After reaching Game 5 of the ALDS last year thanks to a solid 86-win campaign, the Royals took a step back this year with an 82-80 record, ultimately leaving them five games out of an AL Wild Card spot. It was a disappointing season, although Kansas City actually performed admirably considering they only got 13 starts from the staff. Cole Ragans while Kris Bubic found himself sidelined for the second half due to his own injury. While the health in the rotation has sunk the team this year, it’s possible the team’s deep roster of starters could help them reinvent the team on the trade market as they look ahead to 2026.
Considering that Kansas City’s inability to stay healthy proved to be the difference between returning to the playoffs this year and sitting at home in October, it might sound like blasphemy to suggest that trading from that same rotation should be on the table for the Royals this winter. However, the reality of the club’s situation is that they could have gotten by with their contributions from the rotation if their attack had put up more fight. The Kansas City offense posted a wRC+ of 93 this year, good for just 22nd in the Majors, while as a team they only slashed .247/.309/.397.
That in itself is a tough line to put together a competitor, but the need for improvement is highlighted by the success of the team’s stars. Three players made up the bulk of that production: Michael Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr. And Vinnie Pasquantino. Meanwhile, production at second base and in the outfield left much to be desired, thanks to disappointing seasons from players like Jac Caglianon, Jonathan IndiaAnd Michael Massey. While no one should give up on Caglianone so quickly, an improved supporting cast for Witt, Franco and Pasquantino will be necessary if the club is to find success next year.
Maybe a well-executed move or two in free agency (like bringing back Mike Yastrzemskiwho excelled with the team after a midseason trade) could help get the offense on track for next year. But Grid source predicts the Royals will have a $129 million payroll in 2026, as things stand now. That means they would exceed last year’s payroll simply by choosing a club option on franchise icon Salvador Perez. Ownership appears reluctant to increase the wage bill above last year’s levels, and while no tender has been issued for some of the club’s more expensive and less productive players at the club’s arbitration level, such as India and right-handers, James McArthur could create more flexibility, money will certainly be tight for Kansas City this winter.
Given this reality, the trade market seems like the best choice for the team to improve the offense. Which brings us back to the team’s incredible, deep group of rotation candidates. Ragans and Bubic are joined by experienced right-handers Seth Lugo And Michael Wacha as locks for the 2026 rotation, with rookie southpaw Noah Cameron standing as the overwhelming favorite for the fifth starter job. Behind that quintet, however, the Royals have a number of viable starters on affordable deals: Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Bailey FalterAnd Kyle Wright. Each member of that quartet could at least theoretically be hanged as part of a package to improve the offense.
Falter struggled in 12 innings with the Royals but had a 3.73 ERA in 22 starts with the Pirates prior to a midseason trade, while Wright last pitched in the Majors in 2023 due to injuries but won 21 games and finished in the top 10 for the NL Cy Young award voting with Atlanta during the 2022 season. Neither pitcher could be expected to perform himself would bring back a valuable bat, but perhaps a hungry club hungry for starting pitching would be interested in trading a hitter for a package that combines Falter or Wright with some of the Royals’ potential capital.
Kolek and Bergert, meanwhile, are intriguing arms. Acquired from the Padres in the Freddy Fermin trade at this year’s deadline, both Kolek (3.51 ERA in 19 starts) and Bergert (3.86 ERA in 15 starts) pitched as capable mid-rotation arms in part-time roles last year and will still make the league minimum next season. Just about any baseball team would be interested in getting their hands on them, and it’s not at all difficult to imagine a team with a plethora of interesting young hitters like the Mets, Cubs or Giants being willing to part with some of that talent to acquire one of those players.
Dealing Kolek or Bergert could bring back a similarly controllable hitter who hasn’t yet fully established himself at the big league level, but it’s also entirely possible the Royals want to take another shot at a deal like the Brady singer for Jonathan India trade from last offseason. That didn’t go well given India’s struggles this winter and Singer’s respectable mid-rotation performance in 32 starts for Cincinnati, but perhaps things could go differently this winter if the Royals decide to listen to offers on lefty. Kris Bubic.
Bubic dominated this season with a 2.55 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 20 starts, earning him an All-Star nod. Although a rotator cuff injury ended his 2025 campaign prematurely, he is expected to have a normal offseason and be ready for Spring Training 2026. After emerging as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation arm this year, Bubic’s value to the 2026 Royals is clear. That said, he’s also set to hit free agency after the 2026 campaign, and if he gives up another season like he did last year, the Royals won’t be able to afford to keep him in town.
That could make listening to left-wing offers attractive, especially if in exchange for Bubic’s services, a quality daily product that would be monitored after 2026 could be purchased. Teams like the Mets and Red Sox appear to be interested in the high-end pitching market this winter and have plenty of controllable hitters who can help transform the Royals’ lineup. With Bergert and Kolek available to fill out the rotation following a hypothetical Bubic trade, it’s easy to imagine the team could put together one of the more productive rotations in baseball even without Bubic.
Cost-controlled pitchers with high returns are among the hottest commodities on the baseball trade market for good reason. They are not easy to obtain, and “You can never pitch too much” is a baseball cliché for a reason. Even teams with large pools of potential starters are often reluctant to deal them away, fearing that a series of injuries could leave them shorthanded and wishing they still had that young arm they dealt in the offseason.
That said, the Royals are clearly in need of a makeover on offense, and a higher payroll doesn’t seem likely to make that happen in free agency. This winter could also be an especially fertile trade market for pitching, given the lack of a slam-dunk ace at the top of the league like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake SnellAnd Yoshinobu Yamamoto have been in recent offseasons. If Kansas City hopes to compete with the Tigers and Guardians heading into next season and make the most of Witt’s time with the team, dealing out some of their coveted pitching assets may prove to be a necessity.
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