Three Impactful Moves That the Royals Could Make at the Trade Deadline

 With the All-Star Game behind us, the next major event in baseball is the Trade Deadline on Monday, August 3rd. With a 38-59 record and 0.2% odds of making the postseason, the Royals need to take advantage of the trading period, hoping to acquire talent that can impact the organization at both the Major and Minor League levels. 

The Royals aren't necessarily "flush" with tradeable assets right now. Many of their best assets are hurt (Kyle Isbel, Kris Bubic, and Carlos Estevez), or have lost a tremendous amount of value since last season. However, that doesn't mean the Royals should or will sit on their hands over the next few weeks. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the Royals made some of those tough trade decisions, even if it meant losing some popular players. 

Thus, let's look at three possible trades for Kansas City by the August 3rd Trade Deadline and why those deals could make sense for the respective teams and the Royals. 

Pitcher Alex Lange to the Chicago Cubs for Infielder James Triantos

The Cubs are desperate for relief help. While they rank 16th in bullpen ERA, they are anchored heavily by closer Jacob Webb. After that, it's shaky, especially with so many relievers on the IL (Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey, Hoby Milner) or struggling on the mound (Phil Maton and Drew Pomeranz). The North Siders need someone who can produce not just strikeouts, but swing-and-miss ability as well.

Lange could be the right fit for this lackluster Cubs bullpen. Northside Baseball brought up Lange as a possibility, saying this about the 30-year-old Royals reliever:

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Despite the inflated ERA, Lange owns a much more encouraging 3.97 FIP, suggesting he's pitched better than the surface-level results indicate. There have certainly been some bad breaks mixed in with the command issues. More importantly, this is someone with legitimate late-inning experience. Lange recorded 26 saves with the Detroit Tigers back in 2023, his last fully healthy season, and he's already picked up eight saves with Kansas City this year. That kind of experience has value, especially for a team that could be playing plenty of close games down the stretch.

There's also a lot to like from a stuff standpoint. His slider, sinker and changeup all come with strong movement profiles, giving him multiple weapons capable of missing barrels when he's around the strike zone. The 12% walk rate is definitely something to keep an eye on. That's probably what keeps him from immediately stepping into the ninth inning if he were traded. Instead, he'd likely fit best in a sixth- or seventh-inning role while giving manager Craig Counsell another experienced high-leverage option to lean on.

 

There are plenty of issues with Lange's profile. He gives up a lot of hard contact, and his control is spotty, even if it has improved since he took over the closer's job. However, Lange generates whiffs and throws heat. That's a profile that the Cubs want and can work with. (Remember Brad Keller last year?)

Lange doesn't have any Minor League options, but he has two years of club control after this season. Furthermore, he's currently pretty cheap, making only $900K. Thus, the Cubs could not just get a strong reliever, but one with plenty of financial flexibility. That is valuable, even for a club as flush as the Cubs. 

An option the Royals could get back in return is Triantos, a 23-year-old infielder who's stuck in Triple-A. The former 2021 second-round pick is hitting well in Triple-A Iowa with a .311 average and 100 wRC+ in 355 plate appearances. He also has seven home runs and 18 stolen bases. Triantos doesn't offer much power or exit velocity on batted balls, but he doesn't whiff and doesn't strike out, two skills the Royals have really valued in hitters. 

Triantos is on the Cubs' 40-man roster. That said, he's currently blocked by Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner, both of whom are on long-term deals. Thus, the 23-year-old infielder could be a fit in Kansas City, especially as a right-handed bat.

At the very least, he could platoon with Michael Massey at second base for now, and perhaps get more playing time at other positions if he can hold his own at the plate.  Furthermore, Triantos carries plenty of long-term value, especially with no service time on his clock just yet. 

Outfielder Lane Thomas to Atlanta for Pitchers Drue Hackenberg and Luis Vargas

The Braves are at the top of the NL East and have been comfortably so for a while. However, the Phillies and Marlins have been closing in fast, with Philadelphia just two games behind and Miami four games behind at the All-Star Break. Thus, Atlanta needs to beef up their roster, especially on the hitting end.

Michael Harris II has been great, but the rest of the outfield is a bit suspect. Mauricio Dubon and Eli White just aren't going to cut it, and while he's hurt, Mike Yastrzemski was inconsistent when he was healthy. Add that to questions regarding Ronald Acuna Jr. and his hamstring, and it makes sense that Atlanta could pursue Thomas to add some much-needed depth in the outfield. 

Thomas' 102 wRC+ is 20 points higher than White's and just 1 point lower than Dubon's. Furthermore, Thomas can play centerfield against lefties when Harris needs a night off. The former National and Guardian has thrived since getting everyday playing time, and his ability to not chase, launch the ball, and pull the ball in the air consistently should intrigue Atlanta. 

In exchange, the Royals would receive two talented but flawed pitchers currently in the Braves' farm system. 

The prize of the bunch would be Hackenberg, a 24-year-old former Virginia Tech pitcher. A second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Hackenberg has a 4.88 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 4.17 FIP, and 14.4% K-BB% in five outings and 24 IP with Gwinnett. The stuff and extension haven't been great for Hackenberg, but he's generated a lot of whiffs, a lot of strikes, and a lot of weak contact, according to TJ Stats Statcast percentiles. 

Considering the injuries to the Royals' pitching staff, Hackenberg could come up right away and get a shot for some starts in August and September. If he does well, he could be a long-term option in the rotation, or at the very least a hybrid starter/reliever with long-term control.

Vargas is still in Double-A, but he's the opposite of Hackenberg: the stuff is electric, and he generates strikes and whiffs in bunches. Unfortunately, he also walks hitters in bunches, which explains why he's still in Double-A despite being 24 years old and Rule 5 eligible. Still, the Royals need to take chances with pitchers with this profile and let them see what they can do, even if they don't have the "experience."

Hackenberg and Vargas aren't high-caliber pitching prospects by any means. However, they could make an immediate impact on the Royals' pitching staff in both the short and long term, which is what a team wants to get in exchange for a rental like Thomas. 

Pitchers Michael Wacha and Lucas Erceg for Pitchers Tink Hence and Richard Fitts, 1B/3B Blaze Jordan, and OF Victor Scott II

The Royals may not be willing to move Wacha, especially if they're hoping they can win in 2027. To be competitive again next year, they will need starting pitching at the top of the rotation, especially with Cole Ragans missing the start of next year and Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron experiencing regression in 2026. Hence, they may need to keep Wacha, simply because they don't have many dependable options for next year.

That said, there have been reports that the Royals could trade Wacha if they were impressed and overwhelmed by a deal. This proposed deal could be the offer that could convince Kansas City to move forward, even if losing an All-Star like Wacha would be tough to stomach initially. 

In this deal, Kansas City would include reliever Lucas Erceg, who hasn't been good, but has been good in the past and has three years of club control after this year (as well as three Minor League options). However, including Erceg here would be important to maximize the Royals' return from the Cardinals.

In exchange for Wacha and Erceg, the Royals would get two intriguing arms in Hence and Fitts, corner infielder Jordan, who's currently on the Major League squad in St. Louis, and outfielder Scott, a former heralded prospect who's struggled and is back in Memphis.

Hence has long been a top pitching prospect who's moved slowly in the Cardinals system. He's had numerous injuries that have stunted his progression as a pitcher over the years. Hence started the year in extended Spring Training, and his numbers haven't been good in Memphis this year. In 20 IP, he has a 6.30 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 6.49 FIP, and 3.1% K-BB%. However, the athleticism and the upside are still there, and a new change of scenery may do wonders for him, even if the Statcast percentiles in Triple-A haven't been encouraging. 

Some encouraging items: he's still generating whiffs (77th percentile whiff rate) and groundballs (62nd percentile GB%). I think with some more development and recovery, the stuff will come back, and he will be a much more effective pitcher in the Royals organization, even if his upside may be as a reliever at this point in his career.

Speaking of injuries, Fitts is out for the remainder of the season. However, when he was healthy, he had a 1.76 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 15.1 IP. The former Red Sox pitcher posted a 5.00 ERA over 45 IP with Boston last year, but he showed some progress in St. Louis after being reunited with former Red Sox president Chaim Bloom.

Because of that connection, I imagine Bloom may be hesitant to give up Fitts. However, St. Louis will have to wait until Fitts' return in 2027, which they may not have the patience for, especially if they want to stay competitive in a tough NL Central division. Kansas City may be more willing to be patient, especially given the upside Fitts presents with his stuff and his Statcast percentiles.

On the hitting side, the Royals would receive a couple of players who could make an impact on the lineup immediately. Scott has struggled at the MLB level, but he's a fast player who doesn't chase and could thrive if given more reps in center field, which likely will happen with Isbel's status questionable for the remainder of the year. The exit velocity isn't there, but maybe the Royals could utilize Scott like the Rays utilize Chandler Simpson. 

Lastly, Kansas City may have a tougher time utilizing Jordan, since the Royals seem set long-term with Maikel Garcia at third and Vinnie Pasquantino at first. Then again, the Royals may look to deal Vinnie this offseason, especially given his injury issues, and Garcia's status for the remainder of the year is also questionable. At the very least, Jordan could give them a much-needed bat with upside, and if he hits, they can figure out the defense later. 

Jordan's surface-level numbers aren't gaudy (.608 OPS in 83 PA), but he hits the ball hard, doesn't whiff, and doesn't strike out. The Royals need that profile in the lineup, and at 23 years old, there's plenty of long-term upside with Jordan. 

Jordan and Scott II haven't had the most stellar seasons with St. Louis in 2026. That said, maybe a move across the state down I-70 could rejuvenate their careers. As for Wacha, he gets to return to the organization that drafted him, which he would likely be more than willing to do. That would also reduce ill will between Wacha and the Royals, which could help the Royals in negotiations with potential free-agent pitchers this offseason.