MLBTR Podcast: Trade Deadline Questions About The Royals, Reds, Cardinals, Padres And More!
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Royals losing Cole Ragans to UCL surgery while Kris Bubic keeps hitting setbacks (1:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Should the Reds do a big fire sale? What could they get for Nick Lodolo? (9:35)
- Even though the Cardinals are rebuilding, should they trade from their catching depth for controllable pitching? (21:45)
- What can the Marlins do to improve the back of their bullpen? (32:15)
- What can the Mariners do for a right-handed bat? Who is mostly liked to be moved from their rotation? Should they go after Joe Ryan? (38:40)
- Will the Padres make a splash at the deadline or will they sell? (48:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Mets In Flux, The Angels Fire Their GM, And Guardians’ Catchers – listen here
- The D-Backs Battle Injuries, Boston’s Trade Chips, And More! – listen here
- The Giants Prepare To Sell, Milwaukee’s Extension Strategy, And The Busy AL Central – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Cole Ragans Undergoes UCL Sugery
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, reports Anne Rogers of MLB.com. It was reported last week that Ragans would be undergoing elbow surgery, but the details of the procedure weren’t clear. The Royals now expect Ragans to miss 10 to 12 months, per Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. That suggests Ragans may have undergone the internal brace alternative to full Tommy John surgery, as the latter would require a longer timeline of 14 months or more. Ragans is already on the 60-day injured list and will stay there for the rest of the year.
While it’s not quite a worst-case scenario for Ragans and the Royals, it’s pretty close. The lefty hit the 15-day IL in May due to an elbow impingement. He started a rehab assignment a few weeks later but that was paused due to stiffness in that elbow. Subsequent testing led the Royals to determine last week that surgery would be necessary. Now that the exact details of the procedure are known, the Royals will have to proceed without Ragans for the rest of this year and perhaps a decent chunk of next year as well.
For Ragans, it is going to continue an injury-marred stretch of his career. Not so long ago, he looked to be blossoming into an ace. Acquired from the Rangers in the summer of 2023 for Aroldis Chapman, he posted a 2.64 earned run average down the stretch that year. He mostly kept that going over a full season in 2024, putting up a 3.14 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate over 32 starts. He finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
But last year, a left groin strain and a rotator cuff strain limited him to 13 starts with a 4.67 ERA. This year, he put up a 4.84 ERA in eight starts before hitting the IL. Now he’s going to miss the rest of this season and won’t be able to pitch a full season in 2027 either.
Contractually, it won’t impact Ragans in the short term. Going into 2025, when Ragans was coming off his best season, the Royals signed him to a three-year, $13.25MM deal for the 2025 to 2027 seasons. That deal covered one pre-arbitration season and two of Ragans’ three arb years. It gave him a slight bump in pay one year ahead of schedule, while providing the Royals some cost certainty over two of his arb years. He will still be arbitration eligible for the 2028 season. His earning power in that final arb year will depend on when he comes back next year and how effective he is at that time.
For the Royals, it’s the latest bit of bad news in what is turning out to be an awful season. The club is 35-52, the worst record in the American League. The Rockies are the only club in the majors below them. Injuries have played a big role in that. In addition to Ragans, Kris Bubic, Carlos Estévez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India and others are on the injured list at the moment. Depth starters like Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna also required season-ending elbow surgeries.
The club is now destined to go into the deadline as sellers. Hopefully, they can at least recoup some young talent to help them in future seasons, though they may not have much to sell. Bubic, Estévez and India are impending free agents and could have been some of the club’s best trade pieces but their injuries have sapped most or all of their value. Other impending free agents have also performed poorly. Trading a controllable pitcher like Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha could provide some value but would hurt the club’s 2027 rotation.
As of now, Wacha, Lugo and Noah Cameron could have three spots in next year’s rotation. With this surgery for Ragans, he could be a midseason addition but won’t be ready by Opening Day. The same is likely true for Bergert and Kudrna. As mentioned, Bubic is bound for free agency. Guys like Stephen Kolek, Luinder Avila, Mitch Spence and others could try to step up and claim jobs in the interim, but the Royals may have to look for more rotation help at this year’s deadline or in the offseason.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Cole Ragans To Undergo Elbow Surgery
JUNE 27: Ragans will undergo surgery on July 1, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will perform the procedure, will not determine the extent of the surgery until then.
JUNE 23: Royals manager Matt Quatraro says that left-hander Cole Ragans will likely require some kind of surgery on his elbow. “We anticipate it being a surgical procedure,” Quatraro said, per Jaylon T. Thompson of the Kansas City Star. “We don’t know, as of right now, what it means. He’s got to see another doctor as well, but we anticipate it being surgical.” Ragans is already on the 60-day injured list.
The lack of detail in that update mean a wide variety of possibilities are still on the table. Elbow surgery can, on the low end, mean an absence of just a few weeks. For an extreme example, Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal recently underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow. He was only on the injured list for about six weeks. The other end of the spectrum would be Tommy John surgery, which usually requires 14 months or more of recovery time.
Regardless, it’s an unfortunate update for Ragans. He first landed on the IL a week into May with an elbow impingement. A couple of weeks later, he made one rehab appearance, but that was shut down due to elbow stiffness. Ten days ago, Quatraro said that Ragans woke up not feeling well and would be sent for more testing. Though there still aren’t a lot of details available, it seems the testing is pointing towards surgical intervention.
It’s the latest blow in a Royals season that appears to be going off the rails. They came into the campaign as a potential contender on the strength of their rotation, which included Ragans, Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron. Injuries have split up that group. In addition to Ragans, Bubic has been out over a month due to elbow soreness. Bubic made a rehab appearance a couple of weeks ago but experienced some shoulder discomfort and hasn’t yet restarted his rehab assignment.
The bullpen has also taken a few hits, with Carlos Estévez, Nick Mears and James McArthur all currently on the IL. On the position player side of things, Maikel Garcia landed on the shelf earlier today, joining Jonathan India, Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Isbel. Though he’s not on the IL, Bobby Witt Jr. hasn’t been in the lineup for several days due to a knee sprain.
Thanks to all those issues, the Royals are 33-46 on the year. They are technically only 6.5 games back of a playoff spot in a weak American League field, but it is going to be difficult to make gains with so many key contributors on the injured list.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Royals Acquire Randy Dobnak
6:52pm: Kansas City officially acquired Dobnak for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A. They transferred Cole Ragans from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Ragans has been out since early May with an elbow issue and suffered a setback over the weekend.
5:50pm: The Royals are acquiring right-hander Randy Dobnak from the Mariners, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Dobnak triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the M’s a few days ago. Kansas City will need to open a 40-man roster spot but have several players who could be transferred to the 60-day injured list. Though Dobnak is getting a 40-man spot, he has options and Passan says Dobnak will be sent to Triple-A Omaha initially.
Dobnak, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason. It was recently reported that there was a June 15th upward mobility clause in that deal. The way such clauses usually work is that the player is offered up to the 29 other teams in the league. If any one of them wants to give him a roster spot, the signing team has to trade him or give him a roster spot themselves.
The righty triggered the clause after a pretty decent showing for Triple-A Tacoma. He logged 70 innings over 13 starts, allowing 4.24 earned runs per nine. Considering that the Rainiers play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, that’s not too bad. His 12.8% strikeout rate was barely half of typical big league average but his 7.9% walk rate was good and his 59.9% ground ball rate was very strong.
The Mariners are perhaps the team with the least need for more rotation depth. They are already six deep at the major league level and struggling to juggle Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo. They also have prospects Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson dealing in the minors.
The Royals, meanwhile, have recently seen their starting group take a few notable hits. Each of Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Seth Lugo have landed on the IL in the past six weeks. That has left them with a patchwork rotation consisting of Michael Wacha, Luinder Avila, Noah Cameron and Stephen Kolek in four spots. Mitch Spence made a spot start this week but was immediately optioned back to the minors afterwards. Depth arms like Ben Kudrna and Ryan Bergert required season-ending surgeries earlier this year.
In short, they can use any fresh arms they can find, so Dobnak is a sensible pickup for them. If he gets called up at some point, he can add to his major league track record, which currently consists of 140 2/3 innings over multiple seasons with the Twins with a 4.86 ERA, 13.9% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 56.8% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV, Imagn Images.
Cole Ragans Headed For Testing On Arm
After feeling discomfort during a throwing session, Royals left-hander Cole Ragans is headed for testing, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. Ragans is working his way back from an elbow impingement. His rehab process has already been paused once due to renewed elbow stiffness.
“Cole woke up yesterday, not feeling as well arm-wise,” Quatraro said, relayed by Thompson. “So, when he came out to play catch yesterday, he had to cut it short. So we’re going to get him some more testing in the next couple of days.”
Ragans has been out since early May. He made one rehab appearance on May 23, tossing 4 1/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha. He “did not recover well” from that outing, Quatraro said at the time. Ragans hasn’t been back on the mound in a competitive setting since then.
The latest setback for Ragans puts a return before the All-Star break in doubt. He’d likely need multiple rehab starts to round back into form, and he doesn’t sound particularly close to pitching in an actual game. The additional testing could dictate next steps for the lefty.
Ragans made a career-high 32 starts in his first full season with Kansas City in 2024. Injuries have marred the last two seasons. Ragans missed a few weeks with a groin strain in 2025. He returned for one start, then went right back on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain. The shoulder injury cost Ragans three months. He did come back for three encouraging starts to close the year, racking up 22 strikeouts across 13 innings. Ragans has been limited to eight starts this season.
Kansas City is dealing with several absences in the rotation. Left-hander Kris Bubic is out with elbow soreness. He made a rehab start earlier this week, but experienced shoulder discomfort after the outing. Righty Seth Lugo is on the seven-day concussion IL after taking a Brandon Nimmo liner to the forehead. The Royals added Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila to the rotation with Ragans and Bubic out. The club has yet to sort out a replacement for Lugo. They don’t have an off-day until next Saturday, so they’ll need to find someone to fill the spot. Mitch Spence could be an option to return to the big-league team, though he’s struggled at Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Royals Notes: Jensen, Ragans, Altavilla, Avila, Mears
Royals catcher Carter Jensen was shifted to the leadoff spot on Saturday with the club searching for offensive production. The young backstop came through with an RBI single and a two-run homer. Kansas City scored six runs in the contest after having put up a total of five runs in four games this week.
“I like the idea of hitting leadoff,” Jensen said before the game, relayed by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. “I think I can fill the role great. I think it’s just putting my approach to my plan and just going out there and competing.”
Jensen has mostly hit fifth this season. Of his 167 at-bats, 125 have come in the No. 5 spot. He’d led off just once this year heading into Saturday. Jensen went 1-for-5 with a pair of RBI in that game, a 12-1 Royals’ win. He was atop the lineup for two games in 2025, posting three hits (all doubles) in 11 ABs. One of those matchups was a 20-1 win.
The 22-year-old Jensen hasn’t been able to recapture the form he showed in his MLB debut last year. He was slashing .222/.306/.383 heading into Saturday. The catcher is still walking at a double-digit clip, but his strikeout rate has spiked to 29.0%. Jensen struck out just 17.4% in 2025. He posted a massive 159 wRC+ in 20 games.
Kansas City has scored the second-fewest runs in the league. The team ranks in the bottom five for OPS and wRC+. The leadoff spot itself hasn’t been a major issue, as Maikel Garcia has posted near league-average numbers. Garcia was moved to the No. 3 spot for the past two games, including tonight. Lane Thomas led off on Friday.
The Royals have dropped 15 of their last 18 games. The slide has the club sitting 11 games behind the first-place Guardians in the AL Central. Despite the challenges, coaching changes are not on the horizon, per general manager J.J. Picollo. “I have a lot of confidence in our staff,” Picollo told reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “You can go back and look at all the historical research on changing coaching staffs. There’s not a lot of strong data on changing coaching staffs mid-season leading to what you need to do.”
Here’s more from the Royals…
- Left-hander Cole Ragans has resumed his rehab assignment, according to his MLB player page. The ace was shut down from throwing earlier this week after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Ragans has been on the injured list with a left elbow impingement since early May. It’s unclear when exactly he’ll make his next Triple-A appearance. Ragans last pitched on May 23.
- Kansas City added veteran reliever Dan Altavilla on a minor league deal, the club announced. The right-hander was released by Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate on Monday. The 33-year-old Altavilla has spent parts of eight MLB seasons with four teams. That includes a brief stint with the Royals in 2024, when he was knocked around for six earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. Altavilla posted a strong 2.48 ERA in 28 appearances with the White Sox last year.
- Right-hander Luinder Avila is joining the rotation, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Rogers. His next start will likely come on Monday against the Reds. Avila made a start in his first big-league appearance this year, but has since operated out of the bullpen. The righty has covered three innings in back-to-back outings. He got up to 67 pitches on Tuesday against the Yankees.
- Reliever Nick Mears was placed on the IL on Friday, the team announced. The right-hander will miss time with a right shoulder impingement. Right-hander Eric Cerantola was recalled to take his spot. Mears came to the Royals in the offseason, along with outfielder Isaac Collins, in a trade that sent lefty Angel Zerpa to the Brewers. The righty permitted runs in just two of his first 16 appearances with the club. He’s since allowed eight earned runs over his last five outings.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Dieb, Imagn Images
Cole Ragans Pauses Rehab After Experiencing Elbow Stiffness
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans will be shut down from throwing for the next few days after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Kansas City’s ace went to the injured list with a left elbow impingement in early May. Ragans pitched well in a rehab outing on Saturday, but “did not recover well” from the start, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Ragans will take some time to see if the elbow stiffness fades before resuming his rehab. The lefty relayed to Rogers that the symptoms were similar to the pain he felt during his final big-league start before heading to the injured list. Ragans was pulled after three scoreless frames against the Guardians on May 6. He returned to the mound over the weekend, tossing 4 1/3 innings with Omaha. Ragans struck out three and had his typical fastball velocity.
The 28-year-old Ragans delivered a workhorse campaign in his first full year with Kansas City. He reached a career-high 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts in 2024. The lefty has now battled significant injury issues in each of the past two seasons.
Ragans missed three weeks with a groin strain early last year. He returned for one start in June, then went right back to the IL after straining his left rotator cuff. Ragans was knocked out of his third start of 2026 after taking a comebacker off his throwing hand. He recovered in time to make his next appearance, only to go down with the elbow issue in early May.
The stuff looks normal for Ragans this year, but the command has been out of whack. He has a massive 15.2% walk rate through 35 1/3 frames. The veteran has thrown just 60.4% of his pitches for strikes, easily a career-worst mark. Ragans piled up 12 walks in his first two starts after the hand injury, so it’s possible the comebacker was to blame for his poor control numbers. His Location+ was right at league average for one of those games, though. Ragans has an unsightly 87 Location+ for the season.
The Royals are patching together the rotation with Ragans and Kris Bubic on the shelf. The results have been solid so far. Stephen Kolek came off the IL to take Ragans’ spot. He dominated the Mariners over the weekend, tossing a complete game shutout. The righty has put together 15 1/3 scoreless innings in his past two outings. Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila are tag-teaming Bubic’s rotation spot. The pair limited the Red Sox to two earned runs over five innings last week. Falter and Avila are expected to team up against the Yankees on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Royals Place Cole Ragans On IL With Elbow Impingement
The Royals announced that left-hander Cole Ragans has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 7th, due to a left elbow impingement. They also optioned righty Eric Cerantola. In corresponding moves, they have recalled right-handers Stephen Kolek and Steven Cruz.
Ragans started for Kansas City on Wednesday and departed after throwing 58 pitches over three innings. After the game, he said that he felt soreness and tightness in the bottom of his triceps and elbow. He has twice undergone Tommy John surgery but said this felt different. Manager Matt Quatraro said that removing Ragans from the game was precautionary and that he could even make his next start.
Last night, Quatraro provided more info, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The skipper said that Ragans had been diagnosed with valgus extension overload and that the next steps would be determined by how Ragans felt in the coming days. Less than 24 hours later, it seems the Royals have decided to put Ragans on the shelf for at least a couple of weeks.
Ragans is capable of ace-type results, as he showed in 2024 when he posted a 3.14 earned run average over 32 starts. He hasn’t been quite at that level since then, with injuries seemingly playing a notable role. He only made 13 starts last year, with a 4.67 ERA, missing time due to a groin strain and a rotator cuff strain. He has a 4.84 ERA this year. Perhaps a reset can help him get back on track.
There’s never a good time for a pitcher as talented as Ragans to hit a setback but the timing in this instance works out relatively well. The Royals recently lost Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna to season-ending surgeries, subtracting a couple of depth options. Kolek has also been on the IL for most of this year due to an oblique strain but was able to begin a rehab assignment a few weeks ago.
He came off the IL this week and made one start, filling in while Noah Cameron was experiencing some back tightness. Kolek tossed six solid innings and got the W but was promptly optioned to the minors, as the Royals only needed him for a spot start. This injury to Ragans has forced them to quickly reverse course. Normally, a pitcher optioned to the minors has to stay down for 15 days, but an exception is made when someone else goes on the IL.
Presumably, Kolek will step into the rotation spot vacated by Ragans, alongside Cameron, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic. Kolek, acquired from the Padres last year, has a 4.03 ERA in 165 1/3 career innings. He worked as a reliever in 2024 but was stretched out last year to good results, putting up a 3.51 ERA. His 16.7% strikeout rate was subpar but his 6.7% walk rate and 51.4% ground ball rate were both good figures.
He has a six-pitch mix featuring a four-seamer, sinker, slider, cutter, changeup and sweeper. He had a fairly balanced attack last year, using all of those pitches between 26% and 6% of the time. Statcast also classified one pitch as a curveball. He made four starts on his rehab assignment just now, with a 2.76 ERA in those.
While Ragans is out and Kolek is up, the depth is a bit thinner than it was not too long ago. As mentioned, Bergert and Kudrna are both out for the year. Luinder Avila is currently in a long relief role in the bullpen. Mason Black and Mitch Spence are on the 40-man roster but currently on optional assignment in Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Royals Notes: Ragans, Rotation, Estévez
The Royals got a bit of injury scare yesterday with Cole Ragans departing his start. He’ll continue to be evaluated but the Royals appear to be hopeful that the move was precautionary and that Ragans won’t need to go on the injured list.
Ragans threw 58 pitches over three innings before departing last night. After the game, he told Anne Rogers of MLB.com that he felt soreness and tightness in the bottom of his triceps and elbow. That sounds a bit ominous, especially for a guy with two prior Tommy John surgeries, but Ragans feels this is different. “I’ve been through the elbow stuff,” he said. “I know it’s not what I’ve been through before.” Manager Matt Quatraro told broadcaster Joel Goldberg that he was being cautious with the removal and that he’s hopeful Ragans can make his next start.
The southpaw isn’t out to his best start, with a 4.84 earned run average and 15.2% walk rate so far this year. Regardless, the Royals don’t want to lose him, knowing what he’s capable of. In 2024, he finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting after posting a 3.14 ERA over 32 starts.
If Ragans does ultimately end up on the IL, the Royals are in a decent spot to cover for him, with Stephen Kolek currently on the outside of the rotation looking in. Kolek started the year on the IL himself due to an oblique strain. He came off the IL a couple of days ago and made a spot start when Noah Cameron was experiencing some back tightness. Kolek had a strong start, getting the win against the Guardians after throwing six innings of three-run ball. But since Cameron is expected to make his next start, Kolek was optioned to Triple-A.
A pitcher who is optioned normally has to wait 15 days before being recalled but an exception is made when someone is placed on the IL. If Ragans or Cameron were put on the shelf, Kolek could be promptly recalled.
Kolek has a 4.03 career ERA and just posted a 2.76 ERA on his rehab assignment before that spot start. He would be in the rotation for a lot of teams but is currently blocked by Ragans, Cameron, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic. Other depth options on the roster including Mason Black and Mitch Spence but the Royals recently lost Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna to season-ending surgeries.
There’s also a notable injury situation to watch relating to the Kansas City bullpen. Reliever Carlos Estévez exited a rehab game yesterday due to shoulder discomfort. That’s a bit of a worrisome development since that’s a new injury. He landed on the IL a little over a month ago due to a left foot contusion suffered when he was hit by a comebacker.
Even before getting hit by that comebacker, his velocity was down and his early-season results were poor. His fastball averaged around 97 miles per hour for most of his career. He was closer to 96 last year. He was below 90 mph in spring training and posted a 7.20 ERA. In his lone regular season outing, he was at 91 mph and allowed six earned runs in a third of an inning.
Perhaps this shoulder discomfort provides an explanation for the diminished stuff but time will tell what sort of remedy will be required. With Estévez out, Lucas Erceg has been the closer. He has racked up ten saves but not in smooth fashion, having walked 17.7% of batters faced. Among pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched this year, only Connor Phillips of the Reds has a higher walk rate than that. Ideally, Estévez would come back and bump Erceg back to a setup role but it doesn’t seem like that will happen anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Royals Continuing To Explore Outfield Market
The Royals entered the offseason in pursuit of two outfielders — ideally adding one apiece via free agency and trade. They accomplished that last week, signing Lane Thomas to a $5.25MM deal and bringing in Isaac Collins in a trade with Milwaukee.
Collins played mostly left field for the Brewers. He’s loosely penciled in there for now, while Thomas provides a right-handed hitting complement to Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone in center and right field, respectively. It’s better than it was at season’s end but still not a great group on paper. Thomas is coming off an injury-riddled season. Caglianone struggled mightily in his first 62 MLB games and could benefit from more time at Triple-A. Isbel is a glove-only center fielder, while Collins’ breakout season came as a 27-year-old rookie.
Unsurprisingly, the Royals haven’t closed the door on the possibility of adding another outfielder. Collins has plenty of minor league infield experience — mostly at second with a handful of starts at third base as well. President of baseball operations J.J. Picollo indicated that while the Royals expect him to play mostly outfield, he has enough defensive versatility for the front office to keep their options open (link via Anne Rogers of MLB.com).
The switch-hitting Collins has a very patient approach. Kansas City ranked 22nd in on-base percentage (.309), and only the Rockies had a lower walk rate than their 7.2% clip. Collins provides a different skillet and generally raises the lineup’s floor, but his limited power means he doesn’t have a huge ceiling as an everyday left fielder. The Royals aren’t going to be in the market for a star outfielder in free agency, yet they’re kicking the tires on a more impactful trade possibility.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Royals could still be a factor for Jarren Duran. Rosenthal suggests that Kansas City has balked at putting star southpaw Cole Ragans in a Duran trade. Whether the Red Sox would insist on Ragans’ inclusion isn’t known, as The Athletic report indicates that Boston executives view the teams’ talks to date as preliminary.
That said, it’s clear the Red Sox are putting a lofty price on their top outfielders. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe writes that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is telling interested teams that the Sox don’t feel any pressure to trade an outfielder. They’ve taken calls on Duran and Wilyer Abreu at least dating back to the summer. Between Abreu, Duran and Roman Anthony, they have three above-average to star caliber left-handed hitting outfielders. (Anthony signed an eight-year extension in August and certainly isn’t getting traded.) Ceddanne Rafaela hits from the right side and has the ability to play the infield, but much of his value comes from his elite center field defense.
Keeping all four players limits the Sox’s flexibility a bit. They can find at-bats for them all by rotating them through the designated hitter role and getting Rafaela occasional infield work. Boston has considered swapping one of Duran or Abreu for controllable starting pitching, though they’re less motivated to do so after acquiring Sonny Gray.
The Royals have been on the opposite end. Picollo said a few weeks ago that they were open to trading a starter for outfield help. He essentially took Ragans out of that mix, though. The 28-year-old lefty finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting two seasons ago. He missed a good chunk of ’25 battling a rotator cuff strain. He’s signed for a combined $12MM over the next two years and will be eligible for arbitration in 2028. He’s a potential ace whom the Royals control for three seasons at what’d likely be no more than $25MM in total.
“We’re in a really good spot (with rotation depth), so if the right trade comes along, and it costs us a starting pitcher, we have to look at it,” Picollo told Rogers at the Winter Meetings. “It’s just not going to be Cole. … We have to ask ourselves: Is this his max value right now? Probably not. If Cole pitches like he did in ‘24, who knows what his value is going to be? We just think right now, three years of control on a really good starting pitcher, it would have to be something crazy, something that’s like, ‘How can we pass this up?'”
Kansas City has gotten hits on controllable arms like Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek. Lefty Kris Bubic might be their likeliest rotation trade candidate, but he suffered a season-ending rotator cuff injury in July and is headed into his final arbitration year. No one from that group is valuable enough to headline a trade for Duran, who is coming off his third straight well above-average season. Duran is set for a $7.7MM salary and is under arbitration control through 2028.
Even if the sides can’t line up value on Duran, the Royals will evaluate other outfield possibilities. They’re also known to be searching for left-handed relief. That was more of a luxury buy around the Winter Meetings but takes on added importance after they traded Angel Zerpa to the Brewers for Collins and righty reliever Nick Mears.
Kansas City is down to Daniel Lynch IV and swingman Bailey Falter as lefty relievers on the 40-man roster. Lynch managed a 3.06 earned run average over 67 2/3 innings but did so with a well below-average 15.6% strikeout rate. There are a few one-year deal candidates available in free agency (e.g. Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, Caleb Ferguson, Danny Coulombe). They could also explore the trade market, with St. Louis’ JoJo Romero known to be available as he enters his final year of arbitration.