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Royals Hire Mike McFerran As Assistant Pitching Coach

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The Royals have hired Mike McFerran as an assistant pitching coach, the club announced. The 32-year-old comes over from the Athletics organization, where he’d spent the past two seasons working with minor league pitchers.

McFerran has never previously worked on an MLB staff. His two-year stint with the A’s was his first in a professional organization. McFerran had previously worked in the college ranks. He was at Division III Skidmore College between 2017-20 before spending three years at Wake Forest, where he oversaw their pitching lab. Nine Wake Forest pitchers were drafted over that stretch. Ryan Cusick (2021) and Rhett Lowder (2023) were first-rounders in their respective draft years, while Sean Sullivan went at the top of the second round in 2023.

Brian Sweeney is headed into his fourth season as Kansas City’s lead pitching coach. They needed a new assistant after Zach Bove stepped down to take the top pitching coach job with the White Sox. McFerran joins Sweeney and bullpen coach Mitch Stetter on the pitching side for fourth-year manager Matt Quatraro.

American League Non-Tenders: 11/21/25

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Every American League team has officially announced their non-tender decisions. It was a quiet evening in terms of subtractions, with only the Rangers parting with any marquee players. All players who were non-tendered are free agents without going on waivers. A few teams dropped pre-arbitration players from the back of the 40-man roster. It’s possible they preferred not to expose them to waivers and are hopeful of re-signing them to non-roster deals.

Here’s a full list of today’s activity in the AL, while the National League moves are available here. All projected salaries are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

  • The Angels announced they’ve non-tendered outfielder Gustavo Campero and catcher Sebastian Rivero. Campero is a depth outfielder who has hit .202/.272/.346 over the past two seasons. Rivero operated as the club’s third catcher for most of the season but spent the final few weeks on the active roster. Neither player had been eligible for arbitration. All their arb-eligible players were easy calls to retain.
  • The Astros technically made one non-tender, dropping infielder Ramón Urías after he was designated for assignment earlier in the week. He’d been projected at $4.4MM.
  • The Athletics officially non-tendered outfielder JJ Bleday, the club announced. He’d been designated for assignment on Tuesday, so this was inevitable unless they found a trade partner. Bleday had been projected at $2.2MM.
  • The only non-tenders for the Red Sox were first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and reliever Josh Winckowski, each of whom had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Lowe was projected at $13.5MM, while Winckowski was at $800K.
  • The Guardians non-tendered outfielder Will Brennan and relievers Sam Hentges and Nic Enright. The latter had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Hentges hasn’t pitched since undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2024. He underwent a right knee procedure a few months ago and will be delayed this offseason. Brennan only appeared in six MLB games this year and underwent Tommy John surgery while in the minors in June. He’d been projected at $900K.
  • The Mariners non-tendered reliever Gregory Santos, reports Francys Romero. He’d only been projected at $800K, narrowly above the MLB minimum, so the move was about dropping him from the 40-man roster. Seattle acquired the 26-year-old righty from the White Sox over the 2023-24 offseason. He has only made 16 MLB appearances with a 5.02 earned run average over the past two years because of lat and knee injuries. Seattle also non-tendered relievers Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo (the latter of whom was designated for assignment on Tuesday). Thornton had been projected at $2.5MM and is coming off a 4.68 ERA through 33 appearances. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in August.
  • The Orioles non-tendered swingman Albert Suárez, the team announced. Everyone else in their arbitration class was offered a contract, surprisingly including first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan). Suárez, 36, was a solid depth starter in 2024. He was limited to five MLB appearances this past season by a flexor strain but is not expected to require surgery.
  • The Rangers non-tendered each of Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Josh Sborz and Jacob Webb. MLBTR covered those moves in greater detail.
  • The Rays only non-tendered outfielders Christopher Morel and Jake Fraley, each of whom had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reported last night that the Rays were open to bringing back Fraley at a lower price than his $3.6MM arbitration projection.
  • The Royals non-tendered outfielder MJ Melendez and reliever Taylor Clarke, per a club announcement. Melendez, who’d been projected at $2.65MM, was an obvious decision. The former top prospect never developed as hoped and is a career .215/.297/.388 hitter over parts of four seasons. Clarke isn’t as big a name but comes as the more surprising cut. He’d been projected at just $1.9MM and is coming off a 3.25 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate over 55 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
  • The Tigers are non-tendering utility player Andy Ibáñez, according to Romero. He’d been projected at $1.8MM. The righty-hitting Ibáñez had been a solid short-side platoon bat for Detroit between 2023-24. His production against southpaws dropped this year (.258/.311/.403), limiting his value. The Tigers optioned the 32-year-old to Triple-A in early June and kept him in the minors until shortly before the trade deadline. Detroit also dropped the six pitchers they’d designated for assignment earlier in the week: Tanner Rainey, Dugan Darnell, Tyler Mattison, Jason Foley, Jack Little and Sean Guenther.
  • The only Twins non-tender was outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who’d been designated for assignment this morning to make room for the Alex Jackson trade. Everyone in the arbitration class was brought back.
  • The White Sox non-tendered outfielder Mike Tauchman, as first reported by Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The lefty hitter turned in a solid .263/.356/.400 line in 93 games this past season. Tauchman has gotten on base at plus rates in three straight years but was also non-tendered by the Cubs a year ago. The 34-year-old (35 next month) had been projected for a $3.4MM salary. The Sox also announced they’ve dropped lefty reliever Cam Booser and first baseman Tim Elko. Neither had been eligible for arbitration. The former posted a 5.52 ERA in 39 appearances after being acquired from the Red Sox last winter, while the latter hit .134 in his first 23 MLB games despite a 26-homer season in Triple-A.
  • The Yankees announced five non-tenders. Relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, Jake Cousins and Ian Hamilton were all cut loose, as was pre-arbitration righty Michael Arias. Leiter, who’d been projected at $3MM, never clicked in the Bronx after being acquired at the 2024 deadline. He posted a 4.89 ERA in 70 innings as a Yankee. Hamilton, Effross and Cousins were all projected just above the MLB minimum but are cut to clear roster space. Hamilton was on and off the active roster and posted a 4.28 ERA in 40 big league frames this year. Effross was limited to 11 appearances and has been plagued by various injuries for the past three and a half years, while Cousins is working back from Tommy John surgery. Arias has never pitched in the big leagues and could be brought back on a minor league deal.

The Blue Jays tendered contracts to all unsigned players on the 40-man roster.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: 11/21/25

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The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.

These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who were borderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.

Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.

All salary projections in this post come via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are from The Associated Press unless otherwise noted.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

Royals, Jonathan India Avoid Arbitration

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The Royals have signed infielder Jonathan India to a one-year, $8MM deal for the upcoming season, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. India, projected for a $7.4MM salary by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, had been widely viewed as a non-tender candidate on the heels of a poor first season in Kansas City, but he’ll return and hope to rebound in 2026. He’ll be a free agent next offseason.

India, 29 next month, posted career-worst marks in most categories during his first season as a Royal. The former NL Rookie of the Year was traded to Kansas City alongside Joey Wiemer in a deal that sent right-hander Brady Singer back to Cincinnati. India’s .233 batting average, .323 on-base percentage, .346 slugging percentage, nine home runs and zero stolen bases (in four attempts) were all career-low marks — despite the fact that his 136 games played and 567 plate appearances were both the third-highest totals he’d tallied in five seasons.

Despite those downturns, India posted better-than-average walk, strikeout and contact rates. His 18.7% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Unfortunately, he also popped up at the highest rate of his career, hit line-drives at the lowest rate of his career, and continued to post sub-par exit velocity and hard-hit marks.

The move to Kansas City and the spacious Kauffmann Stadium always seemed like a dubious fit for the former first-round pick. India hit .266/.364/.444 at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park during his four years as a Red, compared to just .241/.341/.381 on the road. He hit 54% of his home runs at GABP despite the fact that only 48% of his plate appearances in that time came at home. India homered roughly once every 32 plate appearances at home compared to once every 39 on the road. Statcast ranks GABP as the second most homer-friendly park in the game for right-handed hitters; Kauffman Stadium is 19th.

Kansas City also gave India his first major league experience at positions other than second base, with 146 innings in left field and 149 at third base. (He’d played third base in college and in the minors.) Neither experiment went well. Statcast and Defensive Runs Saved panned his glovework at both spots and at his customary second base, where he’s never graded as even an average defender.

There’s clearly a track record of better results with India, who entered 2025 as a career .253/.352/.413 hitter. A disproportionate amount of his career production, however, came in a rookie season that now looks like an outlier. India was a deserving Rookie of the Year in ’21 when he hit .269/.376/.459 with 21 homers and 34 doubles in 651 plate appearances. But from 2022-24, that production slipped to .247/.343/.393 with 42 homers in 1597 plate appearances.

The Royals are betting on that track record and hoping that he can at least return to his 2023-24 form. There aren’t many positive trend lines on which to base that hope, when looking at his 2025 season, but the Royals believed in India enough to trade a solid mid-rotation starter and apparently haven’t soured on him after the poor season.

India’s return locks him in at second base and/or left field. Maikel Garcia has seized third base as his long-term home with a terrific 2025 breakout showing. Which of those positions India plays more regularly hinges on the remainder of the Royals’ offseason moves. They’ll be in the market for offensive upgrades both via free agency and trade, but keeping India around means they’ll have even fewer resources available to pursue that goal. The Royals’ projected $143MM payroll (per RosterResource) is already higher than last year’s mark.

Royals Sign Alex Lange

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The Royals signed righty reliever Alex Lange to a one-year contract, per a club announcement. It’s reportedly a $900K guarantee that includes another $100K in performance bonuses: $50K each at 25 and 30 appearances. Lange, who attended high school in the K.C. area, had been released by the Tigers on Tuesday. The Royals had an opening on the 40-man roster and no additional move was necessary.

The 30-year-old Lange is a former first-round pick who spent a few seasons as one of Detroit’s top relievers. He worked as A.J. Hinch’s closer for a good chunk of the 2023 season, going 26-32 in save chances. Lange turned in a 3.68 earned run average while striking out 27.4% of opposing hitters across 66 innings that year. He got grounders on half the batted balls he allowed while missing bats on a huge 15.5% of his offerings. Lange was prone to bouts of wildness but his stuff played.

Lange’s strikeout rate plummeted early in the 2024 season. Detroit demoted him to Triple-A by the end of May. Lange seemed like he was bouncing back against minor league competition until he suffered a significant lat injury. That required surgery which not only ended his ’24 campaign but shelved him until August this year. Lange was essentially a non-factor for two straight years. He only pitched one time at the big league level this past season, working around two hits and a walk to complete a scoreless inning.

The encouraging sign is that Lange’s stuff didn’t appear diminished. He averaged 96.2 MPH on his sinker and 88.4 MPH on his knuckle-curve in that lone big league appearance. Both velocities were marginally up from where he’d sat two years ago. Lange punched out nearly 30% of Triple-A opponents while turning in a 4.63 ERA across 24 appearances. He also walked 14.3% of batters faced, but that’s par for the course for a pitcher who has always had well below-average control.

It’s a cheap flier on a pitcher with plus stuff and some high-leverage experience. Lange has a minor league option remaining, so the Royals can keep him in Triple-A Omaha next season without exposing him to waivers. He has between three and four years of service, meaning K.C. could control him for three seasons. Lange will need a healthy season to convince the Royals to tender him contracts that’d make the extra control years meaningful, but there’s a bit of long-term upside.

Anne Rogers of MLB.com first reported the signing and the guarantee. The Associated Press reported the bonus specifics.

Royals, James McArthur Avoid Arbitration

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The Royals announced that they have agreed to terms on a contract for the 2026 season with right-hander James McArthur, therefore avoiding arbitration. He will make $810K next year, reports Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

McArthur, 29 next month, showed huge promise a few years ago but is a big wild card now. He debuted with the Royals in 2023 by tossing 23 1/3 innings. His 4.63 earned run average wasn’t especially impressive but his 25.6% strikeout rate, 2.2% walk rate and 58.7% ground ball rate were all excellent. A tiny 54.5% strand rate seemed to inflate his ERA, which is why he had a 2.78 FIP and 2.65 SIERA.

That got him some run as the closer in Kansas City to begin 2024 but his results backed up. He tossed 56 2/3 innings that year with a 4.92 ERA. His 5.7% walk rate and 53.3% ground ball rate were still good but moved in the wrong direction, while his strikeout rate fell to a subpar 19.8% clip. He landed on the injured list in September due to an elbow sprain.

At some point in the 2024-25 offseason, he underwent surgery to repair a fractured olecranon in his right elbow, with two screws inserted. In July, Rogers reported that he wasn’t responding well to the screws, so they were removed. He didn’t pitch in any official game action for the year.

Though McArthur spent the entire 2025 season on the IL, he got his service time count up to two years and 150 days. That was just a bit past this year’s Super Two cutoff, there qualifying him for arbitration. Since he missed so much time, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a salary of just $800K, barely above next year’s $780K league minimum. Despite the modest projection, his uncertain health status made him a candidate to be non-tendered. Friday at 4pm Central is the non-tender deadline.

Instead of moving on, the Royals will keep McArthur around and hope for better health and a bounceback. Perhaps that bodes well for his health outlook in the coming season, though they aren’t risking much by agreeing to a salary barely above league minimum. McArthur still has an option and doesn’t need to be kept on the big league roster.

Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images.

Poll: The Royals’ Second Base Decision

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Just under a year ago, the Royals and Reds made one of the first significant trades of the 2024-25 offseason when Kansas City acquired Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer in exchange for right-hander Brady Singer. The trade made plenty of sense at the time, as the Reds were in need of some reliability in their rotation while the Royals were desperate for offensive upgrades in the lineup. Singer fulfilled his role with the Reds for the most part, pitching to a solid 4.03 ERA in 32 starts. Things haven’t been quite so rosy on the Royals’ side of the equation, as Wiemer did not appear in an MLB game for the organization and India fell well short of expectations.

In 136 games this past year, the 28-year-old India split time between second base, third base, and left field while hitting .233/.323/.346 (89 wRC+). He was essentially a replacement level player, worth 0.4 WAR according Baseball Reference and -0.3 according to Fangraphs. That might sound surprising considering that India was within spitting distance of league average offensively and collected 567 plate appearances, but his defense was atrocious. His -14 Outs Above Average this year was in the first percentile among all qualified fielders, and he drew negative grades at every position he played. His -6 Defensive Runs Saved weren’t quite as ugly but still well below par.

Did India struggle enough that his first year in Kansas City will also be his last? He’s due to go through the arbitration process one final time in 2026, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $7.4MM salary next year. That’s a hefty chunk of change to spend on a replacement level player, especially for a Royals club that doesn’t have much money to spend this winter without first making room in the budget. While Michael Massey’s 57 wRC+ in 77 games was even more disastrous than India’s 2025 campaign, Massey is projected for a salary of just $2MM next year and is controlled through the 2028 season.

It’s undeniable that India had the better numbers of the two and looking at his advanced metrics creates an argument that he could’ve easily been an average or better hitter with a little luck. His 18.7% strikeout rate was actually the lowest of his career, and while a 9.5% walk rate was below his career norms it was still above league average. The big problems for India were that his BABIP dropped twenty points below his career norms while he managed to slug just nine home runs after being consistently good for 15 to 20 homer power during his time with the Reds.

The good news is that India’s expected numbers were stronger than his actual production, so there’s at least some reason to believe he could bounce back a bit in his age-29 season. Some of that reduction in power figures to be due to the difference between Great American Ballpark and Kauffman Stadium, however, as the Reds play at one of the friendliest stadiums in the majors for homers while the Royals undeniably have a pitcher’s park. Meanwhile, Massey’s season offers little in the way of statistical signs that better days on the way, but it’s still worth noting he was a quality player as recently as last year and his 2025 season was marred by multiple injuries, including an ankle sprain and a broken wrist. Perhaps all Massey needs to turn things around for his age-28 season is better health.

If the Royals decided to stick with both players, they’d been committing nearly $10MM to what would essentially be a second base platoon that was below replacement level in 2025. That’s a big gamble given the club’s limited resources, but there aren’t really any safe options at the club’s disposal. Non-tendering both players would leave the team with a hole and a free agent class somewhat thin on mid-tier infield talent (Willi Castro, Miguel Rojas) isn’t likely to provide a substantial upgrade, leaving them to pursue possible trade candidates like Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Non-tendering India would free up the majority of that money while still keeping Massey in house as a potential upside option, but it’s unclear if someone who would be better than India would be available at his price tag anyway. Non-tendering Massey would save a modest amount of money but, given his years of control, would only make sense if the team doesn’t believe he’ll be able to rebound. The non-tender deadline is Friday, giving the Royals just a few more days to make a decision.

How do MLBTR readers think the Royals should address second base this winter? Should they go with India, go with Massey, keep both, or send both packing in search of a new answer? Have your say in the poll below:

Royals Select Ben Kudrna, Steven Zobac

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The Royals announced that they have selected right-handers Ben Kudrna and Steven Zobac to their 40-man roster. That protects both players from being selected in next month’s Rule 5 draft. Kansas City’s 40-man roster count climbs from 37 to 39.

The 22-year-old Kudrna was a second-rounder back in 2021. He’s long ranked among the top pitchers in what’s now a thin Royals system. Kudrna struggled to a 5.30 ERA in 106 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season, posting an average 22.9% strikeout rate and a worse-than-average 10.8% walk rate. He’s 90-93 with his sinker, generating a slightly above-average ground-ball rate and a better swinging-strike rate (12.3%) than one might expect for a sinker pitcher with pedestrian velocity.

Zobac, 25, was a 2022 fourth-rounder who missed time this season with a knee injury. He logged an ugly 7.25 ERA with a sub-par 21.7% strikeout rate but has drawn average or better grades for his heater, slider and command. Zobac posted a 3.64 ERA in 126 minor league innings during a healthy 2024 season, and the Royals unsurprisingly didn’t want to risk losing someone they’re envisioning as a potential big league starter even on the heels of an injury-marred ’25 campaign.

Kris Bubic Drawing Trade Interest From Multiple Clubs

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Royals left-hander Kris Bubic is drawing interest from multiple unspecified clubs, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. Perhaps just as importantly, Sammon also notes that the Royals are open to the possibility of moving the southpaw.

Bubic, 28, didn’t find much success in his first few major league seasons. Early in 2023, he added a slider and seemed to be on the cusp of a breakout, but that lasted just three starts before he required Tommy John surgery.

He missed the remainder of that campaign and worked out of the bullpen when he returned in 2024, but with great success. He gave the Royals 30 1/3 innings with a 2.67 earned run average. His 32.2% strikeout rate, 4.1% walk rate and 56.2% ground ball rate were all excellent figures. He posted a 1.93 ERA over four postseason appearances as well.

The Royals stretched him back out in 2025. He wasn’t quite as dominant as he was as a reliever in 2024, but his results were still quite good. He logged 116 1/3 innings over 20 starts with a 2.55 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate. A rotator cuff strain put him on the injured list at the end of July and he missed the final two months of the season. At the time of that injury, it was reported that he would not require surgery and would have a normal offseason. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, he was recently cleared to resume throwing.

Thanks to the slow start to his career and injury absences, his track record of success isn’t massive, but he has shown very intriguing flashes of upside. His winding journey also means that he is now just a year away from free agency and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $6MM salary. That’s quite modest by modern pitching standards, especially compared to what the top free agents are likely to get this winter. For instance, the top pitcher on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list was Dylan Cease. He was projected for $189MM over seven years, or $27MM annually.

The Royals are looking to bolster their offense, particularly in the outfield and at second base. However, they probably don’t have a lot of financial wiggle room. They aren’t usually huge spenders and owner John Sherman recently stated that the payroll would probably stay fairly flat compared to 2025. RosterResource currently projects them for a $142MM payroll in 2026, a tad higher than the $138MM they had at the end of 2025.

Trading some pitching is probably the club’s best path for adding offense. Their projected rotation currently includes Bubic, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila, Ben Kudrna and others. Sammon reports Ragans is not likely to be available. That’s not surprising since he’s controlled for another three seasons. Even if the Royals were motivated to move him, now wouldn’t be a good time since he’s coming off a poor and injury-marred season. Wacha and Lugo have recently inked extensions, with each signed through 2027 with club options for 2028.

That leaves the most likely trade candidates as Bubic or one of the younger and more controllable arms. The Royals may consider moving one of the other guys but they are cheap and have options, making them valuable pieces for a club without huge payroll capacity. Bubic’s value will be somewhat capped by the fact that he only has the one year of control and some spotty health on his track record. However, the salary is attractive for other clubs and could allow the Royals to save a bit of cash to use on other pursuits.

As Sammon points out, another thing working in the club’s favor is that a lot of other pitchers with upside are seemingly unavailable. Recent reports have downplayed the trade possibilities on guys like Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Hunter Greene, Freddy Peralta, Joe Ryan and Pablo López. It’s probably still fair to expect guys like MacKenzie Gore, Sonny Gray and others to be out there but every name that comes off the board gives the Royals a bit more leverage.

Since Bubic is only controlled for one more season, he should only draw interest from clubs planning to contend in 2026. That may make it a challenge for the Royals to line up a deal, as those clubs probably don’t want to meaningfully subtract from their big league rosters. It’s not impossible, however, as clubs like the Angels and Red Sox have designs on contending, have a need for pitching but also have too many corner outfielders.

If the Royals can’t line up a classic “baseball trade” in that fashion, they could always flip Bubic for prospects. That could increase their ability to trade prospects for an impact bat or two, either by moving the prospects they just acquired or guys they already had who have become more expendable by the new arrivals.

Presumably, the Royals are currently evaluating all sorts of scenarios. As mentioned, they could move a cheaper and more controllable arm such as Cameron, Bergert, Kolek or others in that camp, but Bubic is an intriguing upside play for contending clubs. There’s risk with the recent injuries but Bubic is far cheaper than the options available in free agency and doesn’t require a long-term commitment. It’s also possible that he ends up recouping a draft pick down the line, if he stays healthy and pitches well enough in 2026 to justify a qualifying offer at season’s end.

Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images

Royals, Guardians Among Teams Interested In Brendan Donovan

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Cardinals infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan figures to be one of the most sought after trade candidates this offseason. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Royals and Guardians are two of the clubs interested in acquiring him. Goold also mentions that the Yankees and Dodgers had interest prior to the deadline, which perhaps indicates they would be interested again.

Donovan, 29 in January, has a strong major league track record. He has appeared in 492 games and stepped to the plate 2,006 times. His 9.1% walk rate is solid while his 13.5% strikeout rate is much better than par. He has slashed .282/.361/.411 for a 119 wRC+, indicating he’s been 19% better than league average overall. He has also bounced around the diamond, having played all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners.

He is now two years from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary in 2026. He’ll be due a raise in 2027 before hitting the open market. The Cards are reportedly planning to engage in a multi-year rebuild and likely won’t be competitive in Donovan’s window of control.

Today, a report from Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic says the Cards are willing to entertain offers on many of their players but would prefer to hold Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera. Burleson is controlled for three more seasons and Herrera four. That perhaps gives some insight into what the Cards are envisioning as their rebuilding timeline.

That situation alone makes Donovan a trade candidate but there’s also the club’s broader infield picture to consider. Infielder JJ Wetherholt is one of the top prospects in the sport and is knocking on the door of the majors. Masyn Winn, controlled for four more years, is a strong glove-first shortstop. Wetherholt is also a shortstop but his defense is not at Winn’s level, so he’s likely to be moved to second or third base. The Cards also have Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese in the mix for playing time at those spots.

Arenado and Gorman are coming off some poor seasons and don’t have huge trade value right now. That’s especially true for Arenado, considering his contract, which features a large salary and a no-trade clause. Trading Donovan is the best path for the Cards to both recoup some meaningful young talent, likely on the pitching side, while also freeing up more playing time for others.

President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom admitted to Goold this week that he would likely be focused on acquiring rotation options. That could be controllable young guys or even veterans to eat innings. That will be especially true if they trade Sonny Gray, who is getting interest.

“We’ve definitely been listening on him,” Bloom said. “And definitely, as you would imagine, any time you have a good player, you’re probably going to get some attention and people who are interested. That’s not a surprise. He’s still one of the better pitchers in the league. We value him very highly. Just where we are and thinking long term, we’ve talked to him and we feel there might be something that makes sense. We’ll continue to explore that.”

Without Gray, the projected rotation includes Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy. Even a rebuilding club will want to do better than that. Bloom also spoke of a desire to add a veteran or two to the bullpen, though that would likely come via free agency rather than trade.

Given Donovan’s defensive flexibility, he could make sense for almost any contending club, but the Royals are certainly a good fit. “Right now we don’t have somebody who can play infield and right field, and that’s something we’ve got to look at,” Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo said to Goold, speaking generally, not of Donovan specifically. “If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield that’s very beneficial.”

The Royals have had problems in the outfield for years. In 2025, they got a collective .225/.285/.348 line from their outfielders. That resulted in a wRC+ of 73, dead last in the majors. Second base was also a problem this year. Jonathan India and Michael Massey were the primary options at the keystone. India hit .233/.323/.346 on the year for a wRC+ of 89. Massey was even worse, with a .244/.268/.313 line and 57 wRC+. India is going into his final arbitration season, with a projected $7.4MM salary. Massey is projected for just $2MM and can be controlled through 2028.

The payroll appears to be tight in Kansas City but moving on from India and replacing him with Donovan would actually save money. It would, however, require the Royals to give up something of value to the Cardinals. Thankfully, the Cards need controllable pitching more than anything and that’s something the Royals have. Kansas City currently projects to have a rotation of Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha. That leaves just one spot for Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila or Ben Kudrna.

Since pitching injuries are inevitable, the Royals would presumably prefer to hang onto that depth. However, without a lot of money to spend, there’s an argument for using those arms on the trade block to address their needs on the position player side. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that they are also looking for a left fielder and righty-swinging guy to platoon with Jac Caglianone.

Donovan swings from the left side and wouldn’t help with the latter need, though he could help in left field if he is acquired and either Massey, India or someone like Nick Loftin takes hold of the second base job. Some righty platoon bats who wouldn’t break the bank include Lane Thomas, Miguel Andujar, Randal Grichuk, Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder and Austin Slater .

The Guards are also a sensible fit. Similar to the Royals, they have been struggling to get strong production from their outfield. As mentioned, the Royals had the worst outfield production in the league in 2025. The Guards were barely above them on that list with a .225/.288/.341 line and 77 wRC+. Second base was also a weak spot, with Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann getting most of the playing time this year. Rocchio finished the season with a .233/.290/.340 line and 77 wRC+, with Schneemann posting a .206/.283/.354 line and 79 wRC+.

For both the outfield and second base, there are some potential in-house solutions. Travis Bazzana, one of the club’s top prospects, is a second baseman who is closing in on his major league debut. In the outfield, Chase DeLauter and George Valera both got late promotions in 2025. Given Donovan’s versatility, he could move around the field depending on which of those young guys are healthy and productive. His modest projected salary is also an obvious highlight for a low-spending club like the Guardians.

There’s often an abundance of controllable pitching depth in Cleveland but that’s less the case than usual right now. Their rotation was middling in 2025, but they did just bolster their pipeline by adding Khal Stephen in the Shane Bieber trade.

For the Yankees and Dodgers, their situations have changed since their reported interest in Donovan in July. The Yanks grabbed Ryan McMahon from the Rockies ahead of the deadline, moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second. They could still fit Donovan in the outfield but they will probably try to reunite with Cody Bellinger and/or Trent Grisham, while perhaps pursuing Kyle Tucker as well.

The Dodgers, they had Max Muncy on the injured list in July and Tommy Edman was banged up as well. Muncy got healthy by the end of the year. Edman recently underwent surgery to address his ankle and should be good to go by spring training. Both Edman and Donovan are capable of playing both second base and the outfield, so perhaps there’s a way they can co-exist. Donovan’s two-year window of control would line up with recent reporting that the Dodgers might look for a short-term outfield solution since they have so many prospects on the way. Donovan could fit into that plan but the Dodgers could also target more of a straightforward outfielder.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

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