KANSAS CITY – Next week, the baseball industry will convene in Orlando, Fla., for MLB’s annual Winter Meetings. Unless something moves quickly this week, Royals officials will travel down still shopping for the top item on their wishlist: Offense.
It is most decidedly not a secret that the Royals are looking for a bat or two this offseason in hopes of elevating their offense following a disappointing 2025 season. It’s also not a secret that the most likely way to do that is through a trade, given the Royals’ surplus of starting pitching available for teams who have a bat to trade. And the tier of free agents that the Royals would target is thin, especially when it comes to outfielders – the most open position for an addition.
With all that in mind, here are some trade targets who could fit in the Royals’ vision for their 2026 offense:
Jarren Duran, OF, Red Sox
We’ll start with the one everyone is talking about. Boston’s outfield is overcrowded, and it seems pretty likely that the Red Sox will trade either Duran or Wilyer Abreu. The Royals have been connected to Duran going back to the Trade Deadline. The chatter has only heated up with the Royals’ stated goal of adding offense to their outfield and the Red Sox stated goal of adding pitching, of which the Royals have plenty. Duran, who is under club control for three more seasons, posted a 3.9 fWAR in ‘25 with 16 home runs, 84 RBIs and a league-high 13 triples. Boston’s asking price has thus far been out of Kansas City’s comfort range when discussing a Duran trade, but that could shift throughout the winter when discussing different packages. It remains to be seen how things change following the Red Sox acquisition of Sonny Gray last week because there’s a chance they shift their trade targets.
Brendan Donovan, INF/OF, Cardinals
Gray’s departure from St. Louis kicked off what will be a trading season for the Cardinals, who are rebuilding their roster under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, and he has a really interesting piece in Donovan. The All-Star slashed .287/.353/.422 in ‘25 and is under club control for two more years. With offensive numbers solid across the board, Donovan’s versatility is especially intriguing. He won a utility Gold Glove in 2022, and while he has logged the most time at second base, he has the ability to play corner outfield as well. That would give the Royals another option to move around on an everyday basis, especially with second basemen Jonathan India and Michael Massey on the roster.
Brenton Doyle, OF, Rockies
Doyle took a step back from his breakout 2024 season, in which he slashed .260/.317/.446 and posted a 3.6 fWAR. In ‘25, Doyle hit .233 with a .651 OPS and only accumulated 0.4 fWAR. But the 27-year-old is an elite center fielder and not a free agent until 2030, and with only three seasons under his belt, perhaps there’s more in there. The Royals would have to be confident in that, though, because Doyle does a lot of the same things that current Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel – a Gold Glove finalist – does, except Isbel struck out less than Doyle (18.1% compared to 25.7% in ‘25). New Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has a lot of reshaping to do in that organization, and Doyle could be one of his best trade pieces.
Nick Castellanos, OF, Phillies
Can the Royals count on a bounceback season from Castellanos? It might be worth a shot, but only if the Phillies include some money for Castellanos’ $20 million salary he’ll make in the final year of his contract. Castellanos is heading into his age-34 season and has regressed offensively, with a .250/.294/.400 slash line last season, 17 home runs and poor defensive metrics. Add in some off-field hostilities with the team, and Castellanos looks to be on his way out of Philadelphia. He might not be high on the Royals’ list, but he’s only two seasons removed from hitting 29 homers in ‘23. It would be a temporary solution with a lot of risk, but maybe it’s something the Royals circle back to later this winter.
And one free agent…
Harrison Bader, OF
Bader helped himself quite a bit with a solid 2025 campaign, slashing .277/.347/.449 between the Twins and Phillies. The Phillies had him hit leadoff for a bit, and he performed well up top, with a .282/.325/.410 slash line. That would work for the Royals, or Bader could help add some offense to the bottom of the lineup, which really struggled last year. Bader plays an elite center field, and while Isbel figures to be the favorite out there again for the Royals, there’s nothing wrong with having two elite defenders on the grass, especially because Bader is right-handed and Isbel is a lefty. Bader is probably going to command a two- or three-year deal, so the Royals would have to decide if that fits into their plans – and if Bader’s 2025 season is a predictor of things to come.