter as young pitchers with major league starting experience. This spring, the club could get a longer look at Luinder Avila and Ben Kudrna as future assets at the position.
So it makes sense for the Royals to trade from their starting pitching depth. And Royals general manager J.J. Picollo isn’t opposed to swinging a deal. The question is whether a potential blockbuster trade will help the Royals in the long run.
“You know, depth is important,” Picollo said. “You look at our 40-man roster right now, it’s not very heavy on the position players side. So there is going to be plenty of opportunity for guys to help our club and help us throughout 2026.”
It’s clear the Royals are in a win-now situation. The American League Central remains competitive with the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians among the top teams. The Chicago White Sox are steadily improving and the Minnesota Twins are a tough opponent despite a rebuild.
The Royals can differentiate themselves with a big trade. However, it’s important to weigh all the underlying factors for such a deal.
First, the Royals sustained a rash of pitching injuries in 2025.
Ragans and Bubic dealt with left rotator cuff strains. Lugo missed time with a finger injury and back spasms.
The injuries forced the Royals to promote Cameron and acquire Bergert, Kolek and Falter at the trade deadline. While starting pitching was a strength in 2024, the Royals took a step back given the injuries that hindered the 2025 campaign.
The Royals know that pitching depth is needed. As they decide whether to trade from their controllable pitching assets, it will be interesting to see which avenue the front office takes to solidifying the offense.
Another factor to consider is the varying age of the rotation.
Wacha will enter his 14th MLB season and Lugo will be in his 11th campaign. Both pitchers have been solid additions to the starting rotation, but it’s fair to wonder how long they can keep producing at a high level.
Lugo, 36, pitched 145 ⅓ innings in 2025 and recently signed a two-year contact extension with a vesting option for 2028.
Wacha, 34, posted a 3.86 ERA in 172 ⅔ innings. He brought consistency with 31 starts. The Royals value his veteran leadership and re-signed him to a three-year deal with a 2028 club option last offseason.
The Royals also have Cameron, Bergert and Kolek each with less than three seasons of MLB experience. It’s possible more growth is needed to fully rely on them across a 162-game season.
As a result, the Royals must decide how much pitching depth is worth dealing away. They will need arms to account for injuries while also balancing the workloads of their veterans and granting development for their young, controllable starters.
How the Royals navigate the trade market is important to monitor. The right deal will likely involve moving one of their starters to improve the offense. Hence, it makes threading the needle to maintain starting depth — and stay competitive — a key focal point.
“We need to figure out how we can be efficient to make good decisions,” Picollo said. “(We need to) capitalize on the margins, make smart decisions, develop players and compete to win our division. You know, if we win our division, we are playing in October.”
