3 reasons the Royals should target this Rangers slugger in a buy-low trade

The Kansas City Royals remain perched on a precarious edge: they’re either a flawed team easy to dismiss by outsiders, or a club one major move away from becoming a legitimate AL Central contender in 2026.

To take that difficult next step, they need more offensive production from their outfield. In 2025, the unit was among the league’s worst from a batting perspective, with cellar-dwelling marks set by MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe, only to be “surpassed” by still below-average bats like Kyle Isbel and John Rave.

Kansas City must be creative, not cute, when addressing this need. There is a clear opening for a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder, yet the free-agent market offers few viable fits. Instead, Kansas City should be scouring the trade market to find an impact solution.

If they opt for a buy-low gamble instead of a blockbuster deal, Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García is an intriguing candidate.

Coming off another down year, García is projected to earn $12.1 million through arbitration, a figure that could give the Rangers pause. As Lone Star Ball’s Adam Morris recently noted, “the chances of García returning would seem to be remote.”

If that’s truly the case, Kansas City should explore what it might take to bring the Cuban slugger to the Midwest.

Adolis Garcia’s trade return wouldn’t make Royals mortgage the farm

García is a two-time All-Star with plus power, hitting at least 26 home runs in each of his full MLB seasons. But he’s also streaky and approaching his age-33 season.

He’s coming off two straight campaigns with a sub-.700 OPS, which, combined with his rising salary, lowers his trade value considerably.

That could be the Royals’ opening.

This wouldn’t be a move that requires mortgaging the farm. Given García’s recent dip in production, Kansas City likely wouldn’t need to part with any of its top-tier prospects, particularly if they’re willing to absorb the salary hit.

This is the kind of low-risk, high-upside swing a team on the rise should take: a potential impact bat without undermining a developing farm system.

The Royals and Rangers have already demonstrated a working relationship, making trades in recent seasons.

General manager J.J. Picollo’s first signature move sent reliever Aroldis Chapman to Texas in 2023 in exchange for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera, a then-win-win that heavily favored Kansas City in hindsight.

Then, in 2024, the Royals acquired veteran starter Michael Lorenzen for Walter Pennington, a move that helped Kansas City in the short term, even if neither player looms large in 2026 projections.

Front office relationships matter, and the rapport between these two organizations should pave the way for frank conversations about García’s availability. If both sides find common ground, a deal could materialize without unnecessary friction.

Adolis Garcia has the batted ball numbers that modern teams search for.

Even in a “down year,” García’s batted-ball profile remains impressive. He’s in the top tier of the league in hard-hit rate and barrel percentage, two metrics front offices care about more than batting average. That means the raw power is still there; he’s just not getting the results right now.

Garcia has long been a hard-hit-ball darling in his MLB career, posting a 91.6 MPH average exit velocity across his seven-year career. His 92.1 MPH mark in 2025 ranked in the league’s 89th percentile, and that would have ranked second amongst Royals batters in 2025. Only shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s 93.3 MPH average exit velocity would have ranked higher than Garcia.

The batter’s struggles in results coincide with a less optimal contact, but Kansas City had that issue in 2025 and is actively trying to address it this offseason.

Kansas City’s hitting development staff certainly hasn’t earned itself any fans the past few years, but after moving on from so many in that department following 2025’s results, the new coaching staff’s first challenge could be addressing whatever is ailing Garcia. There seems to be a viable path to a bounce-back season for Garcia in 2026.

Adolis Garcia would bring more right-handed balance to Kansas City.

The Royals’ lineup leans left-heavy in quantity, even if fans can argue that their three of their top four hitters are right-handed bats.

García would give them a legitimate right-handed threat with game-changing power, something they lack beyond Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. Slotting him into the middle of the order would not only deepen the lineup but also protect their core bats from being pitched around.

The Royals’ left-handed imbalance comes even more into the picture when fans look at the outfield. Renfroe’s 102 plate appearances led all Royals right-handed outfielders in 2025, ranking sixth on the team.

That imbalance is not going to shift anytime soon, especially with a hopeful Mike Yastrzemski reunion, more Jac Caglianone in right field, and another year of Isbel holding down center field. The Royals have right-handed bats in the infield that can help with the balance, but if catcher Carter Jensen is going to supplant Perez more and more, there is room for more right-handed bats.

Overall, adding Garcia wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, be Kansas City’s headline acquisition in the outfield. He would be a good start for the franchise, but the reality remains that he is not the same player now that he was two years ago.

There is still something to be said about a change of scenery and new thinking to help maximize a player’s potential, and if the price is right and the payroll room exists, Kansas City could add Garcia before Opening Day.