With the GM Winter Meetings going on, plenty of rumors involving free agency and the trade buzz are kicking around. The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals traded pitchers earlier in the week, with Mason Black going to KC and Logan Martin going to SF.
Neither player is a major addition, but the Royals are expected to be somewhat active this offseason.
They have plenty of players who could be of interest to some teams, and now one player is reportedly picking up steam.
The Royals are garnering trade interest in one starter, and it's not Cole Ragans. Rather, it is Kris Bubic.
“Kansas City Royals lefty starter Kris Bubic, an All-Star last season, is garnering trade interest from multiple teams, league sources said. In need of offense and boasting some pitching depth, the Royals are open to the possibility of dealing Bubic, people familiar with the club’s thinking said,” according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Bubic has spent his entire time in MLB with the Royals, and the 28-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
In 2025, he went 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA, which marked career-highs in wins and ERA.
Royals could keep Bubic despite trade buzz
Now, there is a scenario where Kansas City holds on to Bubic, as Sammon wrote.
“To be clear, there is a path in which the Royals hold onto Bubic. Their rotation is a strength, and Bubic is among the reasons why. Trading him, however, presents a logical way to net the kind of return that improves their lineup, particularly, perhaps in the outfield, an area where Kansas City wants to upgrade.”
“The Royals may move someone other than Bubic — or multiple pitchers, which may or may not end up including Bubic. But league sources suggest that it’s unlikely that the Royals would trade Cole Ragans, their ace, especially after a down season and with him under club control for multiple seasons. It’s equally unlikely that they’d trade veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo after both starters made commitments to Kansas City,” Sammon added.
The free agency market for pitchers includes Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Dylan Cease, and stars such as Tarik Skubal is a massive name on the trade front, although the price will be expensive.
