The Kansas City Royals are looking to start turning things around in 2026, as they know they are close to being a contending level team again, they just need to be aggressive with fixing areas that were liabilities, like second base and their outfield, while also better structuring the team for the future.
*Prediction*
One way in which they can do so is by making trades, and one of the names popping up frequently in trade discussions has been Kris Bubic. With pitching being an entire issue around the league, the Royals should be able to find a team to trade Bubic to a team that is looking to fill out their pitching depth. The team that makes the most sense to trade for Bubic is the New York Yankees.
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Kansas City Royals Trade Kris Bubic to the New York Yankees
For a New York Yankees team that has Aaron Judge and should be in the midst of their championship window looking to advance the team in anyway possible to capitalize on this window, the lack of moves throughout the offseason so far is concerning.
The Yankees need to modify their roster in numerous spots, and yet have not fully been aggressive in doing so throughout free agency so far. If the Yankees are going to be competitive, they need to start to make trades to restore the confidence that they will remain a contending team in 2026.
One of the spots the Yankees must address is their pitching. When the unit is fully healthy they have shown they are a top unit,  but entering 2026 their depth is already thin. Gerrit Cole won’t start the season as he continues to recover from Tommy John Surgery, and even when he returns he won’t be playing at full strength. Then there is Carlos Rodon who dealt with elbow issues that required surgery, putting him on track for an early-season return but he won’t be fully healthy, and neither will Clarke Schmidt as he also had Tommy John surgery and won’t return until the All-Star break.
The Yankees need more pitching depth at the top of the rotation, and they can achieve this by trading for Kris Bubic.
While Kris Bubic has dealt with his own injury issues, he is coming off a turnaround 2025 season that can provide hope that he is turning a corner, and can provide the stabilizing play that New York needs. With Bubic, he is coming off a 2025 season in which he finished with a 2.55 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate.
At just 28 years old, Kris Bubic has flashed his upside, and that is something the Yankees can bank on upon trading for him. The potential is there with Bubic, and his style of pitching is exactly what New York needs to round out their pitching to be competitive in 2026.