Royals could look to trade market to revitalize stagnant second base situation

It's officially the time of the offseason when rumors about where the Kansas City Royals might turn seem limitless. There's talk about free agent signings and trades that could be made, and at least for now, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Brandon Lowe appears to be one of those guys KC could go after.

The good news is that MLB Insider Jim Bowden thinks that Lowe could be available on the trade market. The bad news is that he could be one of the more sought-after infielders supposedly on the market this winter. That means Kansas City could have some high-powered competition.

Back to the good news. With Lowe not a free agent and instead a trade target, it's not about how much money the Royals can spend. It's more about who they want to make available in trade and whether the Rays' price tag is too much to accept.

The Kansas City Royals have the prospects to compete in a healthy trade market

So far, Lowe has played his entire career with the Rays and has a career slash line of .247/.326/.481 and 157 home runs in eight seasons. Tampa has a team option for him for 2026 that they will pick up, just as they did last offseason.

At the moment, the Royals aren't in the race to land Lowe, should the Rays make him available. However, with a farm system that has plenty of talent, they could join in should it be clear the team is willing to deal.

Why might Tampa decide to unload him this winter? As Bowden puts it, "The 31-year-old will be a free agent after next season, and if they’re ever going to trade him, the time is now. He’s coming off his healthiest year since 2021, playing in 134 games while putting up a SLG of .477."

Lowe's 31 homers were tied for the most by any second baseman. That kind of slugging would certainly look good paired with superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and Lowe plays a solid, if unspectacular, defense as well.

Bowden thinks both the New York Yankees and Houston Astros could be interested, making this a tough hill to climb. Still, if the Kansas City Royals are interested in competing in 2026, they might need to part with some of their promising young talent to make a run.

However, with a combined .236 AVG and .640 OPS at the second base position this season, a big splash is certainly warranted in Kansas City and there's no denying Lowe could do wonders in this role.