Red Sox Could Ship 25-Year-Old Star To Royals After Roman Anthony Debut, Per Insider

The Kansas City Royals' lack of outfield talent has been lamented all season, but what's the perfect solution?

While it does appear rookie superstar Jac Caglianone will be able to man one of the corner outfield spots, Kansas City has a giant hole on the other side. And if the Royals put a one-year band-aid on that spot, they could find themselves in a similar position of need by next July's trade deadline.

If there's an ideal scenario for the Royals, it's getting a young outfield bat with several years of team control remaining. And the Boston Red Sox are one of very few teams that might consider trading such a bat with any significant big-league experience.

Now that number-one prospect Roman Anthony is in the majors, the Red Sox might see fit to trade either Jarren Duran, a 2024 All-Star, or Wilyer Abreu, a 2024 Gold Glover. Neither is a free agent until at least 2028, and both would be potential spark plugs for the Kansas City offense.

On Tuesday, ex-major league general manager and current insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic named Abreu as one of several potential trade targets for Kansas City as they look to boost their offense.

"The Royals rank last in MLB in home runs and need to add power and length to their lineup," Bowden wrote. "Combined with the recent promotion of top prospect Jac Caglianone, trading for another power bat could completely change the complexion of their lineup.

"As good as the Royals’ starting pitching, bullpen, defense and offensive contact is, the right acquisition could be the final piece needed to get them back to the playoffs as a wild-card team."

Abreu, 25, has cooled down after his blazing hot start to the season, but he still has a .245/.321/.471 slash line and 13 home runs this season. He's a fantastic defender in right field, posting 17 defensive runs saved there last season and six this season.

Abreu went on the injured list on Monday, but the Red Sox are hoping his oblique injury only holds him out for the minimum of 10 days. When he comes back, they're going to have a logjam, and that just might open the door for the Royals to swoop in.

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