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3 KC Royals who won’t survive on 40-man roster past MLB trade deadline

Kansas City has some transparent needs this coming trade deadline. Could these players help their trade chases?

By Jacob Milham |
/ Kyle Rivas/GettyImages
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As the 2024 MLB season progresses, a blink is all it takes to see nearly half of it slip away. The KC Royals are entrenched in a West Coast road trip, visiting Los Angeles and Oakland before heading south to Texas. When the Royals get back to Kauffman Stadium, they'll have completed 79 games in the over-performing 2024 season.

I say overperforming, but it is really a pleasant surprise. This season was meant to be a subtle improvement from 2023. Despite quality free agent acquisitions, internal improvements, and a clearly defined identity fueling tepid optimism, few foresaw a Royals squad solidly in a Wild Card spot and close to the AL Central Lead.

Well, few outside the Royals cluhouse at least.

Which current KC Royals are on the chopping block?

Now, Kansas City has a buyer's burden. This is a feeling that fans haven't experienced in nearly a decade. No one should expect the Royals to go all-in, a la their 2015 counterparts, but rather improve in the margins with controllable players. That is what conventional wisdom says, but Royals executive VP and general manager J.J. Picollo surprised fans this offseason. Could he do so again at the trade deadline?

In that case, the Royals must bid farewell to some notable players. Whether it be moving on to open a roster spot or to a new organization, this team cannot substantially improve this summer without losing or moving a few 40-man players. Here are the most likely candidates and how they would leave Kansas City:.

LHP Jake Brentz

I hate to say it, but this feels like a no-brainer. Reliever Jake Brentz should be the next man off the Royals 40-man roster, no matter the reason. He had a promising start to his MLB career, but that dates back to the 2021 season. The velocity wowed fans, and a possible return of Kansas City's relief dominance tickled the imagination. That imagination and shock value only get a ball player so far. Unfortunately, injuries have sapped Brentz's once-bright future in Kansas City.

Tommy John surgery and then a lat strain kept him out of the majors since April 29, 2022, but 2024 was supposed to be his big return. Following a full season of rehab, Brentz talked with Kansas City Star reporter Jaylon Thompson about ($) how he could "go out there and give it [his] all" this spring.

Sadly, the Arizona desert had other plans in store.

Brentz suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during spring training action against the Milwaukee Brewers. Royals manager Matt Quatraro described Brentz's latest injury chapter ($) as "demoralizing," but that is putting it lightly. Now, Brentz was once again on the sidelines with a new injury to rehab and more ground to gain.

The lefty has pitched 12 innings this season, split evenly across Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Unfortunately, Brentz's struggles have followed him wherever he has gone in 2024. He hasn't allowed many hits this season (only three since May 19), but his walking problem has grown legs and run. He has 27 walks compared to only 11 strikeouts, a massive disparity. He is struggling to put the ball over the plate and regain some of the control he had at the MLB level.

Royals fans have undoubtedly heard about Brentz's hard rehab, and no one likes seeing the injury bug hit players for this long. But there comes a time when Kansas City should move on from his 40-man roster spot. Whether it be a dazzling replacement from the Royals farm or a trade acquisition, Brentz's spot is very much in jeopardy.

OF Drew Waters

The switch-hitting outfielder made his Royals debut in 2024 on June 11, replacing outfielder Hunter Renfroe on the 26-man roster. Waters only had five plate appearances, yet he gave Royals fans a tantalizing glimpse of his MLB outlook's potential, evoking excitement and frustration.

First, let's get to the good stuff. Waters' first hit this season came on Thursday in a pure hustle play, where he dove into first base for a hit. The base proved crucial as Kansas City staged a dramatic walk-off comeback victory to evade the sweep, adding to the intensity of the moment. Earlier that same game, he flashed his patented arm in right field for an outfield assist. It isn't much, but Waters' six asssits last season tied for the eighth-most among all AL right fielders. Renfroe's saving grace in the field is his arm, so Waters reminding fans of his own cannon was promising.

Now, on to the frustration. I cannot get past his swing decisions in his limited action. It can certainly be attributed to MLB return jitters. However, this has been a persistent issue throughout Waters' entire MLB career, especially in Triple-A this season. It is easy to point to his production across 50 games in Omaha and turn a blind eye to his plate approach. A lot of players want a 277/.350/.484 line with seven home runs, 33 RBI, and 14 multi-hit efforts. But he did all that while striking out 26.6% of the time, and he saw that rate rise as the season progressed.

The Kansas City outfield is a liability at the plate. Waters had a solid bat at Triple-A, flashing the talent that made him a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. Yet, the Royals struggled to carve out a niche or defined role for him until circumstances demanded one. All indications suggest that Waters falls short of being the outfield cornerstone we had envisioned after the 2022 season.

If he falls short, then Kansas City must strike while Waters' iron is hot, seizing the opportunity for major action. By trading Waters along with one or two other prospects, Kansas City could secure a game-changing outfielder or even an elite bullpen arm, depending on their priority.

Waters still has untapped potential at 25, but Kansas City has missed prime trade opportunities for the sake of said potential. Picollo could once again prove he is different than his predecessor by moving Waters in a bigger move ahead of the trade deadline.

LHP Daniel Lynch IV

Pitcher Daniel Lynch IV's 2024 season has been an absolute roller coaster. Kansas City just optioned the lefty to Triple-A for the third time since May, making Lynch a frequent commuter on I-29. Sadly, Lynch's most recent outing may have been the final straw for his Kansas City tenure.

He has struggled in his two appearances this month, posting an 11.81 ERA and 1.78 WHIP across two June appearances. Despite pitching 10⅔ innings, Lynch averaged 94 total pitches across those two games and struggled to miss bats against the Yankees and Seattle Mariners. Kansas City swapped Lynch for rookie Anthony Veneziano earlier this week, showing Lynch still has work to do in Omaha.

The Virginia native's process has improved in 2024, but his shrinking strikeout production is hurting his results. It has been a disappointing year so far for the former 34th overall pick.

Lynch hasn't been perfect this year, but he is still an innings sacrificial lamb, under team control through 2027. Some teams desperate for controllable arms will value Lynch more than many Royals fans will. Sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery and a fresh start to reinvigorate their MLB career.

The Royals can give Lynch that if the appropriate partner emerges. Teams value controllable starters very highly in the modern MLB, so Kansas City shopping Lynch could turn some heads and open some doors. The only way he should leave this 40-man roster is as part of a trade, plain and simple.

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