Predicting Royals’ biggest move before MLB trade deadline

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Predicting Royals’ biggest move before MLB trade deadline

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints | Last updated Jul 15, 2026 5:44 PM ET

The Kansas City Royals are in the basement of the American League to start the second half. They will be one of the few sellers at the August 3 MLB trade deadline, and should be working the phones already. Many of the players on Kansas City’s roster should be up for grabs, but one in particular sticks out. The biggest trade the Royals will make at the deadline is moving Vinnie Pasquantino to a contender.

Pasquantino became a star during the Royals’ 2024 playoff run, knocking in 97 runs that season. He took a massive step up in 2025, smashing 32 homers and knocking in 113 runs for a .500 Kansas City team. But the Royals have been bad this year, and Pasquantino has been worse. In 70 games this year, he is hitting .222 with a .653 OPS and just six home runs.

The Royals would be selling low if they traded Pasquantino now. But at 28 years old and two years of team control after this season, his prime is winding down. They need to deal him now to get something of value back, as there is no guarantee he ever hits 30 homers again.

There are so many teams in both Wild Card races that someone is bound to take a flyer on a struggling Pasquantino. The St Louis Cardinals traded Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox in preparation for a complete teardown last winter. But now, they are over .500 and have a chance to make the dance. Sending Pasquantino across Missouri to the Red Birds would be a strong move for Kansas City.

The Royals are not going to trade Bobby Witt Jr and have already said they won’t trade their starting pitchers. But they need prospects to keep building a strong core around Witt. Trading Pasquantino is the biggest and best move they can make.

Where can the Royals trade Vinnie Pasquantino?

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The problem for the Royals is that many of the Wild Card contenders have strong first basemen and designated hitters already. Another problem is that Pasquantino is a middling defender, with -1 Outs Above Average at first base this season. No one is going to trade for him to improve their defense. And the offense has been putrid so far this year.

The sheer lack of true sellers could still net the Royals a solid prospect in return for Pasquantino. The Pittsburgh Pirates are among the usual sellers that are in the thick of the Wild Card race. They should be looking to add another bat to support their offseason acquisitions and finally make the postseason. Marcell Ozuna has been dreadful at DH, and Spencer Horwitz is hurt at first base. If they find their reliever and still have assets to trade, Pasquantino could be a great fit.

The Royals would not struggle to replace Pasquantino this summer or next year. Jac Caglianone is still just 23 years old and has experience at first base in the pros. They could move him to the infield permanently, which would help their defense overall. Lane Thomas and Tyler Tolbert are two of their depth pieces who could play the outfield. Caglianone is a power-first left-handed hitter, so he could replace Pasquantino in the lineup as well.

The Royals should be big sellers at the MLB trade deadline, and it could set them up for a better future. While that is a hard reality to face with a star like Bobby Witt Jr on the roster, it is the truth of their current situation. The AL Central is gone, the Wild Card is just about out of reach, and it’s time to sell in Kansas City this summer.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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