Royals Could Pursue Cardinals Ace In Trade To Bolster Rotation For 2025
The Kansas City Royals are set to begin the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. They have reached the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015.
Now, the team looks to have more October success. After the postseason ends, they could be in the market for some big upgrades to improve upon this season.
Right-hander Michael Wacha will likely be opting out of his contract and returning to free agency this coming winter, so the Royals may have a hole to fill in their starting rotation. But they could potentially look to their I-70 rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals and try to acquire right-hander Sonny Gray.
With the Cardinals expected to rebuild, players like Gray could be on the trade market. This could then lead the Royals to pursue him.
In his first year as a Cardinal, Gray went 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA. If he were to join Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo in the Royals rotation, Kansas City would be serious threats to win a title or at the very least, challenge the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the American League Central.
St. Louis and Kansas City seem to be headed in opposite directions, with the Royals now prepared to be the dominant force in the Missouri rivalry while the Cardinals take a step back. It will be interesting to see if the Royals give the Cardinals a call about Gray this coming offseason.
The asking price will be high.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.