2 MLB Trade Rumors free agent predictions the Royals need to follow, 2 they need to avoid

The Kansas City Royals have a several areas on their roster where they could stand to look different after a 93-loss season. With their sights seemingly set on competing with this core group led by perennial awards finalist Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City has to attack this offseason. Two areas that stick like sore thumbs in particular are their entire pitching staff and the outfield.

This is precisely the route MLB Trade Rumors recently took when predicting landing spots for their Top 50 free agents this winter. Four names were listed as fits for Kansas City this offseason, a pair of outfielders in Ian Happ and Luis Robert Jr., a reliever in Steven Okert and a starting arm in Clay Holmes.

Some make a lot of sense for the Royals and could really move the needle for them next season, others are either a stretch of a fit or names riddled with red flags that should be avoided at all costs. So, let's examine each of these potential fits and whether or not the Royals should pull the trigger on them.

Ian Happ could help bolster Royals' skeptical outfield outlook for 2027

Projected Contract as per MLB Trade Rumors: 3 years, $45 million

The Royals need for outfield help may not look as dire as it has in years past, thanks to Jac Caglianone's rise in his sophomore season. However, there's undeniably upgrade work to be done with underwhelming bats like Kyle Isbel, Isaac Collins and John Rave looking like the current frontrunners to slot in alongside Caglianone if the season started today. This is where Happ comes into play.

While a .218/.326/.412 slash line in 2026 doesn't jump off the page per se, Happ has consistently founds ways to provide production in the middle of the order having never posting a wRC+ below 105 in his career in Chicago. He's shown excellent signs of patience at the plate with a career 12.2% walk rate and sitting in the 80th percentile or above in chase rate five of the last six seasons. With consistently average to above-average quality of contact metrics (hard-hit% and barrel%) as well as 20+ homers in five of the last six seasons, Happ's proven to not be a bat for opponents to take lightly.

On top of that, his outfield defense looked excellent in 2026 with 10 DRS and 2 OAA. With Collins looking average at best in left, Isbel facing injury woes in 2026 and Caglianone less than two years into his outfield journey, the Royals could use the defensive boost Happ could provide.

He can hit for power, draw walks and play solid defense, making him a strong candidate to slot in amongst the heart of this order and shorten the gap between the top- and bottom-half of the order -- something that's been long overdue in Kansas City.

Royals can't fall into the trap of banking on Luis Robert Jr.'s potential

Projected Contract as per MLB Trade Rumors: 2 years, $26 million

After bouncing around multiple teams in 2026, the boat may've sailed on Robert Jr. living up to potential. He was once one of the best international prospects of this era, but that simply hasn't translated to major league results.

After making a pretty impressive 38 homer, 80 RBI and 129 wRC+ 2023 season with the Chicago White Sox, Robert hasn't come close to matching that while missing 50 or more games in three consecutive seasons now due to injury. Apart from above average quality of contact and some speed on the basepaths, Robert doesn't move the needle all that much if any for a contending hopeful like Kansas City in 2027. He's not reliable from a health standpoint, nor has he been reliable to produce when on the field.

He may no longer have that big price tag from his first contract hanging over him anymore, but the Royals simply have too many question marks this winter to be looking at what would be nothing more than a pure gamble. And with the aforementioned trio if Collins, Isbel and Rave still accompanying the rising star in Caglianone in the outfield, they need to focus on adding some more surefire options.

Steven Okert could be ultimate under-the-radar bullpen free agent for Royals

Projected Contract as per MLB Trade Rumors: 2 years, $14 million

While some Royals fans may focus on bolstering the offense, their real issue is their pitching. As it stands now, the Royals have no surefire closer or set-up men on the roster and the names they do have returning for 2027 look more like middle relief gambles than definite big league relievers. While he may not be the biggest name on the free agent market, Okert could do wonders to helping reshape this 'pen.

After a pair of rougher years with the Marlins and Twins in 2023 and 2024, respectively, the veteran southpaw underwent a career revitalization over the past two seasons with the Astros. This year in particular he posed quite the challenge for opposing hitters with a strong 2.13 ERA and sterling marks in both WHIP and BAA at 0.87 and .185, respectively.

The Royals bullpen was also putrid as whole, most notably sitting in the bottom three amongst MLB bullpens in K/9 and BB/9. Okert immediately helps solve that issue, sporting a 76th percentile K-rate and an even better 93rd percentile walk rate.

Pair all of this with the fact that he's a left-hander and the Royals' best lefty relievers currently project to be Anthony Gose and Connor Thomas (if Daniel Lynch IV doesn't shift back to the bullpen) and suddenly a deal like this almost makes too much sense for J.J. Picollo and the front office.

Clay Holmes may not make the impact to the Royals rotation some might think

Projected Contract as per MLB Trade Rumors: 3 years, $45 million

The Royals certainly need to focus on their starting staff as well with so many notable names projected to at least start the season on the injured list after going under the knife in 2026. While they still have the likes of veteran rocks, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, as well as young lefty Noah Cameron, the question marks start to stack up after that, making a free agent coming off another quality season in Holmes look enticing.

However, looking at those returning names and then looking at the game Holmes brings to the table, while he may have the stats, he doesn't exactly offer the Royals a different look beyond many of the names they're currently set to deploy.

With both Wacha and Lugo sitting at around 7.00 K/9 last season and Cameron sporting a clip near 8.00, they're more contact oriented arms rather than one centered around stirkeouts. While K's aren't the be-and-all for a pitchers success, that's what the Royals will be missing if they sign someone like Holmes -- who sported just 6.93 K/9 with Mets and Cubs in 2026 -- he doesn't offer that different look. And with Ragans potentially missing all of 2027 due to Tommy John, and Kris Bubic out of the fold, they need a more dominant strikeout arm to complement their supporting trio in the two through fours spots and at the very least give the opponents a drastically different scouting report.

If he were to assume more of a Daniel Lynch-type role in 2027 and feature more in the bullpen like he used to, perhaps there's more of a fit there. But for $15 million a season in a weak free agent market, the Royals could stand to get in better bidding wars this winter.

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