The Kansas City Royals cannot be complacent at this year’s trade deadline. This team would need a miracle to get back into the playoff race in the American League, and they cannot convincingly do so over the next few weeks heading into the deadline.
That leaves them with one clear option: trade all non-controllable assets to contenders and rebuild a farm system that desperately needs it. Here are three players they must move.
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Wacha is the most valuable trade chip the Royals have, and they need to maximize his return. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander has posted a 3.77 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 19 starts this season while leading the American League in innings pitched.
He is on a three-year deal that runs through 2027, which gives an acquiring team more than just a rental, making him even more attractive. The Royals currently have no plans to move him, but they are still listening to offers.
Wacha is durable, experienced, a clubhouse leader and still performing at a high level. Any contending team looking to add rotation stability would pay a real price to get him.
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Thomas has had a solid 2026 season, posting a .238 batting average, .339 on-base percentage, .744 OPS, eight home runs and 32 RBIs across 83 games.
Thomas is a free agent after the 2026 season, keeping the rental price reasonable in terms of prospect return. A team looking for an outfield depth piece who can make a big impact on a cheap $5.2 million contract should be calling. The Royals are already open to moving him.
Strahm returned to Kansas City this past offseason after spending three years with the Philadelphia Phillies. Unfortunately, he has been one of the worst arms in their bullpen.
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The 34-year-old left-hander has posted a 7.18 ERA with 25 strikeouts across 35 appearances. However, he earned an All-Star selection in 2024 and has extensive postseason experience with Philadelphia. Any contending team in need of a left-handed bullpen arm would have some interest in whether Strahm can bounce back. The Royals have no reason to hold onto him given where their season stands.
The Royals are not in a position to be sentimental at this year’s deadline. Moving Wacha, Thomas and Strahm would not fix everything, but acquiring a meaningful prospect package in return for all three could go a long way toward restoring a farm system that needs it.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
