KC Royals' rumored plan can still move forward after All-Star's bizarre no-trade list

The Kansas City Royals continue their see-saw form of late, finding ways to squeak out wins one night and looking completely overmatched the next.

They enter Monday's contest with the Pittsburgh Pirates five games below .500 with a 43-48 record. However they're 4-3 in their last seven after a series split in Seattle and then a series win in Arizona over the weekend, and still remain within a puncher's chance of an AL Wild Card spot, sitting just 5.5 games away.

This could continue to motivate J.J. Picollo - who's not yet decided what direction the Royals will take at the trade deadline - to not throw in the towel on the season quite yet and perhaps look to acquire some upgrades before July 31.

With the Pirates coming to town for a midweek three-game series, Kansas City will get a chance to see one of their rumored outfield trade targets up close in Bryan Reynolds, after he was linked to the club last week.

And after Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Gazette revealed details of Reynolds' no trade clause, it may make the path to acquire him in the coming weeks a lot clearer for the Royals.

KC Royals' rumored plan to acquire Bryan Reynolds can still move forward after bizarre no-trade list

Among the teams Hiles reported were a "no-go" for Reynolds were six big-time postseason contenders, who will all likely be in the buyers category ahead of July 31. These teams were; the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

How many of those teams actually had interest in Reynolds, if any, remains unknown, however when you eliminate six contenders right off the bat, it certainly narrows the market down.

This could potentially persuade the Royals into leaning into the buying conversation this month, knowing that one of the more notable outfield targets could be easier to obtain with less competition.

What exactly Kansas City would need to surrender to pry the semi-recently extended Reynolds away from the Pirates - he signed an eight-year, $106.75 million contract ahead of the 2023 season - remains to be seen.

However, it's easy to see the fit here. Even though he might be struggling to a .229/.294/.380 slash line with an 85 wRC+ in 2025, he would still be an upgrade over the concerning outfield mix the Royals are currently sporting. And prior to 2025, he had a track record of four consecutive above average seasons at the plate, posting a wRC+ no lower than 109 from 2021 to 2024.