4 hot prospects the KC Royals could use as MLB trade deadline chips

What status the Kansas City Royals assume when July's major league trade deadline period arrives remains to be seen. That Saturday's 1-0 victory over Detroit moved them a bit closer to the first-place Tigers in the American League Central, and kept them in the tight AL Wild Card race, doesn't mean they won't be sellers rather than buyers — the club is only an awful losing streak or two from playing itself out of contention.

But whatever happens between now and this year's July 31 big league deal deadline won't change the fact that the Royals won't stand pat. They need a significant offense boost if they want to secure a second consecutive playoff spot, and can always use more budding talent to brighten the future if landing such a spot becomes improbable.

Who he'll put on the trade market is something KC general manager J.J. Picollo isn't saying. He has key established major leaguers with which to make bold, buyer-type moves, but what about uber-talented prospects? Here are four such players (among others) Picollo could throw into the mix.

Current KC Royals outfielder John Rave could be MLB trade deadline bait

That he's playing in the majors is a double-edged sword when it comes to considering Rave in the deadline context. Through Saturday, he's only 1-for-11 since the Royals selected his contract from Triple-A Omaha May 26; but if the club keeps him in Kansas City long enough, he could move into trade conversations.

And what he's done in the minors suggests he's better at the plate than his early big league numbers might reflect. Rave was slashing .301/.382/.549 with nine home runs, 25 RBI, and a 142 wRC+ when summoned to Kansas City for his big league debut. He'd also stolen 17 bases in 18 attempts. And the 21 homers he clubbed at Omaha last season enhance his resume.

Cam Devanney is another value-packed KC Royals trade prospect

Devanney is probably on every opposing team's radar — if his 11 homers and .301/.380/.580 line (through Saturday) at Omaha haven't grabbed their attention, the three grand slams he recently hit in just five mid-May games certainly have.

So why might Devanney figure prominently in serious trade discussions? The reasons are simple — although he's played every infield position and dabbled a bit in left field during his six-season minor-league career, he's spent most of his time at shortstop, a position he'll never play regularly in Kansas City as long as Bobby Witt Jr. is around. And with Jac Caglianone on the verge of a call-up to the majors and gaining experience in the outfield by the day, Devanney's outfield options are limited.

Add to all that the improbability of the Royals wanting Devanney to ride the KC bench as a utility man, and the probability of him mixing into trade talk can't be ignored. Teams are known to sacrifice top prospects like Devanney to bolster their playoff chances, and the Royals might be tempted to offer him up in July.

Reliever Evan Sisk could land in the KC Royals trade pool

Don't blame Sisk's recent demotion — Kansas City sent him back to Omaha May 28 — on his pitching. Instead, the move is probably best explained by the perceived need to get a more rested arm into its bullpen and Sisk's ERA was 0.69, he'd fanned 11 batters in 5.1 innings, and hadn't allowed an inherited runner to score when he headed back to the Storm Chasers, where - through Saturday - he's boasting a stingy 0.68 ERA with three saves in 13 games.

And he's no one-season wonder. A season after the Royals picked him up from Minnesota in the Michael A. Taylor trade, he went 6-2 with a 1.57 ERA, 15 saves, .165 OBA, and 1.03 WHIP at Omaha in 2024.

Hard to imagine, then, that Sisk is not attracting a lot of attention as the trade deadline nears.

The Royals could find trade deadline suitors for Ramon Ramirez

In only his third professional season, Ramirez is making a name for himself. Through Single-A Columbia's Saturday doubleheader with Fayetteville, he's slashing .252/.366/472 with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 44, an impressive performance serving so far as a nice follow-up to the .265/.379/.459 line, seven homers, and 33 RBI he put up last season in the Arizona Complex League.

And just the year before, he made his pro debut with a .344/.440/.615 line and eight homers in 41 games for the Royals Blue club in the Dominican Summer League.

Why would the organization consider trading this superb catcher who also just happens to be its 10th-best prospect, per MLB Pipeline? Because even with that lofty rating, he still ranks as the third-best catcher in the system behind Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, which pushes him down in the pecking order to eventually replace Salvador Perez behind the Kauffman Stadium plate.

That makes Ramirez somewhat expendable. But Picollo should shop him only if the Royals can't swing a major, game-changing deal without him.