4 KC Royals who could be traded before Opening Day

John Rave, OF

For all the frustration surrounding Kansas City’s outfield, one thing is certain: the Royals have an abundance of Quad-A players at the position.

A Quad-A player — or Four-A player — is someone who thrives in Triple-A but struggles to translate that success to the majors. Whether due to a missing tool, bad luck, or an unpolished approach, these players hover in limbo between minor-league stardom and MLB irrelevance. Recent Royals examples include Jackson Kowar and Ryan McBroom, and the 2025 roster has plenty of candidates fitting this profile. Drew Waters, Nelson Velázquez, Joey Wiemer, and Tyler Gentry are all on the 40-man roster, but another name lurking outside of it is outfielder John Rave.

The Royals selected Rave in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Illinois State, drawn to his blend of speed and gap-to-gap power. Since the lost 2020 season, he’s steadily climbed through the farm system, spending all of 2024 in Triple-A Omaha. While Werner Park and the International League tend to inflate offensive numbers, few could have predicted Rave’s breakout — a 21-home run, 17-stolen base campaign for the Storm Chasers. He was a key piece of that squad, displaying an above-average glove, quality routes, and quick jumps across the outfield.

Now in his fourth consecutive big-league spring training, Rave is making a case for a roster spot. Through 11 games, he’s slashing .368/.478/.474 with a 158 wRC+ and three stolen bases. Yet, despite his strong showing, his path to an Opening Day roster spot remains unclear.

Omaha fans surely remember Brewer Hicklen, who posted an absurd 28-home run, 35-stolen base season in 2022. Despite his dominance, the Royals barely gave him a look, limiting him to six games and four plate appearances before trading him to Philadelphia for cash considerations in 2023. Hicklen still hasn’t seen significant MLB time, but Kansas City was decisive in moving him once they determined he didn’t fit their long-term plans.

That’s being transactional, baby.

The Royals have been plenty transactional this offseason, and moving on from Rave could be the next step. If Kansas City can’t find regular plate appearances for a near-20/20 player, a trade might be the best way to maximize his value.