It\u2019s the first week of spring training, pitchers are climbing back onto the mound, hitters are getting their first swings in, and optimism is in the air. And yet, for fans of the Royals, there\u2019s still that lingering feeling that something is missing. All winter long, the expectation has been that the front office would land one more impact bat, an outfielder to lengthen the lineup. So far, that move hasn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Even though spring training games are about to begin, there is still plenty of time to make a move. J.J. Picollo told Anne Rogers at MLB.com the team could still pursue a right-handed bat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s about how that player fits on our current roster to make it make sense,\u201d Picollo said. \u201cRight-handed is maybe a little bit easier to slide in a piece. Where left-handed, it\u2019s got to be a more prominent move because we have enough left-handed hitters we think can be a part of our 26-man roster and allow us to operate the way we want to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n With six weeks until the season opener, the question isn\u2019t whether the Royals need another right-handed bat – it\u2019s whether they\u2019re still willing to go get one. Here are some outfielders that could be available in a trade, particularly if their team finds they need to add some pitching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Adell had a breakout season last year, slamming 37 home runs, the ninth-most in baseball. But power is pretty much all he brings to the table – he\u2019s a low-average, low-walk, high-strikeout hitter. Still, the Royals need that kind of pop, and Adell is just 26 years old with two more years until free agency. Adell was one of the worst defenders in baseball in centerfield <\/a>last year, but he could be a better defender in left field. The Angels would be wise to sell high on Adell and add some pitching with several controllable years. However, he was just a 1.2 rWAR player last year, so they shouldn\u2019t expect top prospects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n DeLuca is a young guy you\u2019d have to unlock more from, because he hasn\u2019t produced at the big league level yet. Acquired by the Rays after the 2023 season in the Tyler Glasnow trade, he hit .217\/.278\/.331 with six home runs and 16 steals in 107 games in 2024, his only extended look in the big leagues. He appeared in just 20 games last year due to shoulder and hamstring injuries. As a minor leaguer, DeLuca had solid pop, good speed, and very low strikeout rates. His defense is good enough that he doesn\u2019t need to hit that much to be valuable, but he may be too unproven to help the Royals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Yankees have an outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham, with Spencer Jones knocking on the door as well, which may leave Dom\u00ednguez as the odd man out<\/a>. After being a highly ranked prospect, Dom\u00ednguez had mixed results in his rookie season last year, hitting .257\/.331\/.388 with 10 home runs and 23 steals in 123 games and poor defense. But the 23-year-old switch-hitter has sky-high potential as a 30\/30 player who has an excellent eye at the plate. The Yankees could option him to the minors and stash him away, but if they have moved on from him and are in need of starting pitching, the Royals could be a match.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Doyle is a two-time Gold Glover in centerfield who hit .260\/.317\/.446 with 23 home runs in 2024 as a 4.0 rWAR player. The problem is he was absolutely dreadful at the plate in 2025, batting .233\/.274\/.376 with 15 home runs in 138 games. That was with inflated numbers at Coors Field – he hit just .162\/.209\/.251 on the road! But there is some evidence that Coors messes with hitters on the road<\/a>, and Doyle was quite good when facing just left-handed hitters. The 27-year-old has three more years of club control, so the Rockies may not be motivated to move him until he resurrects his value, but with a new GM, there may be changes coming to the roster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Padres seem likely to roll with an outfield of Laureano, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr., with Miguel Andujar and Sung-Mun Song in the mix between the outfield and DH. But they could decide to deal some of their outfield depth to acquire another starting pitcher and make Laureano available in his last year before free agency.The 31-year-old hit .281\/.342\/.512, tying a career-high with 24 home runs in his time split between Baltimore and San Diego, and his 3.8 rWAR was the best of his career. Laureano has been an inconsistent performer – his numbers tanked in 2022-23, leading the A\u2019s to put him on waivers. He has also had trouble staying on the field and is a poor defender. But he makes just $6.5 million this year, which should make him affordable even for the Royals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Jasson Dom\u00ednguez, Yankees<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n