How recent MLB trade could alter Royals’ pursuit for impact bat this offseason
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals pursue impact bat; Red Sox could have surplus outfield slots.
- KC matches Red Sox need for controllable pitching with young arms and prospects.
- Cardinals reset could let Royals trade pitching and catching depth for Donovan.
The Kansas City Royals are expected to be active shoppers on the trade market. It’s no secret the club needs another offensive bat to complement a young core in Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino.
The Royals scored 84 fewer runs in 2025 than in 2024. The offense struggled with runners in scoring position and it contributed to an 82-80 finish in the American League Central.
Now, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo is shopping once again this offseason.
“We just have to explore all those different ways to make the team better,” Picollo said in his postseason press conference.
The Royals have been linked to potential options in various offseason rumors. Many evaluators have connected Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran to the Royals. St. Louis Cardinals star Brendan Donovan was also listed as a potential option, as reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Both players are former All-Stars. They also have a versatile skill set that could fill a key offensive need.
However, there is a new wrinkle in both rumors. The Red Sox and Cardinals made a significant trade involving veteran starter Sonny Gray. Boston acquired Gray for its No. 5 prospect and an additional player — further emphasizing that the club entered this offseason needing some pitching help.
So how does this affect the Royals? Well, the Royals could benefit from a domino effect from both sides.
The Red Sox now have a quality starter to pair alongside Garrett Crochet in the rotation. The trade allows Boston to potentially look at other areas this offseason. One of those could be figuring out their outfield depth.
Duran has three years of team control left. He hit .256 with 16 home runs, 84 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. Additionally, he can play all three outfield positions and led the league in triples in consecutive years.
The Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders with Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafela on the roster. Jhostynxon Garcia also made his Major League Baseball debut in 2025 and is the club’s No. 3 prospect.
It’s likely the Red Sox are still willing to make a deal. The question is whether the asking price has dwindled with Gray’s addition.
That is where the Royals could come into play. KC matches well with the Red Sox on a potential offseason deal. Gray is a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, and it’s possible that Boston decides to double-up with controllable pitching.
The Royals have young starters in Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Ben Kudrna who haven’t hit arbitration yet. Kudrna hasn’t made his MLB debut but was placed on the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
If the Red Sox still value future pitching security, the Royals stack up well to potentially offer a deal.
On the flip side, the Royals could seize an opportunity with their I-70 rivals. The Cardinals could take a step back in 2026 now that Gray is in Boston.
Does the trade open the possibility for more moves? If the Cardinals are looking to reset under Chaim Bloom — the new president of baseball operations — there could be an avenue for the Royals to get the versatile Donovan.
Last season, Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs. He has experience playing all over the field but spent the majority of his time at second base.
The Royals agreed to a one-year deal with Jonathan India to avoid arbitration. However, India struggled in his first season with the Royals. He split time with Michael Massey at the keystone position and found himself with uneven playing time.
Donovan is a rising star in his prime. He plays stellar defense and posted 32 doubles and a .775 OPS in 2025. Those numbers could pair well at the spacious Kauffman Stadium, as would his left-handed bat.
And the Royals value positional versatility. It’s the reason they brought back utilityman Adam Frazier for a second stint in 2025.
It’s not known what the Cardinals could value in potential trades. However, the Royals have young pitchers alongside strong catching and infield depth in the minors. Generally, those positions are valuable to teams looking to build for the future.
All eyes will be on the Cardinals in the upcoming weeks. The Winter Meetings are from Dec. 7-11 in Orlando. And St. Louis has guys like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Donovan who could gauge interest.
Offense is a priority for the Royals this offseason. They have two new hitting coaches — Marcus Thames and Connor Dawson in tow — to figure out the overall unit.
And now, both the Red Sox and Cardinals have potential solutions. It’s just a matter of whether the Royals will strike while the iron is hot.
“I’d like to think we haven’t shown an unwillingness to do that,” Picollo said of making a potential trade this offseason. “I think we have made some moves along the way that have helped us.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2025 at 10:01 AM with the headline "How recent MLB trade could alter Royals’ pursuit for impact bat this offseason."
