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In 2023, the Kansas City Royals tied a franchise record with 106 losses. It was the club's seventh straight losing year and was the bottoming out of a rebuild that seemed permanently delayed. But, this year, with the help of Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Seth Lugo, among others, the team unexpectedly finds itself near the top of the American League with a 36-25 record.
While the MLB trade deadline is nearly two months away, it is time for the Royals to start considering which players could help solidify their push for their first playoff appearance since 2015. Here are three early Royals MLB trade deadline targets.
Royals needs
Outfield
It is a miracle the Royals are sixth in MLB in runs scored per game, given the complete lack of offensive production from their outfield. MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe all have an OPS of less than .600, and Isbel is the only one hitting above the Mendoza Line (a measly .208). The rest of the offense has been solid across the board, so adding an offensive-minded outfielder is necessary to fill this production gap.
Closer/high-leverage relievers
Few predicted the Royals would be 11 wins above .500 in early June after tying a club record with 106 losses last season. The team could have an even better win total if not for some struggles from its high-leverage relievers. James McArthur and Chris Stratton have ERA's above 5.00 and are 14-20 in save opportunities. McArthur's 73% save conversation rate is not terrible, but it is also tied for worst among the 18 closers with at least 10 save chances.
Of the seven Royals relievers with at least 10 appearances, John Schreiber and Angel Zerpa are the only ones with ERAs below 4.00. Trading for a high-level closer and some dependable relievers will solidify the Royals as a playoff contender.
Royals trade targets
Tanner Scott (RP), Miami Marlins
A part-time closer for the Marlins over the last two years, Tanner Scott has finally gotten a shot as Miami's leading ninth-inning man in 2024 and is succeeding. Scott is 7-8 in save chances this year with a 1.57 ERA across 23 innings pitched. While his strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is up, the left-hander leads Major League Baseball this season in average exit velocity allowed and is 11th in expected batting average.
Scott's ability to induce weak contact makes him one of MLB's top closers and is a likely trade piece for a struggling Marlins team.
Taylor Ward (OF), Los Angeles Angels
2022 felt like a breakthrough season for Angels outfielder Taylor Ward. The right-hander had 23 homers in 135 games while batting .280 and posting an OPS of .833. Injuries prevented him from building on that success last year, but a solid start to 2024 with excellent underlying numbers make the 30-year-old a tantalizing trade target. Ward's expected slugging of .536 puts him in the 95th percentile among all MLB hitters, and his barrel rate is among the 92nd percentile in the league.
These predictive numbers have produced modest numbers on the field: 11 homers, 34 RBI, a .261 OPS, and a .787 OPS. If Ward's production falls more in line with his underlying numbers in the second half of the season, he would be a trade deadline steal for the Kansas City Royals.
Jason Foley (RP), Detroit Tigers
A fluid and confusing ninth-inning situation in Detroit saw Foley grab nine saves in nine chances in April but only four save opportunities since. Foley carries a 3.22 ERA on the year and a career 3.17 earned run average across four seasons for the Tigers — the type of consistency teams covet from their high-leverage arms. Jason Foley is a valuable bullpen piece who can be called upon anytime in late-inning situations for the Royals.
