Orioles All-Star, Silver Slugger Could Become Top Target For Royals

Kansas City's entire outfield has forgotten how to hit

Mar 11, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; A detailed view of Baltimore Orioles baseball hats and gloves in the dugout during the first inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Something miraculous happened for the Kansas City Royals during their 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

A Royals outfielder hit a home run and earned an RBI! The rare moment arrived in the third inning when MJ Melendez hit a solo shot off Yankees ace Max Fried.

It was just the second homer (and seventh RBI) tallied this season by Kansas City’s trio of starting outfielders — Melendez, Hunter Renfroe, and Kyle Isbel. 

Melendez had to feel great about finally breaking through at the plate, but he’s still climbing uphill with a .093/.188/.186 slash line entering Wednesday. Renfore isn’t much better at .119/.213/.143. Isbel’s .268/.286/.390 with 16 total bases makes him look like an MVP candidate by comparison.

In sum, the Royals are utterly starved for outfield plate production in 2025, and that famine is a primary reason why their 8-10 record isn’t better.

But what is Kansas City’s front office going to do about it?

The list of possible trade targets has already begun to assemble, from high-cost guys like Luis Robert Jr., Ceddanne Rafaela, and Masataka Yoshida to under-the-radar outfielders like Andy Pages and Lars Nootbaar.

Another name to monitor for the Royals is Baltimore Orioles All-Star Cedric Mullins.

Mullins’s deal expires after the season, and his time in Baltimore could be coming to an end, as noted by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday.

“Mullins, 30, is eligible for free agency at the end of the season,” Rosenthal wrote.

“His agent, Robin Cope, says the Orioles have not initiated talks about an extension, adding, “I wish they would. He wishes they would.” Mullins, though, seems destined to meet the same fate as Austin Hays and Anthony Santander, two other longtime Orioles outfielders who were pushed out within the last year by younger talent.”

“The Orioles, unless they fall out of contention, would appear unlikely to treat Mullins the way they did Hays, whom they traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at last year’s deadline in a deal that brought them reliever Seranthony Domínguez. More likely, they will take the same approach with Mullins that they did with Santander, making him a qualifying offer and then losing him to free agency.”

Mullins is off to an excellent start to 2025, slashing .300/.425/.620 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Baltimore has no interest in trading those numbers at the moment, but that could change if the Orioles fall out of the running in what is shaping up to be a wildly competitive American League East division.

If the O’s become sellers by July, Mullins and his expiring contract will become their shiniest trade chip.

Kansas City has every reason to keep tabs on this situation.

More MLB: Phillies Could Cut Ties With $3 Million Struggling Bat Via Trade To Royals