Royals Insider Drops Pessimistic Hint On Kris Bubic's Trade Market

The Kansas City Royals may not be itching to trade Kris Bubic this winter, but they'd certainly do it for a big outfield bat.

Bubic had his long-awaited breakout this year, pitching to a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts after entering spring training without a guaranteed spot in the rotation. But he missed the final two months of the season with a rotator cuff strain, and he's only got one year of control remaining before free agency.

Because starting pitching is at such a premium, the Royals may be operating in hopes of dealing from their rotation depth and snagging a big return for Bubic. But according to one insider, the market may not be where Kansas City wants it.

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Will Royals get good offers for Bubic?

Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; American League pitcher Kris Bubic (50) of the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

On Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com wrote a winter meetings preview for the Royals and shared that it's possible that Kansas City will be turned off by the offers they wind up receiving for Bubic, due to the previously-stated risks that come with acquiring him for opposing teams.

"The trade market seems the most likely way for the Royals to find those bats they need," Rogers wrote. They are willing to part with the biggest area of depth: Pitching. All-Star lefty Kris Bubic is perhaps the likeliest trade candidate, but the Royals might not find what they’re looking for because of Bubic’s injury history and only one year of control remaining."

As a hypothetical example, the Royals have been linked to Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran all winter, and because Boston has such a deep outfield and pitching is at such a premium, it's possible the Royals were hoping Bubic could net them Duran in something close to a one-for-one swap.

But now that Boston has acquired Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in separate trades, it's possible they could be telling the Royals they'll only send him there in a package for ace Cole Ragans (which certainly matches the tone of Rogers' previous updates about Boston's asking price for Kansas City).

If the Royals are determined to trade a starter for offense no matter what, perhaps Bubic needs to be kept, and one of the younger arms (think Noah Cameron or Ryan Bergert) should be shipped out for the sake of return value.

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