Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a New York Yankees helmet and logo before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Royals Could Be In Running For Yankees 2x All-Star: Why It's Unlikely To Happen

Originally posted on Kansas City Royals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Kansas City Royals had a disappointing 2025 season, going 82-80 and missing the postseason after earning a Wild Card last year. Work needs to be done if they hope to improve for 2026 and get back into contention.

The most glaring issue for the Royals was their offense, specifically their outfield unit. They could use an addition or two from outside the organization with free agency coming up at the end of the World Series.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report had an idea, listing the Royals as a Top 10 landing spot for New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger if opts out of his contract.

Why Bellinger Is Unlikely For Royals, Who They Could Target Instead

If the Royals were to sign Bellinger, he would almost instantly bolster their lineup. The Royals do at least have Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia and will most likely bring back Salvador Perez.

That would give them a very solid lineup. But there is little reason to believe that Bellinger will actually be on the Royals radar.

The main reason for this is that the Royals are a small-market team and rarely spend big in free agency. They already gave Witt a massive contract extension early in his career.

Bellinger will likely cost too much for the Royals and be out of their price range. While it's a potential move that could help the team, it's hard to see the Royals stepping out of their comfort zone financially and making a blockbuster move like this.

So, the Royals will likely have to look elsewhere. There are going to be plenty of outfielders in free agency that are more affordable than Bellinger, but still solid players.

The Royals picked up Mike Yastrzemski from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, and he performed well at the plate. Bringing him back on a one-year deal would make more sense, and having him for a full season could boost the Royals lineup for 2026.

Bellinger will receive better offers from bigger-market teams, and the Royals don't have the financial means to pull off a deal such as this. But Yastrzemski would be right within their price range and would provide them with some power from the left side of the plate after hitting 17 home runs this season.

It would be a fun story, but Royals fans shouldn't expect Bellinger to be on the roster in 2026.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Royals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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