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David Leksy writes about the possibility of the Royals pursuing Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner<\/a>.<\/p>\n And the return will be interesting. First, let\u2019s say he could be had for Bubic. Does that make perfect sense for the Royals? Bubic only has one year remaining before free agency and it\u2019ll cost somewhere in the $6 million to $8 million range. Hoerner will cost $12 million in the final year of a three-year deal he\u2019s on. Hoerner, in value, is probably worth more than Bubic, so that makes sense there, but does he fit what the Royals really need? I struggle with this because I think they\u2019d be better with Hoerner than without, but is there a better deal that involves Bubic.<\/p>\n From what I\u2019ve heard, the Royals think the Red Sox are going to come back off their demands for Jarren Duran and believe Bubic can be a part of that deal. It wouldn\u2019t be the whole deal, but he\u2019d be the central big league piece. I think Duran fits what the Royals want more than Hoerner does. I also think one year of control for Hoerner is helpful for now, but do they want to do more?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Anthony Franco at MLB Trade Rumors writes about whether the Royals will trade a starting pitcher<\/a>.<\/p>\n Picollo has strongly downplayed the chance of moving\u00a0Cole Ragans<\/a><\/strong>. He\u2019s controllable for three seasons and has shown ace upside but is coming off a significant rotator cuff injury. They extended\u00a0Michael Wacha<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0last offseason and\u00a0Seth Lugo<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0before the trade deadline. It\u2019s hard to see either veteran righty going anywhere.<\/p>\n Left-hander\u00a0Kris Bubic<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is headed into his final season of arbitration control. He pitched at a top-of-the-rotation level but suffered a season-ending rotator cuff strain not long after the All-Star Break. Southpaw\u00a0Noah Cameron<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0had a sub-3.00 ERA over his first 24 career starts despite a below-average 20.5% strikeout rate. Controllable depth arms\u00a0Ryan Bergert<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Stephen Kolek<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0have drawn interest but have minor league options and could be key injury insurance in Triple-A. They\u2019re presumably open to moving\u00a0Bailey Falter<\/a><\/strong>, but he\u2019d have minimal trade value.\u00a0Alec Marsh<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has gotten interest in the past but underwent\u00a0labrum surgery<\/a>\u00a0in November and will likely miss the entire season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n MLB.com writes about a potential breakout prospect from each organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n Royals:\u00a0Warren Calca\u00f1o<\/a>, SS (No. 17<\/a>)<\/strong> Kevin O\u2019Brien at Royals Keep has New Year\u2019s resolutions for the Royals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n ESPN writers come up with bold predictions for baseball in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Twins acquire first baseman Eric Wagaman<\/a> from the Marlins.<\/p>\n Where will free agent pitcher Framber Valdez end up<\/a>?<\/p>\n The Blue Jays are considered favorites to land Kyle Tucker.<\/a><\/p>\n What are the bullpen options for the Yankees<\/a>?<\/p>\n Which upcoming free agents have an important year coming up<\/a>?<\/p>\n How far have the Cardinals fallen in drafting and development<\/a>?<\/p>\n Which NFL coaches could be fired on Monday<\/a>?<\/p>\n Have the San Antonio Spurs arrived<\/a>?<\/p>\n Archaeologists may have found the lost Iron City of the Silk Road<\/a> in the remote highlands of Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n Saks Global prepares for bankruptcy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n\n
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Right-hander Kendry Chourio was the big breakout of 2025 for Kansas City, but Calca\u00f1o was actually the club\u2019s largest international signee with a bonus of $1,847,500. He lasted only nine games in the DSL, going 9-for-26 (.346) with a homer and eight walks, before injuring his shoulder in a freak collision. Calca\u00f1o should be healthier for his age-18 season in \u201826. He\u2019s already considered a gifted defender at shortstop and was in the midst of proving he had an advanced approach as a switch-hitter. A larger, healthier sample could make him one of the more exciting prospects in the Royals system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n