4 bargain-bin trade targets Royals should pursue as pitching injuries pile up

The Kansas City Royals need some headline help, but they may also need some bottom-run reinforcements if they wish to keep a postseason window open in 2025.

Now “bargain bin” is the only way to describe the following pitchers. These aren’t proven MLB arms or prospects with enough pedigree to get Royals fans clamoring for multi-year deals. Instead, they’re older pitchers—too old to be prospects—who’ve logged only minimal action in 2025.

The baseline for these potential trades is something like last year’s Paul DeJong deal. In that case, the Royals acquired DeJong for a few months and sent back right-hander Jarold Rosado, a now-23-year-old reliever struggling in High-A. That’s about as close to a true lottery ticket as it gets. A similar trade might just involve Kansas City sending the ever-mysterious “cash considerations” in return. In short: minimal investment, minimal risk.

Right now, Kansas City just needs innings—however they can get them. Monday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves was a harsh reminder of how bleak things look when the pitching isn’t even average, or worse, completely falls apart.

If the Royals want to keep building on their strong July, they need reinforcements on the mound, and fast. So, who are some arms around baseball that could help, for the lowest of prices?

4 bargain-bin Royals trade targets as pitching injuries pile up

RHP Curtis Taylor, St. Louis Cardinals

A pitcher on his seventh organization since being drafted in 2016—with a Mexican League stint to boot? Yes, 30-year-old Curtis Taylor fits that bill just fine.

The Canadian right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in early February, hoping to carve out another shot in a big-league system. Once strictly a reliever, Taylor is now being stretched out as a starter in Triple-A Memphis with surprising success—enough that Kansas City should be eyeing their in-state rivals for a rare midseason trade.

Taylor owns a 5–3 record through 22 appearances (15 starts), and his 3.16 ERA is the best of his Triple-A career. The 4.35 FIP suggests some regression could be coming, but it doesn’t take away from his solid work.

While no longer a strikeout machine, a 22.6% strikeout rate paired with an 8.7% walk rate is perfectly respectable. Is he Memphis' ace, banging on the door to St. Louis? No. But if he has any trade value, it may never be higher than it is right now.

His sinker/slider combo plays well at the Triple-A level, even if the rest of the arsenal is fairly ordinary. His 27.8% whiff rate ranks sixth among qualified Triple-A pitchers (minimum 1,000 pitches, age 27 or older), and the slider has been particularly nasty, earning a 40.6% whiff rate despite just a 26.2% usage rate.

Throw in a .295 xwOBA and 6.7 feet of extension—both marks among the top five in his age-qualified peer group—and there are real reasons to like Taylor as a spot starter or multi-inning reliever. Unless the Cardinals have late-blooming rotation hopes for him, trading Taylor now could be a smart move for both clubs.

RHP Yaramil Hiraldo, Baltimore Orioles

Are bullpen arms a need? Monday’s shelling would certainly suggest so—and if the Baltimore Orioles don’t have room for right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo on their 26-man roster, Kansas City might have a spot for the Dominican native.

Hiraldo made his MLB debut with the Orioles on May 27, 2025, after signing a minor-league deal following the 2024 season. He appeared in one other game in July but was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk despite no glaring issues.

His pitch mix includes a low-90s four-seam fastball, a mid-80s slider, and a developing changeup—tools that have produced solid whiff totals and strong ground-ball rates this season. While his 5.16 ERA in Triple-A is concerning on the surface, his 3.15 FIP and 3.14 xFIP tell a more encouraging story.

Hiraldo’s changeup stands out as a true put-away pitch, generating a .140 xwOBA and 48.1% whiff rate in Norfolk. Not every reliever, even at the big-league level, boasts that kind of weapon. He also keeps the ball on the ground well and features an overhead arm slot that gives hitters a different look.

Hiraldo isn’t someone to trust in late-inning spots right away, but with Kansas City leaning heavily on its bullpen, he’d be a worthwhile addition to deepen the relief corps.

RHP Brian Van Belle and LHP Evan Kravetz, Cincinnati Reds

Why not get all the shopping done in one spot? Kansas City needs a multi-inning option, but another underrated need is a another left-handed reliever.

Both Brian Van Belle and Evan Kravetz could fill those roles—and while Triple-A Louisville would miss them, neither arm seems to factor into Cincinnati's long-term plans.

Van Belle, a recent addition from the Red Sox after being designated for assignment on June 11, 2025, is still getting settled in with the Reds organization. Kravetz, meanwhile, has struggled in late-inning spots for Louisville, particularly with uncharacteristic home run issues.

Both pitchers have tweaks to make that are keeping them from a return to the majors, but Kansas City could see upside in their surrounding metrics. The Royals would need to clear space on the 40-man roster, but these are exactly the kind of arms they might believe they can fix.