3 realistic outfield targets the Royals could look to add before the trade deadline

J.J. Picollo and the Kansas City Royals' front office have positioned themselves to push for the postseason after a series of moves this past week, headlined of course by the extension of Seth Lugo.

Apart from their injury-plagued rotation, one of the areas they've struggled with is their outfield, which has long been considered this season as one of the worst outfields in all of baseball. Entering Wednesday's rubber-match against the Atlanta Braves, the Royals outfield ranked last in fWAR (-2.5), wRC+ (61), OBP, (.594), HR (20) and RBI (82).

This makes further outfield additions beyond Randal Grichuk and Adam Frazier a logical avenue for the Royals to continue upgrading if they choose to further insert themselves into the buyer's category at the deadline.

While they may be playing better baseball of late, the fact is they still sit under .500 and are 3.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, so expectations should be tempered on what kind of outfielder they go after.

Sure, names like Jarren Duran would be nice, but the price could be too steep and considering the uphill battle ahead of them, it may not be worth mortgaging the future for simply a chance at making the postseason.

That being said, there are several more affordable options that the Royals could look at acquiring to further move the needle without unnecessarily breaking the bank.

3 realistic outfield targets the Royals could look to add before the trade deadline

Trevor Larnach - Minnesota Twins

Listed as their the 42nd overall trade deadline target, The Athletic have Larnach as being a deadline fit for the Royals.

While the thought of adding another left-handed bat to the outfield mix may not seem like a priority for this squad - as they already have Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel and John Rave - it's not the gap he'd be filling, it's the upgarde he'd be providing.

While he may only be slashing .239/.311/.398 with a 97 wRC+, he would be a refreshing boost of double-digit homer run power for this outfield group. He also is just a year removed from a .259/.338/.434 slash line with a 120 wRC+, 15 HR and a 10.0% walk rate.

Even in a down year, his 97 wRC+ is still providing more upside in 2025 than Caglianone (29 wRC+), Rave (70 wRC+) and Isbel (72 wRC+).

A strong-side platoon bat with power potential who also so happens to have two more years of control beyond 2025 is definitely worth thinking about.

Jesús Sánchez - Miami Marlins

Sánchez was linked to the Royals earlier this season. When MLB.com's Mark Feinsand first listed him as a fit for the Royals back in mid-June, Sánchez was slightly better than an average hitter, with a 108 wRC+.

Since then, he's slipped slightly more towards average. However, he'd still constitute an upgrade over their current left-handed hitting outfield options, similar to how Larnach would.

Sánchez holds a 100 wRC+ with double-digit HR power, belting at least 13 in his last four season prior to 2025 and nine so far this season. He also happens to be working on his fourth 100 wRC+ season or better in his last five.

Like Larnach, Sánchez is an average lefty-bat with a bit of pop that's not slated to hit free agency until 2028, making the 27-year-old both cost-effective, as well as a potential lasting solution in the outfield for years to come.

Harrison Bader - Minnesota Twins

Then there's Bader, who has no formal links to the Royals quite yet but fits the mold of a budget-friendly upgrade to a tee.

While he's certainly had his highs and lows in his career, he's currently in the midst of one of those highs. This season, he's slashing .254/.336/.437 with 12 HR, 38 RBI and a 116 wRC+.

He's also been a 2.0 fWAR player, as his solid bat has been accompanied by some exceptional defense in the outfield, accumulating 13 DRS and 6 OAA.

He's the ideal blend of pop, defense and speed. Not to mention his price tag should be relatively on the cheap side considering he's a rental bat (mutual option for 2026) in his 30s.

If the Royals are looking for a short-term upgrade on Kyle Isbel in center field, Bader checks all the boxes this season.