MLB insider shockingly reveals Royals missed out on signing this superstar years ago

Major League Baseball is full of “what if” moments. What if Kevin Cash hadn’t removed Blake Snell in Game 7 of the 2020 World Series? What if Carlos Correa hadn’t failed his medicals in San Francisco or New York? What if Shohei Ohtani had actually been on that flight to Toronto in the winter of 2024?

These are just a few major “what ifs” in recent memory and on Tuesday during a guest appearance on The Just Baseball Show, ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan brought a new major “what if” moment into the light.

What if the Kansas City Royals had signed Ronald Acuña Jr. in international free agency?

Royals were reportedly set to sign Ronald Acuña Jr. in international free agency

As we all know, Acuña Jr. has been the face of the franchise with the Atlanta Braves for some time now after signing with them via international free agency in 2014 as a 17-year-old.

Since then, the now 27-year-old veteran outfielder has been one of the league’s most prolific talents in baseball. On top of being the National League MVP in 2023, the Venzuelan sensation was also the NL Rookie of the Year in 2018, as well as being a five-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger and despite his injury, did play a significant role in the first half of their 2021 World Series season.

But after Passan’s remarks this week, Royals fans will now be left wondering what if they’d manage to sign him over a decade ago as a teenager out of Venezuela.

“Ronald Acuña Jr. was supposed to sign with the Kansas City Royals,” Passan said. “I don’t even remember the details on that one, I just remember that I could be watching Ronald Acuña Jr. at home everyday and now I have to watch him on TV.”

Passan went on to discuss how tricky signing international free agents out of Latin America can be at times, seemingly implying that the Royals fell victim to some of this unfortunate luck when it came to Acuña.

Now, at the end of the day, the Royals have had their fair share of success since Acuña opted for the Braves rather than them. Obviously they made the World Series that same year and won it the following season, and they are now in the early stages of contention once again with a talent who’s just as big a name if not bigger in Bobby Witt Jr. leading the way.

Still the thought of an electrifying talent like Acuña Jr. roaming the outfield at Kauffman Stadium is an exciting vision and really stings knowing that it seemed close to being a reality – especially with how weak there outfield has looked in recent years.