When the Kansas City Royals entered the 2025/2026 offseason, they had a clear mission: fix their outfield. It was their biggest weakness, and they needed three specific upgrades—a right-handed bat to handle left-handed pitching, a reliable starting left fielder, and a middle-of-the-order presence to deepen the lineup.

To address the platoon need, the Royals signed Lane Thomas to a one-year, $5 million deal. They traded for Isaac Collins to take over left field. But the big bat they wanted? It never came. No free agent or trade partner felt like the right fit.

Now, a few months into the season, we can look back at the players the Royals were linked to. The results? Mostly underwhelming—with a few bright spots.

The most obvious success story is Taylor Ward. He’s been both healthy and productive for the Baltimore Orioles, easily the standout performer on this list. Two other players have also delivered solid results: Avisaíl García has been serviceable on his one-year deal, and Adam Frazier—playing near the league minimum—has been hitting well and doing what he does best.

Beyond those three, the picture gets ugly. Brendan Donovan has played well when healthy, but he’s already missed three weeks with an injury. Ha-seong Kim hasn’t played at all after a freak injury in Korea. Harrison Bader and Austin Hays have both been hurt—and ineffective when on the field. Mike Yastrzemski and Cedric Mullins have simply underperformed.

It’s still early. We’re only in May, and there’s plenty of time for this group to turn things around. But for now, the Royals’ offseason targets have been a mixed bag—with more misses than hits.