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KC Royals Trades: 3 high-value prospects club can afford to deal

Established major leaguers aren't the only players Kansas City can trade.

By Mike Gillespie |
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Recent years haven't been kind to the KC Royals. They've lost at least 100 games in three of the last five full seasons, are on their second manager since Ned Yost retired after the 2019 campaign, and their pitching has been particularly bad.

But the franchise's many problems aren't limited to the major league level. The farm system, more than once an area of high praise and productivity, is now the regular target of baseball pundits who consistently rank it far below average and slam it for poor player development.

That doesn't mean, though, that the organization is devoid of valuable prospects. The club can count at least a few truly high-value players among its various minor league affiliates; some are destined to reach Kansas City, while others could be shopped and traded to fill pressing needs.

Let's have a look at three notable prospects the Royals should consider moving this winter to obtain immediate help.

Kansas City should give serious thought to shopping Ángel Zerpa

Yes, Ángel Zerpa finished the 2023 campaign on the Royals' major league roster and has spent parts of three seasons in Kansas City. But with only 19 big league appearances on his resume, he's still classified as a rookie and, as such, should still be considered a prospect.

And not a bad one at that. Evidence of Zerpa's good control lies in his 1.84 short-career BB/9. His 1.19 WHIP is good. And his 5-5 record and 3.84 ERA could be much worse. (He's currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League and is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA, nine strikeouts, and five walks in 8.1 innings.

Given those decent numbers, it may seem foolhardy to think of Zerpa as trade material. But the Royals desperately need to add an established major leaguer (or two) to their rocky and shallow starting rotation; sometimes teams must trade good prospects to get proven big leaguers.

The next trade candidate may really surprise you...

Catcher Carter Jensen is someone the Royals can consider trading

Hard to criticize is Kansas City's decision to pick Carter Jensen in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft. He was then and still is a skilled catcher with a good bat and, coming from Kansas City area Park Hill High School, he was familiar locally and a potential gate draw.

What he's done since confirms the Royals drafted well when they grabbed him. Although he's hitting only .223 over three minor league seasons, he boasts an excellent .361 OBP, a nice number driven by a good 18.5% walk rate. He's also clubbed 11 home runs in each of the last two seasons. MLB Pipeline says he's the seventh-best prospect in the Kansas City system, and Kings of Kauffman's Jacob Milham ranks him as the top catching prospect in the organization.

So, why should general manager J.J. Picollo consider trading Jensen? It's simple, really — the Royals sorely need pitchers, both starters and relievers, and because organizational pitching depth is so shallow, they'll probably have to look outside the system for immediate improvement. Jensen could help them get it, especially because with Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin ahead of him, and Pipeline's No. 1-ranked KC prospect Blake Mitchell behind him, he might be expendable.

Picollo, of course, shouldn't trade him for equal, or even slightly better, talent, but if it's a blockbuster deal he's looking for, including Jensen in the package may be required.

Next?

Kansas City could include Tyler Tolbert in an offseason trade package

If there's one position the Royals don't need to fill before they open the 2024 season in late March, it's shortstop. That's where Bobby Witt Jr. plays, and the club has no intention of replacing him — he's simply too good, he's under team control through the 2027 season, and extending him now should be the team's top priority.

Witt's presence complicates the advancement of every shortstop playing in the club's minor league system. That includes Tyler Tolbert, who since the Royals drafted him in 2019 (13th round) has risen to Double-A ball and should, after batting .276 with a .336 OBP and 10 homers for Northwest Arkansas this season, get a shot at Triple-A Omaha next year.

What makes Tolbert even more attractive is his incredible success stealing bases. Not only did he steal 50 for the Naturals, but he also swiped 60 at High-A Quad Cities two seasons ago, and 55 in a campaign split between the Arizona Complex League, Single-A Columbus, and Quad Cities in 2021.

But even if he continues hitting well and stealing so many bases at Omaha in 2024, and despite the fact he won this year's George Brett Hitter of the Year Award as the organization's top batter, Witt will still block him. He can, and has, played second base and center field, but his real value is at short.

The Royals would hate to lose Tolbert, but teams must sacrifice high quality to get high quality. Including him in a trade package could definitely result in an excellent return, one that could help the club immensely and immediately.

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