December is officially upon us, meaning the busiest month of the offseason is about to be in full swing. Some notable free agent names have already found new homes, the trade market has already produced some major blockbusters and the pinnacle of the offseason is nearly upon us with the Winter Meetings less than a week away.

With Kansas City already being fairly active this winter, making a series of depth style moves, there’s been plenty of news for the Royals faithful to consume already. On top of that the rumor mill has churned out plenty of reports with the Royals at the center of them.

In the meantime though, while fans wait for the next Royals rumor surface, or better yet news of another official acquisition, there are a few headlines that they ought to know.

Royals News: Vinnie Pasquantino takes batting practice with rumored trade target Brendan Donovan

Of all the names tied to the Royals this season, the one that’s arguably generated the most buzz is St. Louis Cardinals’ utility man Brendan Donovan.

With St. Louis’ reported desire for major league starting pitchers and Kansas City’s need for both corner outfield and second base upgrades, this trade fit seems almost too logical.

And over the weekend, Royals fan favorite first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino only fueled the Donovan to Kansas City rumors even further.

The Pasquatch posted an image on his Instagram story on Saturday of both him and Donovan taking batting practice together with a caption saying “look who made it”.

While this isn’t necessarily a sign of things to come, it certainly gives reason for the intense speculation to continue. Time will tell if this was really foreshadowing or simply a couple of major league friends enjoying some winter workouts together.

Royals News: KC linked to one of the top international amateur free agents

Continuing with the weekend news, the Royals don’t just have their eyes set on their major league roster. They also seem to be gearing up for an active winter on the international free agent market.

According to baseball insider Francys Romero, Kansas City is viewed as the favorites to sign 16-year-old Cuban shortstop Jaider Suarez.

“Kansas City Royals are the favorites to sign Suárez for around $1.7M when a new international signing period opens on January 15, 2026,” Romero wrote on X.

Suarez is currently ranked as the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2026 international class according to MLB Pipeline, with their crew of scouts grading him fairly highly with 55 grades on his hit tool, power tool and run tool, as well as 60 grade on his arm.

“Suarez has the physical look of a potential impact talent,” Pipeline wrote on Suarez. “His right-handed swing routinely produces loud contact and his consistency in keeping his head still at the point of impact allows him to get to extra-base pop.”

A $1.7 million price tag is definitely a hefty one if last years numbers are similar the budget this time around, as Kansas City held a just over $6.9 million in signing pool capital in 2025.

That being said, to be the frontrunner on a Top 20 name like Suarez could make spending nearly a quarter of your budget on one name worth it.