MLB Rumors: Red Sox Interested in Royals' Cy Young Caliber Starter
The Red Sox badly need another top end arm, the Kansas City Royals finally have real rotation depth, and everyone knows you only get a pitcher like Ragans if you are willing to feel some pain on the trade return.
What a Cole Ragans Red Sox trade might look like
Reporting out of Boston makes it clear the Red Sox are watching the Royals closely with Ragans at the top of their list. Kansas City has been open about exploring a swap of a starter for an outfielder, and their outfield production has been one of the weakest in baseball.
J.J. Picollo has admitted no one is truly off limits, but he also stressed that one starter in particular would require a big return, which obviously points to Ragans. He is still under control for three more years on a team friendly deal, even after an injury affected 2025 that followed a Cy Young calibre 2024.
Per Alex Speier, the Red Sox are showing interest in Royals left-hander Cole Ragans.
— Payton Tolle Enthusiast (@TolleEnthusiast) December 1, 2025
With Jarren Duran emerging as a prime trade asset, a deal between the two sides could start to take shape pic.twitter.com/E2K89MJEwg
That is why early ideas built around Jarren Duran alone do not really move the needle. Concepts like Duran plus an arm such as Brayan Bello or Payton Tolle and a bullpen weapon like Garrett Whitlock feel more fair on paper, but they also leave the Royals without their clear ace.
More aggressive concepts swap Duran out and center a package around premium prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell with Whitlock attached, which starts to look like the type of return Kansas City probably has in mind when it talks about a massive haul for Ragans.
From Boston’s side, that is the kind of deal you only make if you truly believe you are one frontline starter away from chasing the top of the American League again.
Do the Royals really move Cole Ragans to the Red Sox?
From the Royals’ perspective, going from one proven ace to a deeper lineup built around long term bats has obvious appeal.
Their outfield is wide open, and a controllable player with Duran’s speed and production would instantly boost that group. Dropping Anthony and Campbell into their long term core would give them young, upside bats at positions of need while allowing them to chase another starter in free agency or via a separate trade.
The risk is that if Ragans bounces back to his 2024 form, moving him now looks like selling low on a rare homegrown ace who already has cost certainty in place.
Hi there, trade expert here 👋
— 🎙️Not Another Sox Podcast🎙️ (@NASPpodcast) December 1, 2025
The Red Sox would benefit from acquiring Cole Ragans
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The Red Sox have already added Sonny Gray and still have a crowd of outfielders, so they match up well with Kansas City on paper.
Over his four-year career, Ragans holds a 3.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, with 461 strikeouts across 384 innings and 83 appearances. He was an All-Star in 2024, and finished fourth in Cy Young voting.
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