4 final trade predictions for the Kansas City Royals on deadline day

It's trade deadline day and the Kansas City Royals could look to better position themselves for a strong stretch run and build off of some of this momentum they're currently riding.

The stage is set for general manager J.J. Picollo to be active at this deadline, as he's already firmly placed the Royals in the buyer's category, after swinging deals for both Adam Frazier and Randal Grichuk and then taking one of his biggest potential trade chips off the block by extending Seth Lugo to continue to keep this rotation stable.

Here's what could go down for Kansas City before the clock strikes 5 p.m. CT on Thursday.

4 final trade predictions for the Kansas City Royals on deadline day

1. The Royals won't break the bank in any deal

While the Royals might be in a position to continue to put the pedal to the metal, don't expect them to floor it.

The moves for Frazier and Grichuk signaled the willingness this front office has to address issues without jeopardizing the long term future of this organization.

That seems like the most likely approach Picollo and Co. and take on Thursday. As tempting as big name, Top 100 prospects like Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen might be to try to lure in a big fish, the fact is the Royals still aren't a shoo-in for the postseason with a 54-55 record and 3.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot.

Expect more between-the-margins type moves for more depth/platoon pieces that will certainly aid them in their push for the postseason, but also won't have many thinking 'why did they swing so big with the odds seemingly stacked against them?'.

2. An outfield bat will come through the door

It's no state secret that the Royals biggest need on the roster is in the outfield. They still hold one of the league's worst outfields statistically in 2025 - they rank 30th in both wRC+ and OPS - and the loss of Jac Caglianone to the injured list only complicates things more.

Randal Grichuk adds some spark to this outfield. That being said, with Caglianone, John Rave and Kyle Isbel all below a 75 wRC+ this season, there is still plenty that could be done to get this group looking more like a postseason worthy outfield unit.

Building off the first prediction of the Royals not breaking the bank, don't expect to see a huge All-Star caliber name like Jarren Duran coming through the door.

Perhaps look for another Grichuk-type player to be added - a platoon-type bat that is an overall upgrade from what they have now but trends more towards league average offensively.

3. Pitching reinforcements are on the way

The Royals are going through it from a pitching perspective right now. Cole Ragans remains on the IL with a rotator cuff strain with the hope of an August return, Michael Lorenzen is dealing with an oblique strain and according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers, Kris Bubic is sidelined for the rest of 2025 with a rotator cuff injury.

Kansas City is rocking with their starting trio now of Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron, which is certainly solid, but it doesn't make up for the fact that they're also sporting two bullpen days.

As good as the 'pen looked in a 10-inning shutout on Wednesday against the Braves, they can't rely on that to happen every time around. And after veteran Rich Hill failed to impress overall when he was called upon to fill a void, the Royals might not be too keen to turn to spot starting option in Triple-A once again.

Matt Quatraro may have hinted on Wednesday that perhaps a deadline deal for pitching help could be on the way, and given the current plethora of ailments bogging them down, it's not a stretch to think that they Royals have widened their trade net beyond offense in order to help fill pitching gaps to get them through until Ragans and Lorenzen can return.

4. Carlos Estévez stays put

It might be tempting for the Kansas City Royals to take advantage of a red-hot reliever market, especially after the blockbuster deal the San Diego Padres swung for Mason Miller Thursday morning.

However, Picollo told the media on Friday that the Royals are "in the business of getting better". Since then, they've acquired Grichuk and extended Lugo. To me, this signals that adding is the path to getting better, not subtracting.

Things are clicking for the Royals after a 15-9 month of July and it's hard to think that Picollo will want to subtract such a key piece to their postseason hopes, just to take advantage of a wild reliever market.

If Estévez were a rental option, perhaps it would be a different story, but given he's under contract for one more year and then has a club option for 2027, he fits right into the timeline of Royals' contending window. It's seems a bit unrealistic to me that they'll want to alter their plans after just half a season of Estévez, especially given how strong he's looked so far in Year 1 of his deal.