With the trade deadline closing in, the Royals may soon have to make room in the outfield, and Gavin Cross is making a loud case that he should be the next man up.
Lane Thomas looks like one of the more obvious names Kansas City could move before Aug. 3, especially with Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently pegging him as a strong fit for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Royals may not be positioning themselves as full-blown sellers, but expiring contracts like Thomas stand out as the kind of pieces that could be dealt while the club keeps one eye on 2027 and beyond. If Thomas goes, and if other roster moves follow, Kansas City will still need bodies in the majors.
Cross has done plenty to put himself in that conversation. The former first-round pick was named International League Player of the Week after a blistering stretch for Triple-A Omaha, and the power has been impossible to miss. He has homered in five straight games, and since July 21 he is slashing .444/.483/1.222 with five home runs, 10 RBI and a 309 wRC+.
That surge has been part of a bigger turnaround. Cross has hit safely in 18 straight games since July 2, and after a rough opening to the season, he has completely changed the look of his year. From May 16 on, he is batting .320/.367/.560 with 10 homers, 32 RBI and a 133 wRC+ across 216 plate appearances in 54 games.
The Royals have already created some movement in the outfield picture. Starling Marte could also be on the move, and Kansas City has already dealt depth piece Kameron Misner in recent days. That leaves room for an internal option to force his way into the mix.
Cross is hardly an out-of-nowhere name, either. The Virginia Tech product went ninth overall in 2022 and made an early impression at Low-A and High-A before running into more trouble in the upper minors. Even so, MLB Pipeline still ranks him 25th among Royals prospects, which says his stock has not vanished.
For a team that has had a hard time finding meaningful outfield help through free agency and trades in recent offseasons, giving Cross a look could be the kind of internal answer Kansas City has been chasing. Breakouts have already shown up in the Royals’ outfield with Jac Caglianone’s surge this season and Isaac Collins’ red-hot July, and Cross now has a chance to join that group.
At the very least, a call-up would give the Royals one more chance to find out whether the ninth overall pick still has another level in him.
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Royals Fans May Not Like Where This Lane Thomas Buzz Is Going
Lane Thomas has been a useful piece for Kansas City since arriving, giving the Royals another right-handed bat and some real pop in the middle of the season. In 92 games, he has supplied 10 home runs, which is the kind of production that can make him appealing to a contender looking for a lineup upgrade without having to chase a bigger name.
Now the buzz around him is drifting into uncomfortable territory for Royals fans, because Cleveland is said to be exploring a move that would bring Thomas back into the fold. The fit is obvious on paper, especially for a Guardians club that could use another right-handed option in the outfield or at designated hitter, but the idea also comes with a little extra sting after Thomas chose Kansas City over Cleveland last winter. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Fire Sale Could Suddenly Change Everything For These Players
The Royals deadline plans are starting to feel like they could reshape more than just the roster at the margins. Kansas City is widely expected to sell after a slow start, and if that happens, the ripple effects would reach beyond the players who are moved out. It would also open the door for others on the roster to take on bigger jobs, especially players who have already shown signs of settling in over the past month or so.
Isaac Collins is one of the clearest examples, with his recent improvement giving him a case to climb higher in the lineup if the front office starts dealing from the major league group. Steven Cruz is in a similar spot on the pitching side, where a stronger stretch lately has made him look more capable of handling a larger bullpen role. If Kansas City does turn into a full deadline sell-off, the names leaving town could matter almost as much as the ones left behind. [Read more 🡒]