Kansas City Royals news: The Winter Meetings kick off this weekend

Let’s make a deal!

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

Anne Rogers has a Winter Meetings preview.

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.

David Lesky looks ahead to the Winter Meetings and what the Royals could do.

But I also think some relievers could be moved easily. Angel Zerpa has never been one of my favorites, but there was a ton of interest in him heading into the 2025 season. It’s easy to see why. He generally throws strikes and throws hard and gets A TON of grounders. It’s easy to see why we’re frustrated by him, but it’s easy to see why another team would see the appeal. I also wonder a bit if John Schreiber isn’t a candidate to get moved. Every team needs relief depth and he generally has posted. He hasn’t repeated his 2022 season when he struck out 28.8 percent of batters wth a 2.22 ERA, but he’s been solid as well. The Royals have a lot of bullpen depth. They might not want to pay Schreiber the roughly $4 million his arbitration number will be and could get a return for him.

Bradford Doolittle at ESPN writes the Royals should pursue White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Enter Robert, whose work on strike zone judgment seemed to be paying off in the latter stages of last season. He’s younger than Duran and has more power upside without sacrificing speed and defense. The Royals’ new hitting staff is hyper-focused on improving pitch recognition, and I’d love for them to be new voices in Robert’s ear. The Royals could keep Ragans and modulate their rotation/prospect return based on Chicago’s willingness to pay down some of Robert’s $20 million for next season. Alas, this would be more palatable from a payroll perspective if the Royals had not already committed $8 million to run it back with Jonathan India.

Jim Bowden writes about moves he’d like to see at the Winter Meetings, including a Show-Me State swap.

The Cardinals trade second baseman Brendan Donovan and outfielder Jordan Walker to the Royals for left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic and right-hander Ben Kudrna

A cross-Missouri trade gives Donovan and Walker a chance to compete for an AL Central title, while the rebuilding Cardinals add two pitchers with team control remaining. Donovan will pair with Bobby Witt Jr. to give the Royals an elite middle infield and Kansas City will get a shot at unlocking Walker’s immense potential.

Jeff Passan and Buster Olney share the latest rumors leading up to the Winter Meetings.

The Cubs are showing renewed interest in Alex Bregman.

The Twins are likely to hang onto Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan.

The Giants, Angels, and Tigers are interested in free agent Zac Gallen.

The Astros and Orioles are interested in Ranger Suárez.

Are high-priced relievers worth it?

Who are the best fits for Japanese free agents Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami.

The Braves sign outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league deal.

The Mets claim pitcher Cooper Criswell off waivers from the Red Sox.

Ron Washington joins the Giants coaching staff.

The Hall of Fame cases for Dale Murphy, Fernando Valenzuela, and Carlos Delgado.

FIFA holds the draws for next year’s World Cup, and we know which teams are coming to Kansas City.