Three Royals-Yankees Trade Proposals That Could Make Sense

It is evident that the New York Yankees desperately need starting pitching for the upcoming 2026 season. Unfortunately, the opportunity to get a "big time" starter seems to be dwindling for the Yankees this offseason.

First, Dylan Cease signed a massive free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, which took a possible target off the market early in the offseason. Furthermore, Edward Cabrera was recently traded from the Miami Marlins to the Chicago Cubs. Thus, there aren't a lot of suitors remaining, though it does appear that the Yankees may make a push for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta (although they won't be the lone suitors). 

That said, if the Yankees can't acquire Peralta or another big-name pitcher via a trade, then Kansas City could make sense for them as a trade partner. The Royals are flush with starting pitching, and the Yankees have some bats that could round out and boost the Kansas City lineup in both the short and long term.

Hence, let's take a look at three trade proposals that could make sense for both sides.

Note: I used Baseball Trade Values' Trade Simulator to determine values for possible trades between both teams, and TJ Stats for stuff metrics and summary graphics. 

Noah Cameron and John Rave for Jasson Dominguez and Camilo Doval

I don't think the Royals will trade Cameron because he has tons of years of control (six) and he's a local product who hails from St. Joseph, Missouri. I think Royals fans would have a tremendous outcry if they traded a local kid who earned Royals Pitcher of the Year honors and posted a 2.99 ERA in 138.1 IP last year. 

However, if the Royals were to trade Cameron, it would need to be a deal where it "felt" like the Yankees overpaid for the St. Joe product. This suggested deal does just that.

The 22-year-old outfielder seemed untouchable a season ago, but he may be more on the block this season, especially if the Yankees are able to bring back Cody Bellinger. Dominguez had an underwhelming season last year, posting a 106 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR, with his defense lagging significantly behind his bat (-10 OAA). However, the former New York top prospect hits the ball hard, and with the right tweaks, he could provide the punch they may need in left field or designated hitter. 

A smaller-market environment could do wonders for Dominguez, as he could turn things around with the Royals, much like Melky Cabrera did when he came over to Kansas City in 2011 after spending most of his career in New York previously. 

In addition to Dominguez, the Royals would also acquire Doval, who used to close out games for the San Francisco Giants. The 28-year-old righty posted a 3.58 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 65.1 IP last year, which aren't exactly "eye-popping" numbers. That said, he posted an overall TJ Stuff+ of 105, a 29.8% chase rate, and a 28.4% whiff rate. Those are the kind of numbers the Royals are looking for from possible relief targets. 

The Royals would simply need Doval to be a middle-innings, medium-leverage reliever, not a setup man or closer (or at least not right away). Doval's presence should add even more depth to an already strong bullpen that already got stronger this offseason with the additions of Alex Lange, Matt Strahm, and Nick Mears.

Getting a high-upside outfielder and a solid reliever would help lessen the blow of losing Cameron. As for Rave, he would help round out the deal, giving the Yankees a depth outfielder whose left-handed swing could profile decently in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. 

Kris Bubic for Spencer Jones

BTV seems to believe that a Bubic-Jones swap would be equal value, which intrigues me about this possibility.

On one hand, I get why this could never happen, especially since Jones is three years younger and has many more years of team control than Bubic, who will be a free agent after this offseason. That said, what if Bubic and the Yankees were willing to commit to a contract extension after he was traded to New York? Tyler Glasnow did this when he was traded from Tampa Bay to the Dodgers. That scenario might make the Yankees more willing to part ways with Jones in a deal.

The Royals certainly would get a high-upside bat in Jones, much like they would with Dominguez. However, Jones had no MLB experience (unlike Dominguez), and the 25-year-old outfielder is a polarizing prospect due to his wonky Statcast profile from Triple-A, as illustrated in the TJ Stats summary below. 

Jones thrives in average EV (100th percentile), barrel rate (99th percentile), hard-hit rate (98th percentile), and LA Sweet-Spot% (94th percentile). Conversely, he's extremely poor when it comes to contact and plate discipline. He ranks in the 6th percentile in O-Swing%, and 1st percentile in Z-Contact%, whiff%, and K%. Jones could be a 30+ HR at the MLB level. That said, he also could be a hitter who barely hits over the Mendoza line (i.e., a .200 batting average) in his career as well.

With another free-swinging power outfielder on the roster in Jac Caglianone, would the Royals want a guy like Jones, who may not have a set spot in this 2026 lineup? That may be hard to believe, especially since the organization is focused on acquiring hitters with strong plate discipline profiles (which Jones DOES NOT have). 

Still, Jones is an intriguing, high-upside prospect who may be worth the risk for the Royals, especially if it only costs Bubic, who has struggled to stay healthy in Kansas City and is likely gone after 2026. 

Stephen Kolek for Oswaldo Cabrera and Paul Blackburn

Kolek had a really good Royals debut after he came over from San Diego at the Trade Deadline. In five starts, he posted a 1.91 ERA and 2.71 FIP in 33.1 IP. That performance helped him earn Royals Pitcher of the Month honors in September. 

However, with the Royals' rotation loaded as is, it's possible that Kolek may not make the Opening Day roster. Meanwhile, Ryan Yarbrough is projected to be the Yankees' No. 5 starter on Opening Day, according to Roster Resource. Safe to say, not only does Kolek provide more value immediately than Yarbrough, but the 28-year-old righty also holds more long-term value and club control (four years). 

A trade that could make sense for the Royals to acquire utility player Cabrera and reliever Blackburn in exchange for Kolek.

Cabrera isn't a high-profile player, as he has a career 82 wRC+ and has accumulated 1.5 fWAR in 302 career games with the Yankees. However, he can play multiple positions in the field, giving him the utility value that manager Matt Quatraro likes to utilize off the bench. Cabrera also demonstrates a pretty solid contact and discipline profile at the plate, even if there isn't a lot of pop (as illustrated in his TJ Stats Summary below). 

Cabrera could make sense if the Royals part ways with Michael Massey this offseason, who could be traded for a much-needed left-handed reliever (I suggested Tampa Bay's Garrett Cleavinger as an option in my last post). He would essentially fit into that Massey role, with even more positional versatility. He's also a native Venezuelan who likely would mesh with fellow countrymen Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia. 

As for Blackburn, his numbers at the surface level don't look good. In 39 IP with the Mets and Yankees last year, he posted a 6.23 ERA and 1.50 FIP. However, his FIP was much better at 4.39, and he limited free passes on the basepaths with a 6.9% BB% and 12.6% K-BB%. He also showed a strong ability to induce chase last year, as well as minimize productive contact, which can be seen in his TJ Stats Summary below. 

The stuff overall is meh with a 98 TJ Stuff+. That said, he seems to have a great cutter (105 TJ Stuff+) as well as an above-average sweeper (103) and curveball (102). Blackburn seems like the kind of pitcher who could thrive under pitching coach Brian Sweeney and find a place as a sneaky effective middle-innings reliever in the mold of Taylor Clarke a season ago.

Cabrera and Blackburn aren't as sexy a trade package as the other two in terms of return. However, they address some immediate needs and provide a good floor, even though the ceilings aren't as high as those in Dominguez's or Jones's.