The trade door between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals? Yeah, that one looks closed for business.
Boston made its move, landing lefty Ranger Suárez on a nine-figure deal in free agency. That gives them a dangerous southpaw duo with Garrett Crochet and rounds out a rotation that’s shaping up to be one of the more intriguing in the American League. With that signing, the Red Sox likely step out of the market for another starter, which effectively cools the long-simmering trade buzz between them and Kansas City.
For much of the offseason, it felt like the Royals and Red Sox were circling each other. Boston needed outfield help, Kansas City had a surplus of arms-it just made sense.
Royals fans had visions of Jarren Duran roaming the outfield at Kauffman Stadium, and Kris Bubic was the name most often floated in return. With only one year of team control left and the Royals reportedly looking to trim some payroll, Bubic seemed like the logical trade chip.
But now? With Boston likely out of the picture, the Royals need to pivot. The question becomes: who else might be interested in Bubic-or one of Kansas City’s other controllable arms?
Let’s take a look at three teams that could make sense.
Texas Rangers: Still building, still hunting arms
Chris Young, the Rangers' president of baseball operations, knows what it takes to build a winner. He did it in 2023, guiding Texas to a World Series title in his first full season at the helm.
But staying on top? That’s a different beast.
Texas has invested heavily in pitching over the past few years, but injuries and inconsistency have kept the rotation from reaching its full potential. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi form a formidable one-two punch-when healthy.
But that’s a big “if.” Behind them, the Rangers are banking on young arms like Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and José Corniell to step up, but there’s a steep drop-off in experience and reliability.
Young has already said pitching is the focus for the rest of the offseason. While another bullpen piece wouldn’t hurt, adding a starter could make a real difference.
So, where does Bubic fit in? If Texas wants a short-term boost with upside, he’s a logical target-assuming he’s healthy come Opening Day.
But if the Rangers are looking for a longer-term play, someone like Noah Cameron or Ryan Bergert might be more appealing. Both project as back-end starters with years of team control, and both would cost more in a trade.
If the Royals are still chasing outfield help, someone like Alejandro Osuna could be a piece in return. Would Kansas City dream bigger-say, Evan Carter?
That’s a stretch, but the two teams do line up well. The Royals want outfielders.
The Rangers want arms. There’s a deal to be made if the right names are on the table.
Atlanta Braves: Time to reload, not rebuild
The Braves don’t have much patience for losing, and after their first sub-.500 season since 2017, the pressure is on. Atlanta’s front office has been active in free agency, but with the rotation still full of question marks, a trade for a cost-controlled starter makes a ton of sense.
Last season, the Braves used 19 different starters. Not one pitcher made more than 28 starts.
That kind of instability is tough to overcome, even with one of the most potent lineups in baseball. Atlanta has young arms in the pipeline, but if they want to get back to the postseason-and stay there-they’ll need more reliability on the mound.
Enter Bubic. If he’s fully recovered and ready to go, he brings left-handed balance and mid-rotation potential.
He’s not an ace, but he doesn’t need to be in Atlanta. He just needs to take the ball every fifth day and keep the team in games.
That alone would be a big boost.
If Atlanta is looking for more years of control, Cameron or Bergert could be in play. But Bubic, as a plug-and-play option, might be the better fit for a team that’s looking to win now and isn’t afraid to be aggressive to do it.
Baltimore Orioles: A rising team with something to prove
Baltimore’s offseason has been a bit of a mixed bag. They’ve added some pieces-trading for Shane Baz, for instance-but the rotation still feels a step behind the rest of the AL East. Trevor Rogers is penciled in as the Opening Day starter if healthy, and Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish round out a group that’s solid, but not exactly scary.
This is a division where you don’t get to coast. The Yankees, Blue Jays, and Rays all have legitimate playoff aspirations, and the Red Sox just added another top-tier arm.
The Orioles? They need more.
They could still go after a big-name free agent, but if they want to keep the payroll in check, trading for someone like Bubic makes a lot of sense. He’d give them a more balanced rotation and some much-needed depth. If they’re thinking longer-term, Cameron could be the play.
The challenge for Baltimore is matching up with Kansas City on the trade front. The Royals want outfield help, and while the Orioles don’t have a Jarren Duran-type to offer, Heston Kjerstad is an intriguing possibility.
The former No. 2 overall pick had a rough 2025 after promising flashes in ’23 and ’24. A change of scenery might be exactly what he needs-and the Royals could be the team to give it to him.
Kjerstad would be just the starting point in any deal, but if Baltimore is serious about contending in 2026, they’ll need to get creative. And with Kansas City still shopping arms, the two sides could find common ground.
Bottom line
The Red Sox may be out, but the Royals still have valuable pitching to move-and teams with postseason ambitions are always in the market for arms. Whether it’s Bubic as a short-term fix or a younger, controllable piece like Cameron or Bergert, Kansas City has options.
Now it’s just a matter of who picks up the phone.