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1 Player Building Trade Value Despite Kansas City Royals' Struggles
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- 1 Player Building Trade Value Despite Kansas City Royals' Struggles
(Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
The Kansas City Royals have underperformed so far during the 2026 MLB season. At 20-30, Kansas City is in fourth place in the American League Central standings. They are currently nine games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central division.
Regardless of whether or not they bounce back soon, the Royals probably will not enter a full rebuild before the trade deadline. They feature no shortage of young talent and the future is bright. With that being said, they could look to trade some veterans away for prospects.
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One player who could be moved is Starling Marte .
The Royals signed Marte to a one-year contract for the 2026 campaign. The 37-year-old veteran may not be the same player he once was, but Marte still provides legitimate value.
It is worth mentioning that he has only appeared in 21 games as of this story's publication. During that span, however, the veteran outfielder is hitting .294/.351/.353 across 57 plate appearances.
There are likely going to be a number of serious contenders who will want to acquire outfield help. While there could be other big names available for a trade, Marte could draw interest if the Royals decide to move him. Kansas City could realistically receive a quality prospect or two if Marte continues to perform at a high level.
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Of course, Kansas City could bounce back and emerge as a contender. It is only May and teams often do not decide their trade deadline strategy until June or even July. If the Royals continue to struggle, one has to imagine that the Royals will at least consider the idea of trading Starling Marte.
What's Next for the Royals?
The Royals did not have a game on Thursday. They were most recently defeated by the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Kansas City is now just 1-9 across their past 10 games.
The Royals are hoping to turn things around as soon as possible. They will play the Seattle Mariners at home on Friday night in the first matchup of a three-game series. The Mariners have played a mediocre brand of baseball in recent action, as they are 5-5 over their past 10 games.
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Perhaps Kansas City will be able to get back on track against Seattle this weekend. First pitch for Friday night's game between the American League ball cubs is scheduled for 7:40 PM EST in Kansas City.
