Core, Or Out The Door? Potential Royals Trade Candidates, #6-10

The Royals will look to take a huge step forward this season after finishing 82-80, missing the wild card by five games. The team has made two trades early on, acquiring two depth pieces: center fielder Kameron Misner from the Rays and pitcher Mason Black from the Giants, in exchange for pitcher Logan Martin. 

The team will look to add an outfield power bat and a back-end starter after losing six players to free agency: reliever Hunter Harvey, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, utility Adam Frazier, and starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen, catcher Luke Maile, and outfielder Randal Grichuk. With that being said, here are 10 players the Royals should trade/cut

10: Alec Marsh, RHP
The Royals drafted Alec Marsh in the second round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Arizona State. In his senior year with the Sun Devils, he put together a 9-4 record with a 3.46 ERA with 99 punchouts. In the minors, he struggled, registering a 5.41 ERA, but had an impressive 11.4 K/9.

He made his MLB debut in 2023, registering 74 innings with a 5.92 ERA, .486 xSLG, and .381 WOBA. He’d have a solid season in 2024, appearing in 26 games with a 9-9 record and 4.53 ERA and increasing his run value from -18 to -9 while improving his walk percentage from the bottom 12% to the top 64%. 

The 27-year-old missed the 2025 season with labrum surgery and isn’t expected to return till the 2027 season. The team is currently on the hook for $820,000 with the addition of Black, and the rise of Noah Cameron could see Marsh moved to a team for cash considerations or a prospect to be named later. 

9: Nick Loftin, UTIL
Nick Loftin was drafted 32nd overall by the Royals in the 2020 draft out of Baylor. With a contact-oriented approach and solid speed, he quickly rose the ranks in the system, including a breakout 2023 season with the Storm Chasers, slashing .270 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, .788 OPS, and drawing 34 walks. He’d make his debut later that season, appearing in 19 games, hitting .323 with 10 RBIs and racking up an OPS+ of 119 and rBAT+ of 124. 

Since then, he’s struggled at the dish with a 5.3 barrel percentage and 4.7 solid contact percentage. In the last two seasons, he’s hit .199 with five home runs and 34 RBI. However, he’s shown great plate discipline with a 23% chase percentage (5.4% below league average) and an 18% whiff rate (7% below league average), according to BaseballSavant.

Loftin is projected to make $3 million in arbitration. With a struggling bat and above-average speed, a change of scenery could wake his silent bat, given his excellent plate discipline. 

8: Lucas Erceg, RHP
Lucas Erceg has been a reliable arm in a strong Royals bullpen since being acquired from the Royals in 2024 for Mason Bennett and Will Klein. Erceg appeared in 23 games for the Royals, putting up an ERA+ of 144 and finishing in the 82nd percentile in xERA and xwOBA. 

This season, he appeared in 61 games with an 8-4 record, 2.64 ERA, and two saves. His heater dominated, ranking in the top 8% in fastball evo (97.5) and the top 12% in groundball percentage (52). 

The 30-year-old is projected to get a $1.25 million raise in arbitration. A cheap contract for a guy who was a consistent arm for the team and had the second-lowest ERA out of the pen behind all-star closer Carlos Estevez. 

7: Blake Mitchell, C
Blake Mitchell, currently the #2 prospect in the organization, may be the odd man out, as the Royals extended Salvador Perez to a 2-year, $25 million deal, and the recent call-up of the team’s #1 prospect, Carter Jensen, suggests he could be on the trading block. 

The eighth-overall pick in 2023 has exhibited great plate discipline and power in the minors, sitting at a 55 overall scout rating with 60 power, 50 contact, 70 arm, and 55 fielding. He’s shown the ability to be a five-tool player, as in 486 plate appearances between high-A and Single-A, swiping 26 bases, crushing 18 home runs, and drawing 80 walks. 

This season, he struggled in high-A, hitting .207 in 169 at-bats with two home runs, 12 RBI, and nine stolen bases. However, he continued to show great plate discipline, drawing 45 walks. In the summer league, he tied for second in walks with 20 and seventh in runs with 20. 

With the catcher room full, and #9 prospect Ramon Ramirez nipping at his heels. The Royals could listen to offers from teams like the Padres, Rays, and Rangers, who are looking to add a future piece at the position. 

6: Relief Pitcher Angel Zerpa 
Angel Zerpa joined the organization as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2016, where he quickly rose through the ranks and eventually made his MLB debut on September 30, 2021, pitching five innings of two-run ball and allowing only three hits and one walk while fanning four. 

He didn’t break out until 2024, when he appeared in 60 games in the powder blue. Putting up a 2-0 record and 3.86 ERA. He had career highs in xBA (.249) and xSLG (.396). He placed 30th in groundball percentage at 59.2. 

This season, Zerpa continued to produce ground balls, posting a 63.7 ground ball rate, placing him sixth in MLB. He saw more success missing bats, setting career highs in K% (21.1), chase% (26.7), and whiff rate (16.4). The 26-year-old could draw strong interest from teams that are looking for young, high-upside pitching, as his asking price is projected to be around $1.25 million.