The Kansas City Royals were busy over the weekend. Fresh out of the Winter Meetings, they signed outfielder Lane Thomas to a one-year contract and traded for Isaac Collins.
While the Royals got the two bats they were looking for, there is still reason to believe that they are not done just yet. There are still ways that they can improve their offense for 2026.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Royals have their eye on a specific trade target from the Boston Red Sox that could transform their offense even further. They have been in on this target for much of the offseason.
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Royals Showing Interest In Red Sox All-Star
“Even after signing free agent Lane Thomas and trading for Isaac Collins, the Kansas City Royals are open to adding another outfielder – most notably Jarren Duran, if the Boston Red Sox lower their asking price,” Rosenthal reported.
According to Rosenthal, the Royals believe that a trade for Duran would cost them Cole Ragans, and they aren’t eager to trade him. Perhaps they could bite if the Red Sox were to show interest in either Noah Cameron or Kris Bubic.
However, it would seem that this is unlikely. The Red Sox want another starting pitcher, but their asking price for Duran is high, so it might be hard for the two teams to agree on a deal.
Still, Duran would give the Royals another big boost offensively. Their outfield would be set for 2026, and their lineup would have a completely different look.
At the very least, the Royals should be back in the Wild Card mix for 2026, but they might need a little more help to actually find a spot in the postseason.
Duran could give them exactly what they’re looking for. He hit .256/.332/.442 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, a 4.7 WAR, 24 stolen bases and a .774 OPS in 2025.
It should be interesting to see what else general manager J.J. Picollo is planning this offseason, but a trade for Duran would make sense for the Royals as long as they don’t have to give up Ragans.
Time will tell if the Red Sox are going to be willing to lower their asking price for the All-Star outfielder.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.si.com ’
