The Royals are staring at an offseason puzzle with only one outfield spot already spoken for. Right field is set, but left and center remain open, and J.J. Picollo is going to have a tough time finding the right answers with a thin free-agent market.
That’s the backdrop for Jim Bowden’s latest list of free-agent fits and contract predictions, and for Kansas City, the key word is value. The top names - Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki - figure to draw plenty of interest, while Ian Happ could do the same.
That kind of competition could push the Royals out of the bidding before things even get serious. So the more realistic path may be a buy-low move.
Bowden pointed to Daulton Varsho as the outfielder Kansas City should target. The 30-year-old has already bounced from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Toronto Blue Jays and then to the Houston Astros at this season’s trade deadline, and 2026 was rough. He hit .221 with a .637 OPS overall, then managed only .172 with a .535 OPS in 41 games after landing in Houston.
Still, the bigger picture is a lot more encouraging than that last line suggests. Varsho’s three seasons with Toronto showed a player who can still bring real value, even if the bat has never been his calling card.
From 2023 to 2025, he hit .221 with a .716 OPS and 96 OPS+, while also posting a .428 slugging percentage. The power is there in spurts, but the glove is what makes him stand out.
Varsho won the AL Gold Glove in center field in 2024, and his defensive metrics back up the reputation. He was in the 85th percentile or higher in Fielding Run Value every year from 2022 to 2025, and even in his down 2026 season he still checked in at the 71st percentile. That kind of defense gives him a floor most outfielders can’t match.
Bowden projected Varsho for a one-year, $8 million deal, which would be a very workable number for Kansas City. If Varsho gives them even three WAR, that contract starts looking like a win.
Bowden also connected the Royals to Trent Grisham, but this is the one Kansas City should pass on. The Yankees center fielder was projected for a one-year, $12 million deal, and that price tag is too rich for a player with too many warning signs.
Grisham’s 2025 season was the outlier, and it came in Yankee Stadium. He launched 34 home runs that year, but Bowden noted that if every one of those had come at Kauffman, the total would have been 25.
Outside of that one season, the offensive profile has been mostly below average. From 2019 to 2024, he carried a 94 OPS+, and in 2026 he posted a 95 OPS+.
The defense doesn’t make the case much easier. Grisham has been at -3 and -5 Fielding Run Value over the last two seasons, and while he was a positive defender in 2024, he logged fewer than 500 innings in the field. The last time he was a full-time player and a positive defender was 2023.
For Kansas City, the choice is pretty clear based on Bowden’s projections. Varsho fits the buy-low lane and brings elite defense.
Grisham brings more risk and a much tougher price. If the Royals are going to take a swing on this kind of outfielder, Varsho is the one worth making.
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Royals Infields Gold Glove Push Ended In A Brutal Near-Miss
The Royals had a real shot to turn Gold Glove night into a showcase for their infield, with four players reaching finalist status for the 2026 American League Rawlings awards. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Nick Loftin all put themselves in position to bring home hardware, a reflection of how much Kansas Citys defense has mattered as the club has tried to build around a young core.
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Royals Face One Big Winter Decision As Prospect Keeps Rising
The Royals are already staring at a busy winter, with roster fit and bullpen depth both looming as priorities as they try to keep building around a young core. Joel Penfields offseason rundown touched on a simulated trade for Jake McCarthy and a contract for Randy Arozarena, two moves that would speak to a club looking for more athleticism and more certainty in the lineup while also trying to shore up the relief corps with higher-strikeout arms.
Angeibel Gomez has become part of that broader conversation because of the way he has kept climbing in the Arizona Fall League, giving the organization another name to watch as it weighs how aggressively to add from outside and how much to trust what is already in the system. The Royals do not need every answer right now, but the way Gomez is trending only adds another layer to a winter that already figures to test how patient or bold the front office wants to be. [Read more 🡒]