Sergio Estrada and Charles Leclaire, Imagn Pictures
On the time of this writing, the Kansas Metropolis Royals’ playoff odds sit at 12%. They’re 54-55, 3.5 video games again of the third AL Wild Card, packed in tight with a bunch of common groups chasing the main contenders, together with the Rangers, Guardians, Rays, and Angels. (I’m going to go forward and rely the Twins out.) It’s a troublesome spot. You don’t essentially need to go all in with a 12% likelihood of constructing the playoffs, nevertheless it’s a ok shot {that a} sell-off would go down fairly poorly.
Threading this needle with precision, the Royals made a collection of strikes that stuffed key roster holes with out playing away any important long-term items. The primary of these went down yesterday morning, once they picked up two stable, controllable right-handers in Ryan Bergert and Stephen kolek in trade for backup catcher Freddy Fermin.
Later within the day, the Royals made two extra trades. The primary additional shored up a depleted rotation; the second improved a very abysmal outfield. First, they introduced in lanky left-hander Bailey Falter from the Pirates, parting with up-and-down lefty Evan Sisk and Callan Mossa primary baseman with a .790 OPS in Excessive-A who went undrafted in 2024. And some minutes after the deadline handed, Jon Heyman reported that they’d picked up Mike Yastrzemski from the Giants for A-ball hurler Junior Marte.
Let’s begin with the pitchers. The Royals’ rotation, key to their shocking 2024 playoff run, is now a strolling hospital. Workers ace Cole Ragans went down in June, surfacing briefly after a groin damage knocked him out in Could solely to fall sufferer to a rotator cuff concern only one begin after returning. (He could also be again in late August or September.) This month noticed Michael Lorenzen hit the IL with an indirect pressure, and pop-up sensation Kris Bubic dominated out for the yr with a rotator cuff concern of his personal. After Kansas Metropolis tragically DFA’d Wealthy Hill on Tuesday, their rotation was down to a few wholesome arms: Seth Lugo, Michael ceaseand rookie Noah Cameron.
It goes with out saying that isn’t actually a tenable scenario for a group that wishes to make a run at it. Davy Andrews coated the Bergert/Kolek acquisition, so I gained’t spend an excessive amount of time on these two guys, however each are large league high quality arms and may find yourself on the main league roster in some capability.
As for Falter, the Pirates had evidently soured on the extendo man. Per MLB.com’s Alex StumpfFalter was seen as a possible non-tender candidate. (He is because of hit arbitration for the second time this winter, and is out of minor league choices.) At first look, that’s somewhat shocking: Falter has delivered 113.1 innings of three.73 ERA ball for a reasonably skinny rotation, and the Pirates simply gave him away for a modest worth.
The underlying numbers aren’t as fairly. He’s placing out fewer hitters than Kyle Hendricks this yr whereas strolling greater than the league-average pitcher. It’s not arduous to see the place the Pirates are coming from.
However too tight of a deal with his Ok-BB% may miss what makes Falter particular: He’s 6-foot-4 and will get 7.3 toes down the mound. If that’s not essentially the most excessive extension-to-height ratio within the large leagues, it’s fairly shut. The extension doesn’t simply improve the perceived velocity of his fastball; it additionally lends a cool visible, distorting hitters’ skill to simply choose him up.
A cool look and a protracted stride isn’t sufficient to show Falter into an ace, or perhaps a mid-rotation starter. Even with plus-plus experience, his fastball sits at simply 92 mph, and he’s but to develop a high quality secondary providing. However it’s intriguing clay for the Royals to mildew, and so they’ve acquired three extra years of group management after 2025 to deploy what I feel is an underrated pitching growth operation within the service of his enchancment. Within the short-term, he’s a man who can ship respectable innings in an enormous league rotation down the stretch.
The return for Falter options two prospects with clear strengths however restricted upside. Sisk is 28 and destined for bullpen work. Right here’s what Eric Longenhagen needed to say about him:
Sisk is an large league-ready lefty specialist reliever with an excessive cross-body supply. He’s a nightmare for lefties, in opposition to whom his slider performs like a plus-plus pitch. Sisk has held lefty batters to a .621 OPS in 2025 whereas righties have a .950 OPS in opposition to him. His fastball is parked at 91, and he throws loads of cutters to righties to attempt to hold them off the scent of his fastball. It’s a must to actually dominate lefties to be price rostering as a lefty specialist today, however Sisk seems to be of that ilk.
Moss is a little more of a long-shot large leaguer. Eric additionally despatched alongside some ideas on Moss:
Moss grew up in Brooklyn and was just a bit child when his cousinsformer NFL working backs Cedric Peerman and Donald Brown, started their professional careers. He attended Seton Corridor for 2 years earlier than transferring to Division-II Saint Leo’s for his draft yr. Moss went to the Appy League and crushed there earlier than the draft, successful the league’s Participant of the Yr award, however he nonetheless went undrafted. Now he’s had two robust offensive seasons in professional ball, slashing .270/.372/.418 in 2025 previous to this commerce. Moss’ swing is a doppelgänger for Tyler Locklear’s pre-change swing. His arms are ultra-strong via contact, and Moss has fairly good barrel really feel for a current small faculty man, nevertheless it takes him some time to get on aircraft with the baseball and he drives a ton of contact into the bottom proper now. There’s actual hand velocity right here, and okay really feel to hit, however after all the righty-hitting customary at first base could be very excessive. Moss has put himself on the radar however in all probability wants a swing tweak to have a agency large league projection.
The Yastrzemski aspect includes a bit extra danger. Marte, the A-ball pitcher going again to San Francisco in trade for Yaz, has posted spectacular statistics over an 82-inning pattern this season. In Could, Eric assigned him a 40+ FV, noting his projectable 6-foot-5 body, a repeatable supply, and a fastball that may contact 97. He additionally famous to me that Marte’s skill to zone his fastball has improved within the months since that Could write-up.
That seems like a reasonably good prospect to get for 2 months of Yastrzemski, who’s working a 97 wRC+ with so-so protection in a nook outfield spot and is a free agent this offseason. Over 600 plate appearances, that’s roughly a 2-WAR participant. Which may not sound like essentially the most thrilling addition on this planet, however to the Royals, that seems like an ice-cold glass of water on the most popular day of summer season… in a sauna.
Pre-deadline, the Royals’ outfield was a gaggle is among the many worst within the league. Each corners merited inclusion in Jay Jaffe’s Substitute-Stage Killer collection. Collectively, their outfielders are posting a 61 wRC+ this season, good for -2.6 WAR. Even a replacement-level outfielder would give the membership a severe enhance; Yastrzemski is decidedly above that degree, significantly if he’s shielded from lefties (81 profession wRC+ in opposition to same-handed pitching, 10 wRC+ this season.)
Due to the Randal Grichuk acquisition from just a few days in the past, that ought to be eminently attainable. I’d be shocked if Yastrzemski confronted a single left-hander pitcher with Grichuk now within the fold; collectively, they must type one thing like a 115ish wRC+ platoon whereas doing a decent job in proper subject. Given what Kansas Metropolis has gotten from that spot to date, it’s an unimaginable improve, up there with essentially the most impactful of your complete deadline, although that’s maybe extra of a touch upon who Yastrzemski is changing than Yastrzemski himself.
If the Royals had been out right here dealing 50 FV prospects for Eugenio Suárez or Jhoan duranit’d look a bit excessive. Equally, if they’d stood pat and even traded away key veterans, it will have appeared somewhat pathetic. In that tenuous place between contender and vendor, the Royals did properly, shoring up their most evident weaknesses whereas risking an inexpensive quantity of future worth.
