The trade deadline is rapidly approaching for the Royals, and the question of what they should do has become a point of great contention. Many reports have surfaced that the Royals will be on the hunt for a corner outfielder who can impact the offense in 2025 and beyond. There will be several options, but finding a trade partner is a completely different game that brings its own unique set of challenges.

Kansas City has plenty of pitching to offer in a trade, with several quality big leaguers as well as depth in the farm system that could pique the interest of other teams. On the other hand, the Royals’ bats are struggling at every level, and their recent struggles to develop hitters will limit their trade partners to teams that need pitching. Today, I took a look at some teams who could make good trade partners for the Royals at the deadline.

Washington Nationals

The Nationals were the first team I chose to mention for several reasons, the first of which is their abysmal pitching situation. In the majors, the Nats are 28th in ERA at 5.00, only ahead of the Athletics and Rockies. In the minor leagues, there are some top talents, but very few of whom will be ready before 2027. With the Royals’ plethora of pitching talent throughout the organization, they could make a compelling offer.

Offensively, the Nationals are running into a logjam in the outfield. James Wood is their superstar, and top prospect Dylan Crews has had some struggles, but started to bounce back before hitting the IL in May. Jacob Young is an elite defender in CF, and other top prospects, Robert Hassell and Daylen Lile, have shown promise. The Nats also have Alex Call, who has slashed .273/.378/.387 in 185 plate appearances this season.

Someone will have to be the odd man out, as it is unlikely the 33-46 Nationals will want to hold on to six outfielders the rest of the year. James Wood is untouchable, and top prospects like Crews, Lile, and Hassell will likely hold a price the Royals won’t be willing to pay. With Kyle Isbel already providing elite defense in CF, Alex Call feels like the guy the Royals should target at the deadline, and with the Nationals desperately needing pitching, they could be willing to move him to Kansas City for the right price.

Miami Marlins

Staying in the NL East, the Marlins are the only team behind the Nationals in the standings, with a record of 31-45. Entering this season, the Marlins were projected to be one of the worst teams in baseball, and there was never a doubt that they would be sellers at the 2025 trade deadline. Now it feels like almost anyone on the Marlins roster could be for sale at the right price.

While the Marlins are struggling all around, pitching has been their downfall with the fourth-worst ERA in baseball, just below 5. They have some depth in the farm system, but with the team undergoing a complete rebuild, they will likely acquire as many prospects as possible. The Marlins have catcher Joe Mack near the top of their farm system, which could dampen their interest in one of the Royals’ three top catcher prospects, which could mean JJ Piccolo will need to get creative coming up with a deal.

For the Royals, the Marlins may be one of their biggest targets, with several players they could be interested in. Kyle Stowers is having a breakout season, hitting .270/.343/.467, but may be too expensive for the Royals at the deadline. Dane Myers has also taken a step forward, hitting .329/.371/.456 and having great range in the outfield. These will likely be the most expensive guys for the Marlins at the deadline, with Myers being the more affordable of the two for Kansas City, and he is maybe my favorite target at the deadline.

Jesús Sánchez is a popular name who can provide some left-handed pop at the plate in the middle of the order. His seven home runs would put him fifth on the team immediately, and his .734 OPS would be fourth among qualified players. He is the most realistic option as he runs out of club control in 2027, and the Marlins may look to trade him at peak value. Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernandez are also young guys who could be available and have several years of club control as well.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will be a confusing team at the deadline, as no one knows which direction they want to go. Boston traded away their superstar hitter, Rafael Devers, to the Giants less than a week ago, and projections for what Boston will do at the deadline are all over the map. Boston just called up several of baseball’s top prospects, and now feels like a time for them to shove their chips in and go for it all.

But with their farm system being drained, and starting pitching nowhere to be found in the organization, the Royals could make a compelling offer to add a corner outfielder. Boston’s rotation is the eighth-worst in baseball, with an ERA of 4.36, and the farm does not provide much hope for the next few years. The Royals have the pitching depth to offer reinforcements for 2025 and beyond if the Red Sox are willing to part with one of their outfielders.

Boston has a loaded outfield, with Jaren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony all needing regular ABs. Masataka Yoshida will return to the lineup soon and will share DH reps with Rob Refsnyder, leaving someone as the odd man out. The price may be high, but if the Red Sox are willing to part with Duran or Abreu at the deadline, you can expect the Royals will be involved.

Duran has become the new face of the Red Sox offense, but has taken a step back this year, with his OPS dropping from .834 to .715. Boston could be willing to sell on Duran, hoping to get value for him while he still has several years of control. On the other hand, Wilyer Abreu is breaking out, hitting with an OPS just shy of .800, and already has 13 home runs this year, which would immediately become the best on the team in Kansas City. Boston could look to sell high on Abreu if a team offered the right package of pitchers.

Baltimore Orioles

It was just last year that the Orioles were being talked about as one of the best teams in baseball, and their success led them to the playoffs for the second year in a row. As we all remember, they met the Royals in the AL Wild Card, where they were swept, losing their tenth straight playoff game. They hoped to find answers in 2025, but now sit 10 games below .500 and started the season as one of the worst teams in baseball.

While they have started to bounce back some, the AL East is one of the strongest divisions in baseball, and the Orioles’ path to the playoffs is bleak at best. They will all but certainly be sellers at the trade deadline, and they will have several intriguing players to offer. Guys like Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, and Ramon Laureano can provide immediate impact, but are on one-year deals, which is not what the Royals will be looking to add.

The Orioles also have several young and controllable bats, like Heston Kjerstad, Dylan Beavers, and Dylan Carlson, who could all be available. But all three guys also come with a fair amount of risk. Kjerstad was a former top 100 prospect who has had some major league success but struggled immensely in 2025 and was sent back to AAA. Carlson is having the best season of his career at the plate, but is a bit of an outlier compared to his previous years. And Dylan Beavers has dominated in AAA but has yet to see an AB in Baltimore.

The Orioles will be looking to reload for 2026 and will likely take calls on any outfielders they can get value for. Beavers would be my favorite target as he brings the bat skills the Royals need, and he is more than ready to get out of AAA, but the Orioles’ willingness to trade him will depend on the offers they get for other guys in the outfield. None of these players should be out of the Royals’ price range, and while it is hard to predict what the Orioles may ask for in a trade, the value for these bats should be very attainable for Kansas City.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Coming into the season, the Diamondbacks felt like a team that was almost a lock to make the playoffs, just two years after making the World Series. However, early-season struggles in Arizona may have altered their approach to the deadline. While Arizona is two games above .500 and still in the NL playoff race, they have suffered numerous key injuries, and management will think long and hard about the future and whether selling at the deadline may be best for them going forward.

The Diamondbacks have several players with just one year remaining on their contracts and could get some significant value at the deadline. If the Diamondbacks feel that they won’t be in contention this season, getting value for players who may not be a part of their long-term plans could be in their best interest. With Corbin Burnes getting TJ surgery and missing the rest of the year, this incentive becomes even higher, and the Royals could be interested in several hitters in Arizona.

Guys like Eugenio Suarez and Randall Grichuk could raise some interest from the Royals, but only have one remaining year of team control. Unless the Royals felt that they could reach an extension, these guys are likely not going to be high on their priority list at the deadline. Other guys like Lourdes Gurriel may be too expensive for the Royals to be willing to make a competitive offer.

The two names that feel like they could be a fit for the Royals are Pavin Smith and Jake McCarthy. Smith is a big bat who has posted an OPS over .850 in each of the last two seasons and has experience playing both corner outfield positions. Jake McCarthy is a young outfielder who can play all three positions and appeared to be breaking out last season when he hit .285/.349/.400 and was a top-tier defender. He was demoted to AAA after some struggles at the plate earlier this year and a crowded outfield, but he could find some play time in Kansas City and may be more effective in their big outfield at Kauffman.

The Royals have plenty of pitching to offer the Diamondbacks, who desperately need it after being ravaged by injuries and several players hitting free agency this offseason. The Royals could likely acquire McCarthy for cheap, although Pavin Smith may be more expensive. Randal Grichuk is also a possibility, but with the potential that he leaves this offseason, there is a lot of risk in giving up prospects for him.

The Royals need hitting, and despite their recent offensive success, they have clear needs in the outfield that can be addressed at the deadline. They will have plenty of opportunity to add during the deadline, and finding a controllable bat at an affordable price may be a tall task, but one necessary for the future success of the team. My favorite options for trades would likely be the Marlins and the Nationals, as there is a clear need for pitching for both teams and an excess of outfield talent. It may be costly, as years of control in the MLB come at a premium, but if the Royals are hoping to make the playoffs in 2025 and beyond, expect one of these teams to be involved in a trade for an outfielder in July.