Report reveals Royals' biggest area of need at MLB trade deadline

In recent weeks, the Royals have been linked to both bullpen and outfield help. General manager J.J. Picollo has gone so far as to publicly acknowledge a desire to improve in both areas before next month’s trade deadline. At the moment, however, it seems the two needs are not viewed as equally necessary. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kansas City prioritizes relief help over seeking additional outfield talent.

Royals relievers rank 21st in the majors with a 4.37 earned run average but sit last in baseball with a well below-average 17.7% strikeout rate from their bullpen. Kansas City’s 10% walk rate from the ’pen is also the seventh-worst mark in MLB, and their 93.6 mph average fastball this season is tied for 28th overall. Based on Picollo’s prior comments in an appearance on Jayson Stark’s podcast, adding the type of power arm they’re lacking could be of particular interest (though that’s just my own inference/speculation, to be clear). “I’ve talked in the past about strikeouts,” Picollo said at the time. “We’re more of a matchup bullpen without necessarily the big power.”

Things have been particularly dicey of late. The Royals have fallen in the AL Central standings amid a 3-11 swoon, so their bullpen has been a key culprit. Kansas City relievers are lugging an ugly 5.31 ERA over the past 14 days while punching out just 15.7% of their opponents and surrendering a woeful 1.99 homers per nine innings pitched (far and away the highest mark in the sport, leading 29th-ranked San Diego’s 1.75 HR/9 in that span).

The Royals had hoped that offseason additions Chris Stratton and Will Smith would join righty James McArthur, one of MLB’s most dominant relievers, over the final few weeks of the 2023 season in bolstering the 2024 bullpen. That hasn’t panned out.

Smith has pitched better of late, helping to nudge his ERA just under 5.00, but he’s been working in lower-leverage spots since late April. It’s a similar story with Stratton, who regularly began the year working the seventh and eighth innings before dropping to the fifth, sixth and seventh amid a handful of rough meltdowns. However, he’s recently been throwing well and returned to some setup work. McArthur has rattled off four scoreless outings but still has a 6.35 ERA from May 1 and a 4.70 earned run average overall.

With that group struggling, Kansas City has been linked to a handful of relievers known to be available — Chicago’s Michael Kopech and Miami’s Tanner Scott among them. They’re also tinkering with in-house options to see if they can upgrade the ’pen internally. Starter Kris Bubic is on a rehab assignment, working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery, but will work in relief once he completes his rehab window.

It’s still early in trade season, although that doesn’t rule out a deal coming together. The Padres acquired Luis Arraez in early May, illustrating the Marlins’ willingness to sell at any point. We’re also coming up on the one-year anniversary (June 30) of the Royals trading Aroldis Chapman to the Rangers in a deal that netted them current top starter Cole Ragans.

While the Royals’ more immediate priority may be adding a reliever (or multiple relievers), it bears repeating that Picollo has been candid about his desire to add a bat — ideally, one that can handle both the infield and the outfield. A left-handed bat, specifically, seems prudent for the righty-heavy Royals. Kansas City’s outfield, led by the trio of MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel and Hunter Renfroe, has been the least productive unit in baseball this season. In addition to placing Renfroe on the injured list, the Royals just yesterday optioned struggling corner outfielder/DH Nelson Velazquez to Triple-A Omaha.

A trade for an outfielder feels almost inevitable, and adding one who’s controlled beyond the current season would be particularly helpful. As I explored here in greater depth last month, the Royals have struggled to develop outfielders internally; they’ve received little to no production from homegrown outfielders since the departures of now-retired former All-Stars Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon.