This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
KANSAS CITY – It’s pretty cold in Kansas City as I type this, and there’s still snow in my yard from earlier this week. We seem so far removed from the hot, sticky days in the middle of summer at Kauffman Stadium.
However! Perhaps next week will bring a little warmth with the Winter Meetings scheduled for Monday through Wednesday in Orlando, when the baseball world convenes for a few days of meetings, key events and, the best part, lots of transaction rumors – the Hot Stove and all.
The Royals are part of those rumors, as they continue to search for a bat or two that will help boost their offense. So far, the market has been slow. The Royals are still motivated to find the type of player they believe can help them, and there’s been plenty of conversations with other teams about those players.
Here’s a rundown of what you need to know ahead of next week’s Winter Meetings:
Key events
Sunday, Dec. 7: HOF Classic Baseball Era Committee results released
Tuesday, Dec. 9: MLB Draft Lottery
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Rule 5 Draft
Club needs
It’s offense, offense and more offense. The Royals believe that Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino can do the heavy lifting of the team’s run production, but they can’t do it all. After a season in which the club’s .706 OPS tied for 19th in MLB and its 4.02 runs per game ranked fifth-worst in MLB, the Royals are eyeing a bat or two to add to the core they have, or at the very least raise the floor at the bottom of the lineup.
The most open path for an addition is through the outfield, a group that has ranked near the bottom of MLB in multiple offensive categories for the past several years, including a .617 OPS (30th) and 70 wRC+ (30th) in 2025. The Royals have high hopes for right fielder Jac Caglianone still, but they need a proven impact bat on the grass to allow Caglianone to improve without all the pressure on the 22-year-old’s shoulders. An everyday left fielder would be ideal, along with a bat to potentially platoon in right with Caglianone.
But the Royals won’t close off other positions. They could upgrade at second base or find an everyday utilityman. They could even make room for a third baseman, given Garcia’s versatility, but they aren’t too inclined to move the Gold Glover around unless necessary.
Bottom line: They need bats.
Potential trade candidates
The trade market seems the most likely way for the Royals to find those bats they need. They are willing to part with the biggest area of depth: Pitching. All-Star lefty Kris Bubic is perhaps the likeliest trade candidate, but the Royals might not find what they’re looking for because of Bubic’s injury history and only one year of control remaining.
Teams ask the most about Noah Cameron, who just finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and isn’t a free agent until after the 2031 season. That’s a lot of control for the Royals to give up, and if teams believe Cameron might regress following his rookie year, they might not match up with what the Royals think they should receive. The Royals also have Major League pitchers Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila on their roster.
There is not a pitcher off limits, but veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are unlikely to be traded, as is Cole Ragans. The Royals would simply have to be blown away by an offer to trade their young ace.
Prospects to know
Caglianone graduated from prospect status in ‘25 but is still a young player important to this team going forward, as is rookie catcher Carter Jensen, the Royals’ No. 1 prospect and MLB’s 39th-ranked prospect. Both are left-handed sluggers, with Jensen offering an ability to get on base at a high clip as well. Could those two be the impact bats the Royals are seeking? Absolutely, but the team also can’t rely on that happening in ‘26. They’d rather bring in a proven bat first, and if Caglianone and/or Jensen break out next season, all the better.
Part of the reason the Royals are so open to trading pitchers is because they have a lot of them. That includes the Major Leaguers listed above, but it also includes two prospects recently added to the roster: Ben Kudrna (No. 7) and Steven Zobac (No. 11). Both righties need more time in the Minors – Kudrna only reached Triple-A at the end of ‘25 – but both could be called upon next season.
Rule 5 Draft
While they protected Kudrna and Zobac, the Royals also left a number of prospects exposed to the Rule 5 Draft who could be selected: infielder Daniel Vazquez (No. 16), lefty Frank Mozzicato (No. 22), outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 24) and utilityman Javier Vaz (No. 25), along with several others who meet eligibility.
It seems unlikely, but the Royals could make a selection in the Rule 5 Draft, because they have two open spots on the 40-man roster.
Burning question: When will the move come?
The Royals haven’t been quiet about their desire to find more offense. What has been quiet, though, is actual action. They added outfielder Kameron Misner after the Rays designated him for assignment, but that was purely a depth move. Maybe the Winter Meetings is the perfect time to rev up talks and get a deal done, or at least build a foundation.
Remember, two years ago, it was conversations at the Winter Meetings that laid the groundwork for the flurry of free-agent deals (Will Smith, Lugo, Wacha, etc.) the Royals made leading up to Christmas in 2023.