The Kansas City Royals had a busy weekend, signing outfielder Lane Thomas to a one-year contract and trading for Isaac Collins. But they may not be done yet.
There are still ways that they can improve their offense for 2026 and get themselves right back into contention. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic even notes that they still have interest in Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
However, that isn’t their only target. They have the pitching depth to swing a deal for another big bat. Rosenthal also reported that they continue to show interest in a St. Louis Cardinals All-Star, though the path to the Royals isn’t as clear.
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Royals Still Connected To Cardinals All-Star
“The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan is another Royals target, but The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported Saturday that the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants are the front-runners for the super-utility player,” Rosenthal wrote.
“The path for those teams to Donovan is cleaner than it is for the Royals.”
Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and a .775 OPS during the regular season. The Cardinals’ asking price might not be as high as the Red Sox’s for Duran.
The Royals have the young and controllable starting pitching that the Cardinals would seek in trades. Noah Cameron and Ryan Bergert are possible options.
But it might be harder for the Royals to land Donovan because the fit isn’t as clear. Collins and Thomas fill the Royals’ needs in the outfield, and while Donovan can play the outfield and could be an upgrade at second base, the Royals seem to have already committed to Jonathan India at that position.
The Royals’ offense let them down in 2025. Adding Donovan would give them a much different look and it would allow them to potentially climb in the American League Central standings in 2026.
But it will be interesting to see what the Royals decide to do next. They clearly aren’t done adding pieces, and Donovan could be just what they need in order to get their offense back to where it needs to be and help the team get back to the postseason next year.
The Royals and Cardinals still line up well as potential trade partners, so a deal would make sense.
More MLB: Royals Linked To Red Sox All-Star In Potential Trade, Per Insider
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