MLB expert thinks Royals should eye an under-the-radar bat in free agency

While the Kansas City Royals haven’t made any really big moves for their 2026 roster, it feels like they’re getting closer every day.

There’s talk about who the team should trade for and there’s talk about free agents they should pursue, or shouldn’t pursue. Could Jorge Polanco be among the former?

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors believes so. In the site’s annual free agency predictions article, Adams guessed that Kansas City would wind up signing Polanco this winter. However, it’s worth noting that Adams is the only one there who sees KC being a real player for Polanco.

MLB analyst thinks the Kansas City Royals should eye Jorge Polanco for its lineup

Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald predicted Polanco would return to Seattle. At the same time, Tim Dierkes has him signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Perhaps most importantly, the writers projected the 32-year-old for a three-year, $42 million deal.

That seems rather pricey for the Kansas City Royals, but there’s been plenty of talk about the team spending a bit more than they normally do as they look to return to the playoffs in 2026.

Advanced metrics show that Polanco had the best season of his career, posting a 134 OPS+ about 10 points higher than he’s logged in any other full season. He also slashed .265/.326/.495 with 26 homers. That’s the most home runs he’s hit since 33 back in 2021. It’s no coincidence he played the most games in 2025 that he had since 2021.

Whether due to injuries or lack of playing time, this summer was just the third time in his 12-year major league career that he’s topped 20 home runs.

Another key detail that the MLB Trade Rumors quartet of analysts point out when it comes to Polanco’s market is that it will not be dictated by the qualifying offer, as Seattle did not offer him one. The reassurance of not losing draft capital could make Polanco that much more enticing for a smaller market organization like the Royals.

So far, there haven’t been any concrete rumors about the Kansas City Royals making a real run at Jorge Polanco, but it certainly doesn’t sound like a remotely bad idea.