The Kansas City Royals have been searching for ways to improve their offense. They need a couple of outfield bats this winter.
They had interest in a reunion with Mike Yastrzemski, but he ultimately signed with the Atlanta Braves for two years and $23 million. Still, there are options out there for the Royals as they look for offense.
There are more affordable options in free agency that would make sense for the Royals. With the Winter Meetings now over, Anne Rogers of MLB.com listed a few realistic targets for the Royals, one of which was outfielder Austin Hays, a former All-Star.
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Ex-All-Star Could Be Solid Fit For Royals
Hays dealt with injuries in 2024 and was ultimately traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Philadelphia Phillies. Last offseason, he signed a one-year deal to join the Cincinnati Reds.
This year, he hit .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs, 64 RBI and a .768 OPS, bouncing back from a disappointing year in 2024. But the former All-Star brings power from the right side of the plate and can play all three outfield positions.
It shouldn’t take a megadeal for the Royals to land Hays. They should be able to sign him to a short-term contract that is team friendly and gives them what they need.
The outfield was an area of weakness offensively for the Royals this past year, and Hays can help them improve in that area if signed.
The Royals obviously aren’t going to go after big free agents like Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger or Alex Bregman, but a bargain option such as Hays makes sense for what they are trying to do in 2026.
His bounce-back year with the Reds is certainly an encouraging sign, and in a hitter friendly environment such as Kansas City, he should fit in quite nicely.
The Winter Meetings may be over, but the groundwork for the rest of the offseason has been laid out. The Royals still have work to do in order to bounce back after missing the playoffs in 2025.
It will be interesting to see what J.J. Picollo does with the time remaining in the offseason and how he’ll go about adding offense to the Royals’ roster for a better 2026.
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