Royals Rumors: KC viewed as free agent landing spot for struggling former All-Star

Anything seems possible in the offseason, even if many of the fans’ preferred outcomes are so improbable that a team may never seriously consider them.

The Kansas City Royals could, in theory, add a superstar outfielder like Kyle Tucker or take a chance on a former MVP like Cody Bellinger, but are those moves probable? Kansas City’s recent history suggests otherwise.

However, former general manager Jim Bowden has the Royals listed as a realistic landing spot for a free-agent outfielder who feels far more within reach - Cedric Mullins.

The Athletic lists a Cedric Mullins—Royals pairing as reasonable.

Mullins, once one of the game’s most valuable center fielders, earned his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger Award in 2021 with the Baltimore Orioles. That same season, he also received MVP votes, validating his breakout year as more than a fluke.

But since then, Mullins has taken step after step backward. In 2025, he was worth just 0.4 bWAR across 133 games split between Baltimore and the New York Mets.

Bowden argues that Mullins hurt his free-agent value more than he helped it this past season, but that very decline could place him directly in Kansas City’s price range.

"Mullins has played himself off being an everyday center fielder despite still being an above-average defender thanks to his plus range. He’s still at 15-homer, 15-stolen base type talent, but he’s not hit .235 or above in the last three years. I don’t see him getting an everyday job anymore, but he would be a quality fourth-type outfielder on a contending team."

Jim Bowden, The Athletic

Bowden also predicts Mullins will command a one-year, $8 million contract this offseason and lists the Royals, Phillies, Yankees, and Guardians as his “best team fits.”

From a roster needs perspective, Kansas City clearly needs to address its outfield. But is Mullins the kind of addition that fans or the front office should be excited about?

Mullins, now 31, feels somewhat redundant on Kansas City’s roster. The team already employs Kyle Isbel, a glove-first, left-handed-hitting center fielder. Mullins offers more on the basepaths, as he’s stolen at least 19 bases in each of his full MLB seasons, but that skillset alone doesn’t separate him meaningfully from Isbel.

Both players are below-average hitters, not just in terms of results but also in underlying offensive metrics. And while an $8 million salary is hardly back-breaking by modern standards, the marginal upgrade Mullins may offer over Isbel doesn’t appear to justify that investment.

There’s no question that Kansas City must do something to improve its outfield. Adding a depth option shouldn’t be out of the question. But committing a decent chunk of payroll to another left-handed-hitting, defense-first outfielder doesn’t seem like a wise allocation of resources, especially for a team that needs both impact bats and better offensive balance.

If Mullins is the move, then the Royals can’t stop there. They’ll still have plenty of work left ahead of Opening Day to build a more competitive and complete outfield unit.