At this level, sometimes it is so much nicer to focus on one team. The Kansas City Royals have enough intrigue for multiple team-specific sites, and each is different from the other. That allows some granular inspection of the team’s transactions and directions during the offseason.
But zoom out to the people who talk or write about baseball for a living, and the Royals needing outfield help immediately is no secret flaw or underrated need. It is something actively holding the team back, as it has for years.
A new trade rumor for an outfielder? The Royals are in the narrative. A mid-tier outfield free agent target who can play any of the three spots? Bam, Kansas City is there. I wish I could call this lazy writing or analysis of the team, but it frankly isn’t. The need is that great.
So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that when former Kansas City Star writer Andy McCullough picks one free-agent deal for every MLB team, the selection for the Royals is an outfielder. That lack of shock continues when The Athletic’s senior MLB writer sends Harrison Bader to the club, citing his career year and defensive fit in Kansas City.
“Bader picked an excellent time for one of the best seasons of his career, as he should be able to capitalize on a weak market for center fielders. He hit 17 homers with a .796 OPS in 2025. The Royals are thirsting for better production from their outfielders, and always place a premium on defense at Kauffman Stadium. Bader is a good fit for a multi-year deal.”
Andy McCullough, The Athletic
Does Harrison Bader fulfill the Royals’ outfield wishlist, or even their needs?
This is a common pairing this offseason, but not based on smoke surrounding a possible signing. The fit just works that well.
Bader certainly had a career year split between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, posting a 122 wRC+ across 146 games. The 31-year-old has always played above-average center field and has always shown up in the postseason when his team gives him a chance.
All those traits rolled up into one player make for a solid free agent target. But a weak outfield class makes Bader one of the best.
There is a chasm between what Kyle Tucker will garner for a contract and the rest of his outfield peers, and Bader feels within the Royals’ striking range from a payroll perspective.
Kansas City notably undersold their final payroll last offseason, so there should be optimism about them doing the same in 2026. Even the most generous projections don’t have Kansas City close to the likes of Tucker, so settling into the Bader range seems doable. That reality, coupled with need, seems to fuel the Bader link.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
