4 KC Royals players who could be traded before Opening Day

The KC Royals are trying to go from worst to first in the AL Central next season. The franchise is in the middle of one of the league's longest postseason droughts, going eight seasons without a playoff appearance. The team has been relatively aggressive on the free agency market, showing the fanbase some urgency following the 106-loss season. It is hard not to be optimistic about the Royals 2024 season. They do not have to be immediate contenders, but this fanbase desperately needs notable improvement.

The KC Royals still have work to do before Opening Day comes.

Keeping that desperate mentality, the Royals should not be content with their current 40-man roster. There is still plenty of room for improvement, and this team's ceiling remains lower than most will admit. This front office should look to the trade market for creative and frugal ways to improve the 2024 squad or better prepare for the following year.

The winning Royals of the 2010s coupled their young cores with veterans, acquiring them in free agency or via trade. Personally, I think the Royals have the latitude for some low-level trades, but I would love to see a James Shields-esque trade. The Royals do not have baseball's top prospect like they did in Wil Myers, but trading for an impactful veteran should be the goal of any splashy trade.

Whether it be an all-in move or improving on the fringes, the Royals have ample tradeable players before Opening Day. Spring training will have plenty of roster battles. But if these players stumble in Arizona, Kansas City absolutely needs to trade them ahead of Opening Day.

OF Dairon Blanco

The hope is that outfielder Dairon Blanco will have a breakout year for the Royals. He stuck with the big league club for 69 games last season, impacting the game in all facets. He was a menace on the basepaths, with 24 stolen bases, and was only caught stealing five times. His 30.3 feet/second spring speed was the fourth fastest in the league and top amongst outfielders. Blanco made a name for himself swiping bags in the minors, and that facet of his game transitioned seamlessly to the majors.

One thing that fans overlooked were his contributions at the plate. After all, he was one of Kansas City's best bats in the second half. He led the Royals with a 143 wRC+, surpassing AL MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr.'s 139 mark. Blanco got on base at an excellent clip and did damage with his base-stealing abilities. It is a rather straightforward and successful approach for the 30-year-old rookie.

That last part is why the Royals need to constantly be gauging Blanco's trade value: his age. The Cuba native had a relatively late start to his MLB career, and that severely hinders his value. Sure, the same thing could be said of All-Star Whit Merrifield, but his rise is the exception rather than the rule. A baseball player's speed can disappear fast, whether it be via injury, age, or inexplicable reasons. Blanco's only elite tool is his speed, and that makes his value very fluid.

Also, does his age fit the current Royals timeline? I understand Kansas City's free agency additions were on the older side, but most of the 40-man roster remains under 30 years of age. If Kansas City sees a Blanco replacement in a player like Tyler Tolbert or Garrett Hampson, the Royals should move on from Blanco with an appropriate trade partner. After all, speed kills, and contenders will want to have that in spades.

I love Blanco; I really do. I genuinely believe he would be a top-five fWAR position player on the 2024 Royals. I just do not believe that Kansas City should keep him at all costs. It would be wiser to trade him at his relative peak and lean upon a younger and similar player in Tolbert. Plus, Blanco's tools are elite enough that Kansas City could add more lower-level minor leaguers.

INF Samad Taylor

One of baseball's best first hits came off the bat of Samad Taylor in 2023. His walk-off hit against the Los Angeles Angels and subsequent celebration are among the feel-good moments of last season. However, it is impossible to deny that Taylor's debut season was anything but stellar.

Taylor was downright bad at the plate, finishing his 31 MLB games with a 49 wRC+ in 2023. He walked at a respectable 10.1% clip, but his 31.9% strikeout rate negated that and then some. Taylor is never going to hit for power. That is not who he is. That strikeout rate is one more in line with a powerful bat with an all-or-nothing approach. Taylor had a paltry .267 slugging, so that strikeout rate is unacceptable for Taylor.

There are many positives to draw from Taylor's 2023 season, but his speed is undeniably elite. It is not at Blanco's level, but Taylor's sprint speed still ranks in the 91st percentile. He produced eight stolen bases in his limited chances last season. But he cannot use that speed on the basepaths without getting on base.

Taylor does have some positional versatility, appearing at left and center field, plus second and third base last season. But he isn't great at any one position and doesn't have any prodigious traits in the field. Taylor, who will be 25 on Opening Day, still has time to right the ship regarding his MLB career. Plus, he has been under team control for an ample number of years. If another team is looking for a budget utility player, Taylor should be an option on the trade market. 

I feel like the Royals replaced Taylor with Hampson. I understand Taylor is a righty and Hampson bats left, but they both have eerily similar skill sets. Having both on the 40-man roster, much less on the bench, feels extremely redundant.

LHP Angel Zerpa

Once upon a time, Angel Zerpa tickled the imagination of Royals fans everywhere. His impressive introduction in the 2021 season at only 21 years old offered fans a semblance of hope during that dreadful season. Yet, injuries and underperformance have sapped the optimism from years ago.

All of Zerpa's MLB appearances last year came after Aug. 1, so fans wouldn't be faulted for missing them. He had a mixed role for the Royals as well. He appeared in 15 games, appearing as a single-inning reliever, starter, and even a bulk pitcher for manager Matt Quatraro. That last role was where he operated best. He had five games pitching four innings or more, posting a 3.52 ERA in 23 innings.

The issue with Zerpa isn't erratic location, a common issue among younger pitchers. He had a career-best 1.69 BB/9 in 2023 and has a 1.84 BB/9 across his career. The issue is that his pitching arsenal doesn't feature any put-away pitches. FanGraph's Stuff+ assigned Zerpa a 76, the lowest on the 2023 Royals and tied for the 12th worst in all of baseball. He can locate his pitches just fine but struggles to miss bats or baffle opposing batters.

The Venezuelan is not arbitration-eligible until 2026, so the Royals have plenty of time to decide what to do with him. His spot on the 40-man roster should be up for grabs, especially if Kansas City wants to bring all more single-inning relievers to the bullpen ahead of Opening Day.

I wonder if another team can help Zerpa out. I am not doubting the Royals development pipeline, as they have noted progression in the minor-league levels. But Zerpa just needs some help. I genuinely believe a change of scenery would be good for Zerpa.