4 KC Royals players most likely to be traded at this year’s Winter Meetings

From free agent signings to trade deals, the Winter Meetings are a very busy time in the MLB offseason — and the Kansas City Royals are going in with work to do. The Royals have already been relatively active this winter, notably re-signing Michael Wacha and trading Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer, but the team is still in the market to fill a number of roster holes before the 2025 season.

With a leadoff hitter secured and the starting rotation now locked in with one of the best 1-2-3 punches in MLB, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo can turn his attention to the team's next big need — a middle-of-the-lineup bat.

According to The Athletic's Will Sammon, Katie Woo, and Ken Rosenthal on December 2, "the Royals plan to pursue a middle-of-the-order bat and are more likely to acquire that bat through a trade than free agency. This will not rule out the possibility of acquiring another pitcher or bench player, but the priority remains to add a slugger."

So with the Royals still looking to add to their roster this offseason, which current players are most likely to be traded away in return — either by themselves or as part of a trade package — at the upcoming Winter Meetings?

Chris Stratton, RHP

The Royals' bullpen was a well-documented mess this season, ranking 20th in MLB with a combined ERA of 4.13. Unfortunately, reliever Chris Stratton was no exception.

With the team looking to bolster their pitching after a 106-loss season, Kansas City signed Stratton to a one-year, $3.5 million contract before 2024. The deal included a $4.5 million player option for the 2025 season or a $500K buyout, and after an underwhelming performance this year, Stratton predictably triggered said option to stay on the Royals' payroll for another season.

In 2024, Stratton posted a disappointing 5.55 ERA out of the bullpen, with a 1.47 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. He didn't make any appearances during the playoffs, with the Royals leaving him off their 26-man rosters for both the Wild Card Series and AL Division Series.

Going into the Winter Meetings, the Royals will almost certainly be looking to trade Stratton. While they may get lucky with a team looking for a reclamation project, it's more likely Kansas City will end up including Stratton as part of a bigger trade package. Either way, the 34-year-old reliever is likely to have a new home by the end of next week.