Seamless Royals outfield fit signs surprising multi-year deal with Braves

The Kansas City Royals have been vocal about their need to acquire corner outfield help this winter, with the team reportedly looking to add an outfielder from both the free agent market and through trade, as per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic earlier this week.

One of their better free agent fits was a familiar face in Mike Yastrzemski, whom insiders reported the Royals had interest in re-uniting with.

However, it appears they'll have to look elsewhere to fill that free agent void as the Atlanta Braves seemed to have spoiled this reunion.

FanSided's Robert Murray reported late Wednesday evening that the Braves and Yastrzemski were nearing a deal and it was later confirmed my numerous other insiders that agreement was a two-year contract worth $23 million with a club option for a third year.

For Royals fans this may've come as a bit of surprise.

Royals will need to go back to the drawing board after Mike Yastrzemski signs with Atlanta

Now, would Yastrzemski have been a perfect fit for the Royals in 2026? No.

However, seamless isn't perfect. What made Yastrzemski seamless was his ability fill a much needed role, his veteran presence and his ability to be versatile when called upon.

While he's mainly a left-handed platoon hitter, given how poor the Royals' outfield options looked all year in 2025, having a strong side platoon bat in a spot of need made all the difference in the world and expanded their lineup to keep the team in the hunt down the stretch.

After acquiring him from the Giants at the trade deadline as a 95 wRC+ hitter, Yastrzemski turned in a much stronger showing in his new home, hitting .237 with an .839 OPS and 127 wRC+ in 50 games.

Then, there's always the veteran presence he brings to the table as a 35-year-old who's spent seven seasons in the majors. While they didn't end up achieving their end goal of postseason baseball, his presence was noticeable in motivating this team during their push.

Then, there's the versatility, as Yastrzemski was able to put on many different hats when called upon.

The Royals struggled in the leadoff role before Yastrzemski joined, but it didn't take long for them to put him in the one-hole and the impact was felt almost immediately, posting a 115 wRC+ in that spot.

And he was also able to show off some defensive versatility, slotting into the center field role when Kyle Isbel landed on the IL at the end of the year.

The bottom line is, the Royals knew what they were getting with Yastrzemski and that familiarity made him a seamless fit.

However, he had his limitations. He really struggles against left-handed pitching meaning he could never be a full-time left fielder. And given his handedness, he wouldn't be a fit to slot in as Jac Caglianone's right field platoon partner either.

And a multi-year contract worth over $20 million is probably a lot more than many Royals fans would have thought he'd get on the open market, so perhaps the Royals were simply priced out of a reunion.

Losing out on someone you're familiar with is never easy, especially after having the success he had in their uniform. However, there's other names available on the market that will likely be a better fit for the Royals price range and their full-time needs in left field.