The Kansas City Royals are remaining close in the American League Wild Card race. While it’s a longshot, they are four games back of the final spot with a 60-61 record. They were buyers at the trade deadline, adding veterans Randal Grichuk, Adam Frazier and Mike Yastrzemski to bolster their offense.
They also added pitchers Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter. However, the offensive pieces they added are all rental pieces and will be free agents at the end of the season. They will need to replace the potentially departed hitters to bolster their offense for the 2026 season.
Among the free agents this coming offseason is former Royal Ryan O’Hearn, who has had a breakout season with the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. Perhaps the Royals could reunite with him this offseason.
O’Hearn is hitting .275/.371/.453 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI, a 2.1 WAR, an .824 OPS and a 131 OPS+. He came to the Major Leagues through the Royals system, making his MLB debut in 2018. He was with the team until 2022. The next year, the Orioles took a chance on him and he was later traded to the Padres at this year’s deadline.
He provides power from the left side of the plate, can play first base and also a little outfield, and he can even serve as a designated hitter from time to time. Kansas City could certainly use a presence like his in their lineup. His best season in Kansas City was 2018, when he hit .262 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI in 44 games. It was a small sample size, but he was still quite productive.
O’Hearn has turned himself into a star player with his recent success and could be a huge potential addition for the Royals if they decide to target him this offseason. They don’t always spend big in free agency, but the slugger shouldn’t cost too much for them, even though they are a relatively smaller-market team.
The team needs offensive production if they want to return to the postseason in 2026. Their hopes of making a run in 2025 are slim as the season enters its final few weeks. But they can have a better offseason after 2025 to improve their chances for next year.
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