The Kansas City Royals should be an interesting team to watch this offseason. They finished 82-80 and fell to third place in the American League Central this year, missing the postseason.
Their offense let them down this season, and that is an area of improvement for next year’s club. The Royals seem to prefer going the trade route instead of diving into free agency for a bat with options there being so limited.
To get the quality of bat that they need, they’ll have to trade a pitcher. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed the top trade candidates from each team, and for the Royals it was left-hander Kris Bubic.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Kris Bubic Remains Top Trade Candidate
“The Royals already have Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Cole Ragans, Noah Cameron and quite a few more-than-viable No. 5 starters at their disposal, so if they can turn Bubic into a similarly-priced outfielder who can actually contribute on offense, why wouldn’t they pursue that?” Miller wrote.
Bubic was an All-Star for the first time this year, going 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts, but an injury ultimately cut his season short. But if he can stay healthy in 2026, he could still be a solid pitcher.
Of the Royals starters, Bubic is the one that they can afford to move. He is entering the final year of his contract, and thanks to his success in 2025, he could bring back a solid outfield piece from a team in need of pitching.
The Boston Red Sox are a team that lines up well with both Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran being shopped. They also need a frontline starter to go along with Garrett Crochet, and the Royals could give them that with Bubic.
Kansas City already has a solid starting rotation, so they can afford to lose Bubic as long as they get what they need from an offensive standpoint.
One big addition on the offensive side could truly transform the Royals and have them right back
in the postseason in 2026 after falling short in 2025. It will be interesting to see who the Royals can bring back, but the easiest way for them to get what they need is to trade Bubic before his contract expires.