Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic has been mentioned as a trade candidate. The 28-year-old will be a free agent next offseason and rumors have swirled as a result. However, there is an argument to be made for not trading Bubic.

The southpaw quietly had a successful 2025 season, pitching to a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts. He even earned his first All-Star selection. In 2024, Bubic turned in a 2.67 ERA while pitching out of the bullpen, as he made 27 appearances.

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Bubic is now clearly a starter, however. He is expected to help Cole Regans lead the rotation. So, why should the small-market Royals avoid trading him?

The Royals can realistically compete in the American League Central this season. At the moment, the Detroit Tigers appear to be the favorite. Detroit still has Tarik Skubal, and they also added Framber Valdez to their rotation. The Cleveland Guardians can also never be counted out, as they often find ways to win games despite not featuring many stars aside from Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan.

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With all of that being said, the Royals have a talented squad. Their offense is led by Bobby Witt Jr., while the pitching — both starting and relief — should find success.

Moving on from Bubic for prospects would deal a negative blow to the 2026 rotation. Trading him for an MLB ready player is a different conversation, but that would be unlikely to happen.

If Kansas City competes this season, then holding on to Bubic all season makes sense. Sure, the risk of losing him in free agency for nothing in return (aside from a draft pick) should not be ignored, but competing for a World Series is the goal.

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If the Royals struggle, though, then Bubic is almost guaranteed to be traded at the deadline one would imagine. Kansas City is not expected to be in a rebuilding year, however. The Royals should at least be able to compete for an American League Wild Card position.

In all reality, trading Kris Bubic would make sense from a long-term future standpoint for the small-market ball club. The Royals seemingly want to win now, though, so moving on from a guy who is fresh off a 2.55 ERA campaign is something they should avoid doing if possible.