Philip Ruo

Image courtesy of © William Purnell-Imagn Images / © James A. Pittman-Imagn Images Despite recently trading for Sonny Gray, the Red Sox still have notable holes in their rotation. Both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval will be returning from long-term injuries, and Tanner Houck is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. There have been many reports that the Red Sox and Royals have explored trades that would include sending a starting pitcher to Boston and an outfielder to Kansas City. Most recently, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported the following after meeting with Royals GM J.J. Picollo. Let’s do a deep dive into who could potentially move to Kansas City, how they would fit, and what it might take to bring them to Kansas City. Top Potential Trade Targets Jarren Duran Duran has been the name most often mentioned in trade talks. He would slot perfectly into the top of the lineup, and having Duran and Witt batting one and two, respectively, would be among the most dynamic in baseball to watch. Duran has accumulated over 15 fWAR in his last three seasons, led the American League in triples the past 2 seasons, led the league in doubles in 2024, and was six behind the leader, Bobby Witt Jr., in 2025. His .332 OBP from last season would rank fourth in the Royals roster, better than Jonathan India’s OBP of .323, who the Royals acquired last offseason for his on-base abilities. Duran would also be a clear upgrade to the Royals’ outfield production. Based on Fangraph’s projections, Duran’s projected fWAR of 2.6 is just one shy of the Royals’ entire outfield projected fWAR of 3.6. Masataka Yoshida Yoshida has been primarily a designated hitter in his time in Boston, but has still played some outfield in recent years. In his first three seasons in Boston, his production dropped noticeably compared to his time playing in Japan. His defense will not provide an upgrade in Kansas City. When playing the field in 2023, his Fielding Run Value was -11. In 2023 and 2024, his offensive production was well above league-average with a wRC+ over 110 and a wOBA over .330. His production in 2025 dipped, but he missed the first 90 games of the season recovering from a shoulder injury. If the Royals trade for him, they will hope that he can return to his pre-injury form. There is also the issue of money. Yoshida is owed $18.6 million in each of his next two seasons before becoming a free agent. That salary would make him the third-highest earner next year behind only Bobby Witt Jr. and Seth Lugo. While the Royals are not necessarily opposed to committing that amount to one player, that salary could be prohibitive for adding other talent to the roster. Jhostynxon Garcia Garcia had a very brief cameo in the majors. He has had a lot of success in the minor leagues, posting an OPS of at least .810 in 2024 and 2025. He could be an intriguing option for the Royals, but he might not be the impact bat that could help the Royals in the immediate future. If included in a trade, Outfielders Less Likely To Be Involved Wilyer Abreu Abreu has been a valuable contributor to the Red Sox. One issue with Abreu is that he has been shielded from starting against left-handed pitchers. Since the Royals are also in search of a platoon partner for Jac Caglianone, Abreu is less likely to be a fit in Kansas City. Ceddanne Rafaela Rafaela is a defense-first center fielder. While his offense was decent in 2025, the Royals will be looking for more power in the outfield. His 95 OPS+ from last season would be an improvement over most of the Royals' outfielders, but ideally, they are adding an above-average bat to boost their lineup. Roman Anthony Anthony finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting while appearing in only 71 games. The Red Sox already signed him to an extension, so if there were a player who was considered untouchable, it would be him. Kristian Campbell Campbell spent most of his season at second base before being optioned to Worcester in June. With his role on the Boston roster uncertain heading into next season, Kansas City would be assuming risk by acquiring him with the expectation of making an immediate impact. He also received an extension last season, so despite his struggles, that makes a move less likely. Trade Scenarios Below are three different trade scenarios involving Royals pitching and a Red Sox outfielder. 1. Blockbuster Trade Red Sox receive: SP Cole Ragans Royals receive: OF Jarren Duran OF Jhostynxon Garcia (No. 2 Boston prospect) SP John Holobetz (outside of the top 20) This trade would receive a lot of comparisons to last year’s trade for Garret Crochet from the White Sox. Crochet was traded in exchange for four prospects, two of whom were in MLB.com’s top 100 prospects at the time. Unlike Crochet, Ragans has three seasons left until free agency, which is enough to yield a bigger haul for Kansas City. Ragans and Corchet profile similarly in their first few seasons, both producing high strikeout rates and low walk rates. Below is a comparison between Ragans's career and Crochet's career before getting traded to Boston. This trade return is headlined by Duran and Garcia, both of whom help Kansas City solve issues in their lineup. Duran adds an impactful bat to the top of the lineup to pair with Bobby Witt Jr. Garcia, while maybe not quite ready to be playing every day, could be an option for a short-side platoon partner for Caglianone in right field. This could be a good way to ease Garcia into a major league lineup, but only against left-handed pitchers. The inclusion of Holobetz is mostly about adding more value to the trade and adding a pitching option for the future in Kansas City. According to MLB.com’s prospects list, his ETA for the major leagues is 2027. Assuming that there are no other trades that send away pitchers, the Royals will still have plenty of major league depth in their rotation. 2. Major Trade Red Sox receive: SP Noah Cameron C Blake Mitchell (#2 Royals prospect) SP Steven Zobac (#15 prospect) Royals receive: OF Jarren Duran This trade is headlined by Duran and Cameron. The Royals would be capitalizing on Caermon’s excellent rookie campaign and would be hoping to “trade high” on him. Cameron finished 4th in the AL Rookie of the Year voting and has five years of control left. He may not be the big arm in the rotation that the Red Sox would be looking for long-term, but he would be a solid arm in their rotation for years to come. The Royals would also be dealing from another position of strength, catcher depth. With the emergence of Carter Jensen on the MLB roster last season and Salvador Perez being ever-present in the Royals lineup (and signing a contract extension), Mitchell does not have an easy path to gametime at the MLB level. The Red Sox adding him would not require them to move on from either Connor Wong or Carlos Narvaez, but it would give them flexibility moving forward at the catcher position. Zobac is on the 40-man roster and could potentially see major league action despite his struggles last year. He could maybe contribute by bolstering the Red Sox in the bullpen. 3. Minor Trade Red Sox receive: SP Kris Bubic Royals receive: OF Masataka Yoshida OF Miguel Bleis (No. 14 Boston prospect) This trade would leave each team a little disappointed, given how much smoke there has been regarding trades this offseason, but this would leave each team slightly better off. Yoshida would provide a bat to the Royals' outfield, with some time as a designated hitter, and they could get a return for Bubic instead of letting him walk in free agency. The Red Sox would add an all-star caliber pitcher to their rotation and free up salary space to pursue one of the big bats in free agency. The inclusion of Bleis adds a high-upside outfielder who has also suffered many injury setbacks in his career. His speed and defense would profile well for Kauffman Stadium's large outfield eventually. Interested in reading this situation from the Red Sox perspective? We have a complementary piece on our Red Sox site! View full article

The 2025 Royals struggled to stay above .500, finishing the season with an 82-80 record. While there was plenty of blame to go around for failing to reach October after their successful run in 2024, little of that blame can be squared at the starting rotation. The Royals' starting five pitched to a 4.00 FIP in 2025, good for tenth in all of baseball, all while Cole Ragans pitched 61 innings before losing most of the season to injury. The Starting Rotation 1. Cole Ragans Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 186.1 10.77 3.24 3.14 2.99 2025 61.2 14.30 2.92 4.67 2.50 Ragans had his breakout year in 2024, finishing 4th in the AL Cy Young voting. In 2025, he struggled to stay on the mound, missing roughly three months with a left rotator cuff strain. Once he returned to the rotation in September, he reminded Royals fans how valuable he is, pitching every fifth day. Ragans is definitely the ace of this rotation, and if he can remain healthy, he could once again find himself in the Cy Young conversation. 2. Seth Lugo Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 206.2 7.88 2.09 3.00 3.83 2025 145.1 7.74 3.41 4.15 4.53 Lugo took a step back following his excellent 2024 season, when he finished runner-up in Cy Young voting. After signing his two-year extension at the trade deadline, Lugo struggled and eventually landed on the injured list for a lower back issue. Entering his age-36 season, it would be naïve to expect his 2024 performance to return. If he can stay healthy and eat up innings, he will continue to be a valued asset to the Royals’ rotation. 3. Michael Wacha Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 166.2 7.83 2.43 3.35 3.65 2025 172.2 6.57 2.35 3.86 3.66 Wacha had another steady year pitching, having nearly an identical performance as the year prior. He was a steady presence in the rotation while other pitchers struggled with injuries. 4. Kris Bubic Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (bullpen) 30.1 11.57 1.48 2.67 1.95 2025 116.1 8.97 3.02 2.55 2.89 Bubic had a breakout first half of his 2025 season, earning him his first All-Star selection after Tommy John surgery caused him to miss most of the previous two seasons. After appearing out of the bullpen exclusively in 2024, he took advantage of his opportunity to return to the rotation in 2025. Unfortunately, a rotator cuff strain suffered in late July caused him to miss the rest of the 2025 season. He is expected to be ready for Opening Day, but enters his final year of arbitration and has been mentioned in trade rumors as the Royals explore adding an outfielder. Whether he's on the Royals or another team, hopefully, he can recreate his All-Star caliber performance post-recovery. 5. Noah Cameron Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (minors) 128.2 10.42 2.52 3.08 3.28 2025 138.1 7.42 2.80 2.99 4.18 Cameron was called up in late April when injuries started impacting the rotation, and he quickly proved he belonged. He finished the season leading the pitching staff in rWAR with 3.8 and finished fourth on the AL Rookie of the Year voting. If he can take the next step in his development and continue to limit base runners, he will be a strong asset to this rotation, especially for a fifth starter. Like Bubic, Cameron has also been mentioned in trade rumors. Major League Depth 1. Stephen Kolek Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (bullpen) 46.2 7.5 2.3 5.21 3.57 2025 112.2 6.2 2.5 3.51 3.82 Kolek was acquired by the Royals last year at the trade deadline. He was packaged with Ryan Bergert in exchange for Freddy Fermin. Kolek did a good job in stabilizing the rotation when other starters started heading to the injured list. In his five starts in Kansas City, he posted a 1.91 ERA in 33 innings. While his performance in Kansas City is likely to regress, Kolek showed what he can bring to this rotation once called upon. 2. Ryan Bergert Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 186.1 10.77 3.24 3.14 2.99 2025 61.2 14.30 2.92 4.67 2.50 Bergert was also acquired in the Fermin trade. Bergert had a decent first season in the major leagues, starting the season in the bullpen before earning a spot in the Padres’ rotation in June. Although Bergert struggled to go deep into games, only making it to six innings pitched once, after being dealt to the Royals, he got off to a good start, allowing two runs or fewer in his first six starts. He finished the year on the injured list with a right elbow strain. Barring a setback, he is set to enter spring training without limitations and challenge for a spot in the rotation. Prospects 1. Luinder Avila Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (minors) 87.0 8.8 4.9 4.14 - 2025 (bullpen) 14.0 10.3 3.9 1.29 2.14 Avila is the Royals’ #13 prospect. Read a detailed write-up of him in our breakdown of prospects ranked #11-15. 2. Ben Kudrna Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (minors) 115.1 9.3 4.1 4.68 - 2025 (minors) 105.1 9.1 4.3 5.81 - Ben Kudrna is the Royals' #5 prospect. Read a detailed write-up of him in our breakdown of prospects ranked #1-5. 3. Mason Black Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (SF) 186.1 10.77 3.24 3.14 2.99 2025 (SF) 61.2 14.30 2.92 4.67 2.50 Black was traded from the Giants on November 11 after being designated for assignment. Black has failed to impress at the major-league level with an ERA of 6.47 in 10 appearances across 2024 and 2025. His only win was, coincidentally, against the Royals in 2024. Black was once a top-10 prospect in the Giants' system, and is currently ranked 21 on MLB.com’s prospect rankings. Hopefully, a change of scenery will be good for Black. Probably In The Bullpen, But Could Start 1. Bailey Falter Season Innings K/9 BB/9 ERA FIP 2024 (PIT) 142.1 6.1 2.8 4.43 4.30 2025 125.1 5.8 3.3 4.45 4.94 Falter had little success after being acquired from Pittsburgh at last year’s trade deadline. In four appearances (two starts) with the Royals, he had an ERA of 11.25. He had much more success in his time with Pittsburgh with a 4.32 ERA in 60 appearances (57 starts). The Royals will hope that Falter’s end-of-the-season struggles were an outlier and that he will return to the standard he set in Pittsburgh. Falter does not have any minor league options remaining, so he will likely spend time in the bullpen as a long reliever option. View full article

It was tough to find right handed outfielders as platoon options that thread the needle on the Royals salary restrictions. Conforto throws right handed and had favorable lefty splits last year, so I missed that he bats lefty. That's my bad.

Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / © Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Recent reporting from Mark Feinsand indicates that the Royals are seeking a "right-handed bat who can complement the left-handed hitting Jac Caglianone in right field." The Royals (rightfully) see Caglianone as a long-term answer in their lineup. While Vinnie Pasquantino occupies first base, the outfield is the logical home for Caglianone. It can be argued that he was rushed to the majors too soon due to the lack of outfield production, so a platoon can be a good way to ease into his first full big-league season without having the pressure of playing every day. Because this role is specifically for a platoon bat, the Royals are unlikely to spend aggressively. Below are realistic candidates who fit the likely salary range and role requirements. Free Agents Rob Refsnyder 2025: .269/.354/.484 | rWAR: 1.2 | OPS+: 131 Playing in Boston, Refsnyder has spent the last four years as a right-handed platoon option against left-handed pitching. Two-thirds of his plate appearances last season were against a left-handed pitcher, where he slashed .302/.399/.560 with a 171 OPS+. He made $2.1 million last season, so his contract could be in a range that fits the Royals' budget. Given his experience in this role and affordability, he is the ideal fit for the Royals' needs. Tommy Pham 2025: .245/.330/.370 | rWAR: 1.0 | OPS+: 95 Tommy Pham joined the Royals late in 2024 for the playoff push that ultimately ended early in the ALDS after losing to the pennant-winning Yankees. At 37, he was still able to contribute to a struggling Pirates team. Pham’s 2025 splits didn't favor hitting against left-handed pitching last season, but he has hit better against lefties over the course of his career. He would likely fit into the Royals' salary structure, so there's an opportunity to reunite. Michael Conforto 2025: .199/.303/.333 | rWAR: -0.7 | OPS+: 79 Conforto really struggled last season with the Dodgers, posting a sub-replacement-level season and the lowest OPS+ of his career. His splits against left-handed pitching were much better than his season numbers, slashing .246/.372/.385. Entering his age-33 season, Conforto might be looking for his last long-term deal and might not want to transition to a platoon player quite yet. Teams might be hesitant to trust him as an everyday starter rather than hope his regression was an outlier, so maybe a one-year “prove it” contract could be a viable option for Conforto. He would also need to take a decent payout for Kansas City to be a realistic destination. He made $17 million last year, which is probably a more realistic mark for an everyday player on the Royals rather than a platoon player. Austin Hays 2025: .266/.315/.453 | rWAR: 0.8 | OPS+: 105 Hays is the 50th-ranked free agent on the DiamondCentric free agent board. With his injury history, he is not going to command a large contract. Maybe an opportunity to play in a part-time role with limited exposure can keep him healthy for a full season. Austin Slater 2025: .216/.270/.372 | rWAR: -0.1 | OPS+: 78 Last year, two-thirds of Austin Slater’s starts were against left-handed pitching. He was acquired by the Yankees from the White Sox last year to help fill the gap when Aaron Judge was injured. However, it did not go particularly well. With the White Sox, he was just about league-average with a 100 OPS+, plenty good enough for the Royals' platoon spot. Once he joined the Yankees, he slashed .120/.120/.120 with a -32 OPS+ in 14 games. Even with 78 being the lowest OPS+ for a player in this piece, that is still a higher OPS+ than eleven of the players who the Royals played in the outfield last season. Over his career, he has had enough success as a platoon bat to think that his short Yankees tenure was an outlier. Given his experience as a platoon bat and likely salary demands, he earned $1.75 million last season. Kansas City could be a likely destination for Slater. Recently Non-Tendered Players Adolis Garcia 2025: .227/.271/.394 | rWAR: 2.7 | OPS+: 93 Garcia may not be the ideal player for this role, considering he is likely to command more than the Royals are willing to allocate to a part-time outfielder. That said, given their outfield struggles last, he should be an option that the Royals should consider in their outfield, but other teams will be interested in courting Garcia as well. Christopher Morel 2025: .219/.289/.396 | rWAR: -0.3 | OPS+: 90 Christopher Morel is likely a greater risk, since he posted negative WAR in the last two seasons. We are not that far removed from 2023, when he had a 122 OPS+. Last season, he was only marginally better against left-handed pitching. He likely wouldn't require a large contract, which would at least be attractive to the Royals. Trade Candidates Jo Adell 2025: .236/.293/.485 | rWAR: 1.2 | OPS+: 111 After the Angels traded Taylor Ward, Jo Adell is probably less likely to get traded. While he fits the salary profile, Adell is probably more likely to be an everyday player rather than a platoon option. The Royals could likely be interested in adding him to the outfield, but probably not as just a platoon option. While searching for trade candidates, I found that most outfielders I considered either had salaries too high for this profile or were left-handed, making them poor fits to platoon with Caglianone. Given that the Royals have a surplus in starting pitching, there are a variety of teams that could be potential trade partners. Teams like the Braves, Mets, Nationals, Cardinals, Padres, Orioles, Red Sox, Rays, Astros, and Angels all could use more starting pitching. One More Noteworthy Player Mike Yastrzemski 2025: .233/.333/.403 | rWAR: 2.8 | OPS+: 109 It has been speculated on multiple sites that Yastrzemski re-signing with the Royals would be a good fit. The Royals are looking to add a right-handed bat to platoon with Caglianone and an everyday left-fielder, and Yaz does not fit either of those roles. Despite his consistent production (2+ rWAR in every season), he has been shielded from facing left-handed pitching in recent seasons. If the Royals sign Yastrzemski, then they would also need a right-handed bat to complement him in the lineup. View full article