Royals would be smart to capitalize on trade market for lefty reliever

As the Kansas City Royals look to bolster underperforming areas of their roster before the 2025 season, general manager J.J. Picollo will have some hard decisions to make. The team is almost certain to make moves on the trade market rather than spend in free agency, meaning some current players will find themselves leaving Kansas City in return. The Royals have a few obvious trade candidates on the roster, and on December 11, MLB.com's Anne Rogers identified a reliever who has been generating some interest from other teams — Angel Zerpa.

"The Royals’ left-handed pitching depth now includes Sisk, Sam Long, Angel Zerpa, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch IV and No. 12 prospect Noah Cameron, with the latter three also vying for a rotation spot next spring," Rogers wrote. "That surplus creates some flexibility when it comes to trade talks with other teams. So far, it hasn’t come of anything, although teams have inquired about Zerpa, who is only 25 years old and has settled into a high-leverage relief role (although there might still be an allure of starting for other teams)."

Kansas City's relief corps was a problem area of the roster in 2024, ranking 20th in MLB with a combined 4.13 ERA, but Zerpa managed a relatively respectable performance. In 53.2 innings out of the bullpen, the 25-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and 49 strikeouts, and his 96.3 mph fastball velocity ranked him in the 84th percentile of all MLB pitchers. Still, Zerpa's -1 Pitching Run Value (PRV), 20.4% strikeout rate, 16% whiff rate, and 8.3% walk rate were all well below average.

With development, Zerpa has a lot of potential, and it's definitely not out of the question for him to transition to starting with the right team.

Picollo's top priority for Opening Day is acquiring a middle-of-the-order power bat, and while losing Zerpa would be unfortunate — especially since the Royals need bullpen support and he's one of the only passable relievers in the squad — it would be smart to capitalize on the interest from other teams. Lengthening the Royals' batting lineup past stars Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Pérez is crucial if the team wants to back up their 2024 campaign with another playoff berth.

Zerpa is one the better relievers in KC, but that's a very low bar. He's not good enough to protect if it means giving up a trade opportunity.