Royals Rumors: Michael Wacha, Lane Thomas labeled "perfect" trade fits for pair of NL contenders

The Kansas City Royals are in a great position ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. Well, great for having clarity at least. While the playoff races in both the AL and NL remain jumbled messes, that puts the cellar-dwelling Royals in a good spot as both clear sellers and a team that does not need to wait until the Aug. 3 deadline to know where it stands.

While that clarity will likely not get the moves going any sooner as teams still need to decide if they are buying or selling, there is still a solid group of established buyers. Teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves have good footing in the standings and all have one need or another they could fill as the reality of pennant races looms larger and larger.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden went through his list of contenders and linked each with a "perfect" trade target. The Royals had two representatives among their probable trade chips this summer: starting pitcher Michael Wacha and outfielder Lane Thomas, whom Bowden had going to the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.

Lane Thomas could be perfect fit to scratch Phillies' itch for right-handed outfielders

Thomas has been on a heater lately, and that has only inflated his trade value. He came to Kansas City with an obvious platoon advantage, but the former Cleveland Guardians player has been stellar lately as an everyday guy for the Royals. That reality and the surprisingly thin field of right-handed bats available had Bowden linking Thomas to the NL East powerhouse Phillies.

"The Phillies have been looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder and Thomas would be a perfect match. He can play all three outfield positions and, more importantly, rakes against left-handed pitching. Through Wednesday, he had a career .289/.360/.498 line with 28 homers over 806 plate appearances versus lefties. In general, he’s done a solid job getting on base this season, with a .337 OBP."

Jim Bowden, The Athletic

That is a solid match, especially as Philadelphia's right-handed outfielders carry the worst wRC+ (75) this season. Kansas City already dealt an outfielder to the Phillies this month, sending Kameron Misner there after designating him for assignment.

Philadelphia had one of the best trade deadline outfield acquisitions last year, getting Harrison Bader for a few months and squeezing 1.2 fWAR from him in only 50 games. But his performance did not stop the eventual champion Dodgers from bouncing the Phillies in the NLDS in four games.

Royals can't overlook potential reunion between Cardinals and Michael Wacha

Next is a much more conventional trade that carries plenty of narrative weight. Wacha was a journeyman pitcher for years before coming to Kansas City and reestablishing his year-over-year value. But Bowden thinks Wacha's first team, the Cardinals, should be looking for a reunion ahead of an October push.

"The Cardinals need to go for it and why not have a reunion with Wacha, who was drafted by St. Louis 12 years ago? He’s controllable through 2027 with a team option for 2028 at a reasonable annual salary ($18 million this year and $14 million each of the next two years). An AL All-Star, Wacha has a 3.66 ERA in 125 1/3 innings."

Jim Bowden, The Athletic

The Cardinals are not the clear contender Philadelphia is, however. St. Louis holds a 53-52 record as of July 27, mired in a tough NL Central division with the Milwaukee Brewers comfortably sitting on top. St. Louis has been a surprising team in 2026, with outfielder Jordan Walker's breakout serving as a perfect embodiment of a franchise rising from the ashes in a sense. Their rotation is solid right now, led by Dustin May and Andre Pallante, and it has also been extremely healthy, with five starters logging more than 99.0 innings pitched and 20 starts as of July 27.

But Bowden thinks there is something for Wacha in St. Louis, and if the trade package is right, there should be no reason Kansas City cannot make the move a reality.

The Royals have several other players who should, could, or would be dealt by Aug. 3 if the fanbase had their say. General manager J.J. Picollo has been notorious in recent seasons for getting trades completed as the clock expires, so fans can never say never on what moves the Royals have in store as they look to restock the farm and hopefully get back on track in 2027.

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