Royals Could Pursue Orioles Slugger To Bolster Offense For 2025
The Kansas City Royals saw their season come to a heartbreaking end last week when they were defeated by the New York Yankees in the ALDS. New York won Game 4 by a final score of 3-1 and sent Kansas City home for the winter.
This offseason, they'll need to add a bat or two to their lineup to boost offensive production. Their offense was a weak point for much of 2024, as Bobby Witt Jr. carried most of the load.
However, the Royals can address this in the offseason. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed Baltimore Orioles' first baseman Ryan Mountcastle as a possible trade chip. Perhaps the Royals could take a look.
"Mountcastle has a 114 OPS+ over five seasons in the majors and he has averaged 31 doubles, 26 home runs, and 94 RBI per 162 games over the course of his time in the big leagues," Reuter wrote.
"He has a 33-homer season on his resume and could be a cheap power source for teams looking to add some pop. The Orioles were willing to entertain offers for him at the trade deadline, and moving him would clear a path for top prospect Coby Mayo."
One issue the Royals might run into here is that Vinnie Pasquantino is already at first base, but they could potentially rotate him and Mountcastle in and out of the designated hitter spot.
The Orioles slugger hit .271 with 13 home runs, 63 RBI and a .733 OPS during the regular season. He provides power from the right side of the plate and could potentially be a solid addition next to Witt in the lineup.
We'll see if Kansas City takes a look at him.
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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.