Royals Address Outfield Weaknesses, but Is More Help Needed?

The Kansas City Royals finished 82-80, just their second winning season since they won the 2015 World Series. Unfortunately, they missed the postseason, a disappointment given they went 86-76 and reached the ALDS in 2024.

Even though they won four fewer games in 2025, the Royals were not bereft of talent.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia both made the All-Star team, and they ended up posting fWAR marks of 8.0 and 5.6, respectively. They also won Gold Glove awards, and Garcia received a five-year extension to keep him and Witt in Kansas City until at least 2030.

In addition, Vinnie Pasquantino stayed healthy and led the Royals in home runs (32) and RBI (113). Salvador Perez wasn’t far behind, as he hit 30 home runs and collected 100 RBI. After back-to-back triple-digit RBI totals, the Royals rewarded Perez with a two-year extension to keep the catching legend in Kansas City.

The pitching staff also produced a stellar campaign, despite being plagued by injury.

The pitching staff ranked 6th in baseball in ERA and ninth in pitching fWAR. Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic posted fWAR marks over 3.0 last year, and Cole Ragans posted a 2.1 fWAR despite only pitching 61.2 innings due to a shoulder injury. Lastly, Royals closer Carlos Estevez led the league in saves, something that hasn’t been done by a Royals reliever since Dan Quisenberry.

Unfortunately, what brought the Royals down in 2025 was their ineptitude in the outfield, especially at the plate.

Kansas City’s outfielders ranked last in batting average (.219), wRC+ (70), and fWAR (-1.4). When looking at the Royals on an individual outfielder basis, only two Royals outfielders sported fWAR marks over 1.0: Kyle Isbel and Mike Yastrzemski (who didn’t join the Royals until after the trade deadline).

Clearly Royals GM JJ Picollo made improving the outfield a priority this offseason, whether through trade or free agency. So far, he’s been true to his word, acquiring free agent Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins via a trade with Milwaukee (reliever Nick Mears also came with Collins in the deal for Kansas City reliever Angel Zerpa).

Let’s break down those crucial moves and determine whether or not the Royals must acquire one more outfielder this offseason to help solidify their divisional and playoff chances for 2026.

Can Lane Thomas Bounce Back in Kansas City?

The Royals’ first outfield acquisition was Lane Thomas, whom they acquired on a one-year, $5.2 million deal. Kansas City made the deal official on social media on Wednesday.

Thomas is coming off a rough, injury-plagued 2025 season in Cleveland. With the Guardians last year, he only played 39 games and didn’t do much in that sample. In 142 plate appearances, the outfielder slashed .160/.246/.272 with a 48 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR. While that stat line is brutal, he was affected by wrist and foot injuries all season, landing on the IL three times.

The Royals are hoping that a healthy Thomas can bounce back in his new surroundings, especially as a right-handed outfield bat — something the Royals lacked last year. Kansas City right-handed outfielders ranked 28th in baseball in wRC+ with a 59 mark.

For his career, Thomas has had a 135 wRC+, .208 ISO, and 0.48 BB/K ratio against lefties. He also produced a 99 wRC+ in 528 plate appearances last year with the Nationals and Guardians and a 109 wRC+ in 2023 with the Nationals. At the very least, the Royals could utilize him as a fourth outfielder who can play all three positions and definitely slide into the lineup against left-handed starting pitchers.

An interesting trend to watch with Thomas is whether being out of Cleveland will result in a favorable bounce back.

In 329 plate appearances with the Guardians, Thomas slashed .189/.258/.340 with a .598 OPS. When looking at his xwOBA rolling chart, he saw a sharp drop in xwOBA after the trade deadline in 2024, and it never bounced back in 2025 (though the latter was likely due to injuries).

Based on his xwOBA trend over his career, Thomas has shown an ability to bounce back after down seasons, with 2021 and 2023 being prime examples. The Royals are banking on Thomas having one of his patented rebounds in Kansas City, with the hope that he is fully healthy to do so.

Collins Brings a Disciplined Approach to the Lineup

After acquiring Thomas, the Royals made a bold move, trading away Angel Zerpa to the Brewers for Nick Mears and Isaac Collins. While Mears brings a much-needed, high-velocity arm to the bullpen, the Collins move is the prize of the deal.

As an older rookie at 27 years old, Collins finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year race. In 441 plate appearances, the former Creighton product slashed .263/.368/.411 with a 122 wRC+, nine home runs, 56 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. He ended up accumulating a 2.6 fWAR in 130 games, which was tied for the fifth-best mark among Brewers position players last season.

While the results were solid, it’s Collins’ approach that made him such a desired target by the Royals this offseason.

Not only did Collins post a 12.9% walk rate, but he also sported a BB/K ratio of 0.61. His 18.4% chase rate ranked in the 98th percentile, and his 22.5% whiff rate ranked in the 63rd percentile. Add that with solid defense, and it makes sense why Picollo traded away a valuable pitching asset like Zerpa to Milwaukee for Collins.

Here’s what Picollo said about Collins in a recent piece by MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers:

“He’s the type of player that we value,” Picollo said. “Versatility, the speed component, there’s a defensive component. Ball in play, on base. It’s a very well-rounded player that I think is what our offense needs. He’ll fit very well.”

Collins did regress at the end of the season for the Brewers, as he hit .191 in September. That said, he still posted a .345 OBP that month. Collins’ ability to still get on base despite a slump is a trait that can boost the Royals’ lineup immensely in 2026, especially since Kansas City ranked 22nd in OBP a season ago.

While Thomas will probably start the year out as a fourth outfielder who could work himself into a starting role with a hot start, Collins could likely be Kansas City’s Opening Day left fielder.

That is, of course, the Royals don’t make another big splash this offseason.

Could Jarren Duran Be Next for Kansas City?

One name that is frequently listed as a trade target for the Royals this offseason is Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox. Duran was reportedly a trade target of Kansas City at the trade deadline last season, and it seems like the Royals have maintained interest in acquiring him this winter.

That said, the Red Sox seem keen on getting a return that includes Ragans. As of now, it doesn’t appear like Picollo and the Royals are willing to budge just yet.

Duran is coming off a solid season for Boston in 2025. In 696 plate appearances, the former Long Beach State product slashed .256/.332/.442 with a 111 wRC+, 16 home runs, 86 runs scored, 84 RBI, and a 3.9 fWAR.

That said, last season was a regression from 2024, when he posted a 131 wRC+, 6.8 fWAR, and made the All-Star team (and earned All-Star MVP honors).

With other high-profile outfielders like Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu, Boston may not be interested in an expensive long-term deal to keep Duran. Thus, it makes sense that the Red Sox would float him in trade talks to get something of value now, just in case he regresses further in 2026.

As for the Royals, Duran represents a tough dilemma.

On one end, Kansas City has followed a more responsible blueprint, similar to those of strong small-market franchises like Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland. On the other hand, this is a city used to winning, with an owner, John Sherman, who’s willing to open the pocketbook for the right players.

The extension to Witt in 2024, Ragans’ and Wacha’s last year, Lugo’s at the end of 2025, and Garcia’s this winter illustrates that.

The Royals will likely be improved with Collins and Thomas. ZiPS projected the Royals to be an 82-to-86-win team before those transactions, so their additions will likely bump that win total by a game or two.

The acquisition of Duran could further catapult the Royals from a fringe playoff team to a pennant contender, especially if the pitching staff can return to 2024 form (both in health and performance).

The main question now for Picollo is this: How much is Duran worth in their eyes? Would they be willing to give away an asset like Ragans? And if not, would a package involving a pitcher like Kris Bubic or Noah Cameron be enough for Boston, which is still questionable at the end of the rotation?

Just Baseball’s Jordan Leandre pondered this question and presented several scenarios, showing how complex this trade could be for both squads.

Do the Royals need Duran to be competitive and improve in 2026? Probably not. Collins, Thomas, and a rejuvenated Jac Caglianone may be enough.

That said, a player like Duran could be the much-needed boost they need to truly turn around an outfield that was such a glaring weakness over the past two seasons (-0.3 fWAR from 2024 to 2025; good for 28th in baseball).