The Royals have pitching depth. Will it be a trade chip to improve the offense?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals possess surplus starting pitching talent across veterans and prospects.
- Team may use excess pitching as trade leverage to bolster offensive lineup.
- Front office views rotation depth as insurance and potential trade currency.
The Kansas City Royals have a few areas to address this offseason. And it’s likely pitching will not be one of them.
On Tuesday, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo lauded the club’s sheer amount of starting pitching depth. It starts at the top with longtime veterans Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha — both signed to contract extensions.
The Royals also have All-Star aces Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. Meanwhile, young starters Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila all made their Royals debuts this season.
Other options include Michael Lorenzen — who has a mutual option for 2026 — Alec Marsh, Bailey Falter and Kyle Wright. Marsh missed the entire season with a right shoulder injury and Wright was still pitching in the minor leagues.
“We saw how much Cole Ragans can change a game for us in the last three starts,” Picollo said. “I mean, it’s dominant type stuff. Kris Bubic, being an All-Star this year, it’s hard to ignore him and say he is fighting for a spot. But then, you get Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila to compete for that spot. So, there’s a lot of depth with how it works out at the end.”
The Royals needed every starter to navigate the 2025 season. Injuries often occur and there are shifts in performance. But the Royals had enough depth to compensate.
Now, the Royals have some decisions to make. The club’s offense needs improvement and quality starting pitchers — with MLB experience — are a valuable currency.
“I think the positives we can talk about is pitching,” Picollo said. “I mean, the pitching was consistent all year, considering all the different injuries we had and the challenges we had. I think in the end, we’re top-10 starting pitching and top-10 bullpen. So, that’s quite an accomplishment. Really appreciate the way those pitchers stepped up.”
It’s possible the Royals could utilize their pitching depth to acquire an impact outfielder via an offseason trade. It’s similar to how the Royals traded Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Jonathan India.
At the time, the Royals had a need for a leadoff hitter. India fit the profile but ultimately didn’t work out this season. He is a prime rebound candidate in 2026, but the Reds have reaped the benefits with Singer en route to the postseason.
The Royals could look for a similar deal this offseason. At the trade deadline, multiple teams were interested in Lugo and Bubic. However, the Royals extended Lugo and Bubic got hurt after the All-Star break.
Bubic could still be a top trade target. He made his first All-Star appearance and has one year of control left before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
The Royals will evaluate all options. Picollo isn’t afraid to make a deal if it improves the overall roster.
“With depth, you are protecting yourself, number one, but then you also have assets that other teams are interested in,” Picollo said. “We don’t know if that is going to be the case or not. But if that’s the case, we know we have the depth to deal from our starting pitching. … So when you have a position of depth, it could be something you utilize to help in other areas.”
How the Royals utilize their depth will be worth watching this offseason. Picollo found success acquiring Bergert and Kolek in a trade for former backup catcher Freddy Fermin.
And now he could find himself dealing from an area of strength to finally give the club an impact bat it needs.
“Going into the season with eight or nine starting pitchers that are currently on the roster is a good problem to have,” Picollo said. “So we can feel good about that. It’s going to be some tough calls during spring training if everybody stays healthy. It’s going to be some tough calls with who our five are.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The Royals have pitching depth. Will it be a trade chip to improve the offense?."
