The Kansas City Royals outfield situation has been a disaster in 2026. Aside from right fielder Jac Caglianone, they have not gotten much production from the group. The Royals outfield was also a problem in 2025 and has continued to struggle this year.
This past offseason, the Royals front office elected to go with multiple low-cost, high-upside options in Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas and Starling Marte. All three have been underwhelming, which is a big reason why Kansas City is trending toward being sellers at this year’s trade deadline. With the outfield lacking reliable contributors, any addition that could help would be welcomed.
Advertisement
Now they could potentially add another piece into the mix, though it will come from an unconventional direction.
“Royals OF Rudy Martin, Jr. will be triggering his upward mobility clause tomorrow, allowing 29 other teams to add him to their 40-man roster,” wrote MLB reporter Ari Alexander on X.
An upward mobility clause is a contractual provision that allows a minor-league player who meets certain performance thresholds to make himself available to all 30 teams.
If another organization claims him, they add him to their 40-man roster. If no one does, he remains with his current organization. It is essentially a player’s way of forcing the issue when they feel their performance warrants a big-league opportunity.
Advertisement
Martin has clearly earned that conversation. This season across Double-A and Triple-A in Kansas City’s system, he has posted a .284 batting average, .414 on-base percentage, .855 OPS, eight home runs and 33 stolen bases, showcasing a well-rounded skill set. It is by far the best season of his minor-league career.
Martin’s path to this moment has been anything but straightforward. He was originally a 25th-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft out of high school by the Royals and spent seven years in their system. He went on to join the Washington Nationals organization in 2022. He then spent a couple of years playing in Independent Professional Baseball before rejoining Kansas City in 2025.
It is unlikely another team will claim Martin given that he is 30 years old, but with those numbers, it is worth the attempt. Kansas City remains the best spot for him given their outfield situation, and if he clears waivers, the Royals should seriously consider giving him a look at the big-league level in the second half. They do not have much to lose sitting in last place in the American League Central.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
