MLB insider links new names to KC Royals to address painfully obvious need

As the season quickly rolls towards the MLB Trade Deadline, it appears that every talking head around the sport agrees that the KC Royals need to pick up some offense if they want to make the playoffs. Should they be buyers, there's very little doubt that hitters rather than pitchers will be on the agenda.

One of the latest reports this week comes from Jake Mintz of Yahoo! Sports. In it, Mintz lays out the needs and the best trade matches for every team in Major League Baseball. And while he didn't say anything new about the general needs for Kansas City, he did offer up some new names to ponder.

"This offense is a mess," Mintz wrote. "Vinnie Pasquantino is heating up, and Jac Caglianone's arrival should help, but this team still needs help. Royals outfielders have posted a combined -0.6 bWAR." He then offered several names the KC Royals could target as the trade deadline draws closer.

KC Royals expected to seek bats—not arms—at this year’s trade deadline

Austin Hays, Ryan O'Hearn, Luis Robert Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Mike Yastrzemski were among the top groups he thought would fit KC. He then also mentioned the possibility of Bo Bichette should the Toronto Blue Jays fall out of contention.

Of that group, Hays and O'Hearn are the most attractive, considering they've posted 138 and 150 OPS+, respectively, so far this season. Of course, several factors would make acquiring either rather tricky, including the fact that they'll be in great demand, might not be made available, and will almost certainly cost a great deal of prospect capital in return for names on expiring contracts.

White Sox centerfielder Robert is almost certainly the most affordable, though he too will have some heavy demand precisely because his asking price will practically be less than anyone else on this list. Robert is having a dreadful season, hitting just .185 and posting a 65 OPS+, so his track record is far more attractive than what he's doing this year.

Gurriel, Yastrzemski, and Bichette are all good but not great, and Kansas City would need to pry away from teams that might still be considering a playoff appearance.

The key, of course, is that everyone on the list of potential trade acquisitions (except for Robert) would immediately upgrade offensively the KC Royals on a daily basis.