Young Royals Outfielder Predicted To Be On Chopping Block After 2025

The Kansas City Royals have been rolling as of late. Despite a 6-3 loss on Wednesday night to the Texas Rangers that snapped their five-game winning streak, they are right in the thick of the American League Wild Card race. At 65-62, they are now just 2 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the final spot. August is nearly complete, and the Royals could be set up for a major push in the final month of the season.

However, regardless of how 2025 plays out for Kansas City, they'll have some decisions to make regarding the 2026 roster and how they will construct it. Certain players could be out of the shuffle and may find themselves on the outside looking in.

Jacob Milham of Kings of Kauffman listed three players that could be on their way out once the Royals start thinking about the 2026 season. Among them was young catcher turned outfielder MJ Melendez.

Royals' MJ Melendez Could Be Gone In 2026

"The patience has run out. Fans have seen the strong Triple-A numbers fail to translate at the MLB level, and the defense remains suspect—certainly not strong enough to justify MJ Melendez holding a 40-man spot much longer. After his latest ineffective stint on the 26-man roster and with arbitration looming, it’s hard to see the Royals carrying Melendez past this coming Thanksgiving," Milham wrote.

"Kansas City’s outfield woes have been dissected ad nauseam this season. Even after adding ve terans Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski at the deadline, the group has remained one of the weakest hitting units in baseball."

Melendez has seen limited action in the Major Leagues this season, and he has not exactly taken advantage of his opportunitites. The 26-year-old outfielder is hitting .083/.154/.167 with only one home runs, one RBI and a miserable .321 OPS. The Royals even sent him down to Triple-A Omaha.

In all likelihood, Melendez will not factor into the team's 2026 plans, which could lead them to keeping one or both of Mike Yastrzemski and Randal Grichuk, two veteran outfielders they acquired at the trade deadline.

Melendez hasn't panned out thus far, and it would take a major turnaround for him to even be under consideration for the Royals next season. So, in all likelihood, Melendez has played his last game as a member of the Royals.

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