The Kansas City Royals made their first big move ahead of the MLB trade deadline, acquiring pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Texas Rangers. With the veteran now on board, Royals rumors are pointing towards the club’s next objective.
Kansas City is starting to run out of time to make its next move. The MLB trade deadline is on Tuesday at 6:00 PM EDT, meaning there are just a handful of hours for the team to hammer something out. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from.
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It’s not hard to identify what the club has to do. In late July, the Royals lineup ranked 12th in runs scored (490) and 20th in OBP (.308). More specifically, Kansas City needs more run production from its outfielders and there do appear to be a few names in mind.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Royals are targeting right-handed bats. Specifically, Kansas City has its eyes on Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas along with Los Angeles Angels teammates Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward.
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Thomas, age 28, is an enticing option. The 6-foot outfielder comes with club control through 2025 and he’s owed less than half of his remaining $5.45 million salary for this season. At the plate, Thomas is slashing .252/.331/.407 with 8 home runs, 40 RBI, 28 steals and a .738 OPS. He’s recorded a .700-plus OPPS in each of his last four seasons.
Rengifo is another strong option for the Royals lineup. The 27-year-old has primarily played the infield in Los Angeles this season, but he has played over 200 innings in the outfield since 2021. With the bat, Rengifo owns a .300/.348/.421 slash line with 6 home runs, 30 RBI, 23 steals and a .769 OPS. He is under contract via arbitration through 2025.
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Ward might be the riskiest option among the Royals trade targets, but he comes with more club control. The 30-year-old outfielder is struggling at the plate this season – .227/.309/.401 – but he is on pace for his second season with 20-plus homers in the last three years. He’s also a fairly patient hitter, drawing walks in 10.4 percent of his plate appearances this season.
With Lorenzen on board, Kansas City can focus its attention on adding one of the hitters it wants before the MLB trade deadline. Considering how well the team has performed this season, landing the right bat could put Kansas City back in the postseason for the first time since 2015.
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