Proposed 'wish-list' suggests Royals put former Silver Slugger on their radar

The offseason is winding down and teams are gearing up for spring training, but the Kansas City Royals still have some obvious holes in their roster that should be addressed. After their historic comeback season last year, the Royals are looking to contend for another playoff berth in 2025, and any weaknesses in the lineup could be enough to hold them back. On January 24, Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer proposed "a wish-list" for the Royals, listing an impact bat and a relief pitcher as the team's biggest needs before they head to spring training.

"Re-signing Michael Lorenzen allowed the Royals to fill the rotation hole left by their Brady Singer-for-Jonathan India swap with the Reds," Rymer wrote. "But they could still use a reliever, preferably a right-hander with a middle relief profile. And with all due respect to India, he isn't the star hitter that the Royals need to support Bobby Witt Jr. With their payroll already above its 2024 level, the question is how to get one within a reasonable budget."

Rymer continued, "A trade is probably the only answer. Given their deficiency in center field, the Royals are another club that should have Luis Robert Jr. on its radar."

So with just two weeks until spring training camps open, should the Royals be targeting former Silver Slugger Award winner Luis Robert Jr.?

Is Luis Robert Jr. the answer to KC Royals' outfield woes?

The Royals' need for offensive support in the outfield has been discussed ad nauseum at this point, but with MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe set to return as the three starting outfielders in 2025, it's easy to see why fans are uninspired. Those three players slashed a combined .221/.284/.386 across 1,249 plate appearances while playing the outfield in 2024, with not one of them managing an OPS over .700.

The upgrade that Robert would offer at the plate is obvious, even after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Last season with the Chicago White Sox, the 27-year-old struggled to an out-of-character .224/.278/.379 line with 14 home runs and 35 RBI in 425 plate appearances, though considering the abysmal season from the rebuilding White Sox overall, a down year from Robert was to be expected. The center fielder is just one season removed from winning a Silver Slugger Award and All-Star selection with a 264/.315/.542 line, 38 home runs, 80 RBI, and 20 stolen bases, so he certainly can't be solely judged off one bad campaign.

Still, it's curious that in his "wish-list," Rymer commented on the Royals' "deficiency in center field." While all three of the current KC outfielders are obviously subpar hitters — and that's presumably to what Rymer was referring — Kyle Isbel in center field is the only outfield spot where they aren't deficient on defense. In 2024, Isbel posted 10 Outs Above Average (OAA) and a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 8 to rank in the top 5% and 13% of all qualified MLB fielders, respectively. Meanwhile, Robert recorded just 1 OAA and a perfectly average FRV of 0.

Robert would be a huge upgrade over Isbel at the plate, but Isbel is a far stronger defender. Of course, Robert isn't bad on defense, while Isbel is bad at the plate, so Robert comes out on top as the far more well-rounded player, but unfortunately, injuries have plagued Robert throughout his career. He was ruled out for 62 games of 2024, with 2023 being the only season in which he's managed to play more than 100 games — and even then, he missed the All-Star Game with a calf injury.

At just 27 years old, Robert likely has his best years ahead of him — especially if he stays healthy — and he'd unquestionably boost the offensive production from the Royals' outfield. Still, Isbel is arguably the only one of the three current outfielders worth keeping in his current position, and if Kansas City trades for Robert, one of them would need to shift to either left or right field (likely right field, since Melendez has significantly more potential than Renfroe).

Regardless, a trade for Robert is unlikely to happen. The White Sox aren't going to let him go cheap, meaning the Royals would have to part ways with multiple top prospects to get him. Earlier in the offseason, Rymer proposed a trade that would see Kansas City get Robert by sending pitcher Ben Kudrna (No. 3 in the Royals' system) and outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 6) to Chicago, but that's just too big a sacrifice for the Royals to comfortably make.

Considering Kudrna and Cross are the only two of the team's top 10 prospects with an expected major league debut in 2025, Rymer's proposal would mean sacrificing two players the Royals could likely utilize this season. Cross is an outfielder, too, so it may be smarter to just continue developing him as an internal option to upgrade the outfield, as oppose to losing two of the team's best prospects.

Robert is an incredible player, and there's no question that he would fit as the middle-of-the-order power bat the Royals have been searching for. Still, giving up multiple top prospects — whether they be Kudrna and Cross or any others in the Royals' Top 5 — is far too risky, especially considering Robert's injury history and recent stats.