The Royals may be staring at another offseason of uncertainty on the mound, but Michael Wacha’s name is already surfacing as a possible trade chip.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter placed Wacha at No. 22 on his Monday ranking of the top 25 MLB trade chips for the upcoming offseason, pointing to what he did this year as the reason he still carries plenty of value.
“No one met the Royals' asking price on Wacha at the deadline, but he could be shopped more aggressively this winter as a reasonably priced veteran starter coming off an All-Star campaign. The 14-year veteran led the AL with 200.2 innings pitched, and his 4.3 WAR was a career-high mark,” Reuter said.
Wacha was a familiar name in trade conversations leading up to the 2026 deadline, but Kansas City chose to keep him instead of making a move. That decision looked more reasonable as the season played out and injuries piled up around the roster.
Even with Wacha now drawing attention again, a deal still does not feel likely before the 2027 season. The Royals’ rotation picture is simply too messy to make subtracting another arm an easy call.
Cole Ragans, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila all had elbow surgery, and their return timelines remain unclear. That has left Kansas City with a major shortage of reliable starting depth.
For the Royals, Wacha and Noah Cameron stood out in the rotation and, arguably, across the entire pitching staff. Interest in Wacha may keep building this winter, but the Royals are in no position to keep thinning out their arms.
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