The Kansas City Royals are loaded with pitching. However, their offense is lacking quite a bit. That lack of offense cost them a chance to reach the postseason in 2025, and it’s an area they’ll need to address this winter.
To make this happen, they can always trade from their pitching depth to land a proven bat. That might be their best avenue to boost their offense.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report came up with several trade ideas with the Winter Meetings approaching, and he proposed the idea of Kansas City trading left-hander Cole Ragans to the New York Mets for Jonah Tong, Carson Benge, Ronny Mauricio and Ryan Clifford.
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Royals’ Cole Ragans Trade Idea Doesn’t Make Any Sense
Sep 23, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (55) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
If the Royals want to add a proven bat, they could trade Ragans, as he has years of club control remaining and isn’t too far removed from a strong 2024 season. They could get a solid return for him if they trade him to a contender that needs pitching.
However, this trade idea simply does not make sense. The Royals need somebody proven in their lineup, and while they would receive Tong, a solid young pitcher on the Mets’ staff, that’s not what they need at the moment.
In addition, the Royals just don’t get enough in return here. All the position players they would receive are unproven, and the Royals need somebody with a strong track record who can provide Bobby Witt Jr. with a little more protection in the lineup.
Without that proven presence, the offense remains an issue, and their pitching staff would suddenly be much weaker if Ragans were to be traded away.
The Mets do need pitching, but they also are still trying to re-sign Pete Alonso, and likely won’t want to give up a big bat to the Royals in a trade. So, if the Royals want to trade Ragans or any of their other pitchers, they should find a team that has more of what they’re looking for, which is a proven commodity or two that can bolster their offense.
The Winter Meetings start next week, and the Royals should be an interesting team to watch as they and navigate the offseason and add what they need to contend in 2026.
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