The Kansas City Royals are certainly in a better place than they were when they entered the weekend. They’re winners of two straight and grabbed their first series in their last four. However, the fact remains that this is still a team nine games below .500, sitting second-to-last in the AL Central at nine games back of the Cleveland Guardians in first place and 4.0 games back of a wild card spot with the third worst record in the American League.
They have all the makings of a trade deadline seller right now. Could they go on a run? Sure, but we’ve seen runs from them immediately turn into lengthy and uninspiring skids when they’re all over. As inconsistent as they’ve been this season, the Royals more often than not have lost ball games as opposed to winning them this season. So, now might be the time to get their ducks in a row a determine who could be available if they want to sell.
Three names that come to mind as potential early candidates to be dangled to current contenders are relievers Matt Strahm, Nick Mears and Daniel Lynch IV. You have your traditional rental arm in Strahm, an arm with a bit of remaining team control in Mears and one with multiple years of team control left in Lynch. Plenty of situations to appeal to all trade palates.
Regardless how big they choose to go, relief pitching is one position that could be available regardless. It’s the most volatile position year-over-year, but is also one of the more sought after positions from buyers considering how increasingly important deep pitching staffs have become to forming a true contending effort.
And teams already appear to be in the market for some relief upgrades, with the San Diego Padres being one of the latest examples of a contender in the bullpen market. according to a report from Dennis Lin of The Athletic last week.
Matt Strahm is the ideal veteran back-end relief option contenders desire
While he may be on the injured list now, the hope is that Strahm’s knee will continue to heal as well as it has so far. And according to Joel Penfield of the KC Sports Network, he’s responded well to injections and a rehab assignment doesn’t seem likely.
And after a rougher start to the season, Strahm has adjusted nicely into his set-up role behind closer Lucas Erceg. He’s sporting a sub-4.00 ERA with over 9.00 K/9 and a very respectable .222 BAA in 16.1 innings this year in his return to the Royals.
He also has an All-Star-caliber track record, specifically with his time with the Phillies the past two seasons, where he’s thrown to sub-3.00 ERA and sub-1.10 WHIP marks each year – including his maiden All-Star effort in 2024 where he threw to a 1.87 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. On top of that, the past four seasons prior to 2026, Strahm was rather a strikeout artist with over 10.00 K/9 in each campaign.
He’s a veteran lefty, performing well and on an expiring contract, which makes him the ideal low-risk option that contenders will flock to if the Royals can’t claw themselves back into contention themselves.
The trade deadline might be the time to cash in on Nick Mears’ team control
Kansas City only just acquired Mears this winter from the Milwaukee Brewers, but contending or not, it might be within the Royals best interest to move on from him while his value is still relatively high with a year of remaining team control after 2026.
Mears started the year out as one of the Royals’ better bullpen arms, but has since fallen on hard times of late. Through April, Mears was a sub-3.00 ERA arm that was positioning himself for high leverage innings. Since May however, with injuries providing him those back-end opportunities, Mears hasn’t been nearly the same arm he was not long ago.
Month | IP | ERA | FIP | WHIP | BAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar/Apr | 11.0 | 2.45 | 3.09 | 1.09 | .167 |
May | 7.2 | 5.87 | 6.35 | 1.70 | .333 |
Still though, as it stands now, Mears is still one of the Royals better performing relievers at a 3.86 ERA. Perhaps it’s just time for J.J. Picollo to sell now and recoup their assets in case May’s struggles are a sign of a greater trend yet to fully unearth itself.
Daniel Lynch IV could be a contender’s deadline dream amid breakout season
If a contender wants a southpaw with remaining team control and the ability to slot in seamlessly behind a closer, look no further than Lynch. The former compensatory pick has transitioned well from a starter coming through the minors to a bullpen role over the past three seasons. And now, he’s built himself into a legitimate set-up man in 2026.
Lynch has been one of the most underrated relievers in all of baseball and has a real shot at All-Star consideration should he be able to keep this pace up. In 21.2 innings across 21 outings this season, the 29-year-old is throwing to a 1.66 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 0.92 WHIP and .165 BAA.
On top of that, as well as the tangible growth he’s shown year-over-year since 2024 when he made his move to the ‘pen, Lynch only just entered his arbitration years this past winter and thus doesn’t become a free agent until the end of 2028. This means not only does a contender get a high level arm for multiple seasons, but the return for the Royals could be so much higher than they likely thought before the season.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
