Take a look at the starting pitching options on the trade market.

Here are the position players I think they will be targeting in the next few weeks, listed alphabetically:

Matt Adams – Things haven’t exactly gone as planned for Adams, who burst onto the scene in 2013 with a solid .284/.335/.503 season with 17 homers, but he didn’t really build on it. Now in his age-28 season, he’s been given an opportunity with the Braves and has been outstanding, hitting .292/.338/.608 with a .305 TAv and 13 homers in 186 plate appearances with them. The Braves are trying to make it work with Freddie Freeman at third and Adams at first, but I can’t imagine they’d turn down the right offer for him. And he’s under team control for next season when the Royals might find themselves needing a stopgap first baseman.

Jay Bruce – I think the Royals have been rumored to be in on Bruce for the last 28 seasons, but I can’t confirm whether or not that’s true. He’s had a nice year for the Mets, hitting .266/.334/.538 with a .302 TAv and actually playing not horrible outfield. He has 23 homers and will strike out a bit but he has decent strike zone judgment and power that will play anywhere. He has about $6 million left on his deal, so he’s a little expensive, but I think this could be a decent fit.

Melky Cabrera – This one is kind of a longshot, but the Melkman has had a decent season, hitting .286/.332/.416. His RBI numbers are inflated by some crazy hitting with runners in scoring position, but he’d be an upgrade over what the Royals have gotten from the DH spot. He has about $7 million left on his deal this season, so the White Sox would need to eat some money and there’s the whole trading within the division thing, but he’s at least someone to think about for a minute before moving on.

Ezequiel Carrera – While this year is a bit of an aberration for Carrera in terms of overall numbers, he’s been a contributor the last two seasons from an OBP perspective. His .270 TAv would be a career high, but for a guy who can handle center at times and either corner, he’s a really nice fit for this team. Plus, he’s under team control through 2019, which is nice considering he’ll stay relatively cheap through arbitration. He’s not a perfect fit, but his rough defensive numbers aren’t in line with what he’s previously displayed, so he’d help on both sides of the ball.

Zack Cozart – This is the one that’ll make people happy. I really don’t see the Royals moving away from Alcides Escobar, but a guy can dream, right? He’ll likely cost way too much in terms of prospects, but he’s hitting .316/.394/.547 with pop and playing good shortstop. How great would this be?

Rajai Davis – Davis is having a terrible season, and I don’t think his acquisition would actually be as a starter, but it would be nice to have a guy who can handle center to back up Cain for when he gets ejected and/or injured. He’s coming off a decent enough year with Cleveland, and given how bad he’s been, the Royals may be able to get him for an old Aaron Brooks baseball card.

Jarrod Dyson – Here’s my favorite. He’s on his way to a career high in plate appearances and is hitting .258/.340/.391 with, yes, five home runs. The offense isn’t what you acquire him for, but he’s done a really nice job this season and is showing that his .340 OBP and .388 SLG last year is no fluke. He swings at strikes and he uses his speed quite well. Defensively, the Royals could put Dyson in right field, move Bonifacio to the DH spot and get back to having that amazing outfield defense. With just a few months left before reaching free agency, the cost to acquire Dyson likely wouldn’t be exorbitant. I think this is a move that could really help the team.

Carlos Gomez – If the Rangers sell, Gomez is an interesting name to keep an eye on. He’s hitting .248/.328/.477 with a .270 TAv, so he has some pop and can play solid defense. He hasn’t played much right field, which is where he’d need to be in Kansas City, but you’d think he’d be able to pick that up pretty well. He fits in pretty well with the Royals as he doesn’t have great strike zone judgment, but he makes it work when he’s going well. He’s owed about $5.5 million the rest of the season, so between that and his lack of control, I bet he wouldn’t be too terribly expensive.

Dee Gordon – I didn’t want to include him in this list, but since his name is in rumors connected to the Royals, I figured I better. He’s known as a very good defender at second and has put up a .295/.342/.358 line, so he’d fit well at the top of a lineup with that OBP and his blazing speed. He also doesn’t walk or strikeout much, so as a player, he’s kind of made for the Royals. That said, he’s owed more than $40 million through the 2020 season, which is a lot to pay for a player who has topped a .400 SLG just once in his career. He’s also coming off a year where he was suspended for PED use. I’m not saying he shouldn’t get to play anymore, but that has to factor into the analysis. Honestly, I just don’t see it because of the money, but I guess he would be an upgrade for the Royals right now if they acquired him.

Matt Joyce – Joyce is a perennial favorite of mine, even when struggling. It’s because he knows the strike zone. Last year, he posted a .403 OBP, and while he’s not near that this year, he’s showing off his ability to work a walk again with a .220/.330/.409 line. He has some pop, but he’s not very good defensively, so it becomes the same pick your poison the Royals currently have with their outfield and DH spots, but he’s also signed for next season, which is nice.

Jed Lowrie – He’s had a really nice start to the season, hitting .279/.346/.458 with a .275 TAv and has been okay at second base. The thought here is to slot him at second, move Whit Merrifield to right field and Bonifacio to DH. I suppose you could just slot Lowrie at DH as well with his not being so great defensively, but either way would likely work. He has just about $3 million left on this year’s deal and has a really reasonable $6 million club option for next year, which could be quite useful given the uncertainty around third base in 2018. He knows the strike zone well and has some pop. He could also be a basically perfect number two hitter for this club. There will likely be a fair amount of demand for him, so he may fall outside the Royals prospect price range.

Nick Markakis – I don’t make the rules, and the rules state that Markakis has to be on any list where the Royals are searching for offensive help. While his lack of power is pretty alarming, he’s settled into a solid average/good OBP guy who I think would be a nice fit in the number two spot for the Royals. He’s hitting .284/.364/.393 this year with a .273 TAv. He’s expensive with $5 million owed this year and another $10.5 million next season, but that might keep his price down. He’s not nearly the defender he once was, so you don’t get an upgrade there, but this might not be the worst thing in the world, though he wouldn’t be my first or even second or third choice.

Seth Smith – If you showed me two sets of stats and one was Smith’s while the other was Joyce’s, I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell you which was which before Joyce’s big OBP year last year. I’m just being honest. They’re similar players, though Smith doesn’t have the same strike zone judgment that Joyce does. Still, he’s hitting .259/.329/.440 this year with a .262 TAv. He’s not a great piece, and won’t help the defense, but he’d be an improvement over what the Royals have gotten from the DH spot. He’s owed a bit more than $3 million the rest of the season, which is quite reasonable, so maybe he’d be a fit.

The list isn’t very deep, but that’s partly because they likely won’t be looking for anything other than a way to upgrade their DH role. My choice would definitely be Dyson, who we know would be a huge clubhouse boost and would turn the outfield defense into something very, very special.

Outfielders

Carlos Beltran – This would be a pretty good story at the very least. There’s been rumors of Beltran’s return to the Royals since the offseason he signed with the Yankees, and there’s even more stories now about him coming back next year to take over the DH role. For now, though, the Royals have a need in the outfield where Beltran technically plays. His defense isn’t what you’d call good, which is kind of sad because we still remember him as one of the better center fielders, but he can stand out there, which is nice. He doesn’t work a walk like he used to, but he still has legitimate power and he’s not just a creation of Yankee Stadium. He hasn’t hit as many home runs away from there, but he’s hit well. This one makes some sense as he’s a pending free agent. He is owed about $7 million the rest of the year, so that may be an obstacle for the Royals.

Charlie Blackmon – It seems like Blackmon has been on the market for about 10 years, but that’s simply not true, so stop thinking it. He can hit, he can play a serviceable center field (but I think he’d be better in a corner in Kansas City) and he can give you some pop. There’s always a concern with Colorado guys, but Blackmon doesn’t have as big of a home/road split this year as you’d probably expect. He’s currently in his first year of arbitration and is owed a little more than $1.5 million the rest of this year before he has two more arbitration years coming up. My guess is those will cost about $16 million, but he could also be traded again. I think he’s going to cost a lot, but he could fill a void the Royals have had in right field for awhile and fill it for the next few seasons.

Jay Bruce – This is another guy who has seemingly been on every trade list for years. He almost got traded before the season, but it was nixed by a bad physical by Michael Saunders. All Bruce has done is turn in one of the best offensive years of his career. He’s never going to be mistaken for a batting champ, but he’s hit much better this year and that’s made his OBP worthwhile. He doesn’t walk that much, but he does strike out less than you’d think (still a fair amount). One thing I liked about him last year that I like about him again is that he doesn’t make that much soft contact. I almost wonder if he’d be a better hitter in a bigger park because he has enough power to hit it out of every park. Getting some deeper gaps might help him out. It won’t help him defensively, though the scouting reports and the metrics disagree on Bruce. He’s owed about $6 million the rest of this season and there’s a $13 million option for next year. He’ll be in demand. This is a fit that I don’t think looks as good on paper as it would on the field, but I also think it’s a longshot given Bruce’s popularity in this market.

Kole Calhoun – I’m not even sure if Calhoun gets traded, but as I mentioned when going over the pitchers, the Angels really need to regroup their farm system. Dealing Calhoun would make some sense, though it would probably weaken them even more than they’d prefer while they still have that Trout guy. Calhoun is a little like Alex Gordon. He plays excellent defense (in right field, though), works a walk and has some power. He doesn’t strike out quite as much as Gordon and he’s a few years younger, but they’re kind of similar to me. He’s due to make about $1.5 million the rest of this year and then has three more years of arbitration, so he won’t be cheap, costing presumably about $22-$25 million over those three seasons, but given the control, I’d be willing to give up a fair amount for Calhoun than some of the other rentals.

Khris Davis – I mentioned Davis before the season and before he was traded to the A’s, and here he is again. The game is power and that’s really about it. He doesn’t hit for much of an average and he doesn’t walk very much. But he does hit for power. Did I mention he has power? This is not a great option. He’s only played left field in the big leagues, and he doesn’t play it well. If anything, this would be a situation where the Royals could look to him to hold down right field and then shift to the DH spot next year. The A’s gave up a couple decent prospects to get him and would likely want at least that in return, which I don’t think is worth it personally.

Carlos Gonzalez – Here’s probably the best position player on the trade market, so that immediately puts the Royals at a disadvantage, though if the Rockies find themselves especially keen on someone like Jorge Bonifacio, I could see a deal finding its way to the surface. Coors Field makes Gonzalez a monster, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player outside of there. He plays quality defense and can still hit enough to make a difference. The power doesn’t play nearly as well outside of Coors, but I still think he’s probably a 16-22 home run guy away from that great environment. He’s not cheap. He’s owed around $8 million the rest of this year and $20 million next year. I don’t see the Royals paying that or giving up a different prospect to get the Rockies to pay some of it, but he’s available, so here he is.

Brandon Guyer – I’m not a fan, but if the Rays are open for business, Guyer will draw some attention. He’s not especially good defensively and he’s not much of a hitter, but he gets on base using the skill of getting hit by a pitched baseball. I would imagine acquiring Guyer would be with the hopes of catching lightning in a bottle and him getting hot at the right time. Also, he probably wouldn’t cost too much to pick up. Plus, he actually does hit lefties very well, so that could be a fit for him with the Royals. He’s owed a bit more than $500k the rest of this year and then has two more years of arbitration. I could see a fit, I guess, but it would be a pretty meh acquisition.

Nick Markakis – This right here might be my least favorite name on the list for the Royals to acquire unless it comes at basically no cost. He works walks, but that’s pretty much it at this point in his career. It’s not that the skill of working a walk isn’t valuable, but the Royals need more than that. This year, his average has plummeted and he still doesn’t have any power. Plus, he’s not especially good defensively anymore, and he is owed about $27 million more through 2018. Please don’t do this, Royals.

Steve Pearce – I wanted the Royals to sign Pearce as a platoon partner for Jarrod Dyson back in the winter, but they didn’t listen. He’s currently on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, but he was hitting .322/.393/.540 before getting hurt. Pearce can play outfield, first base and even a little second. You probably don’t want him playing second too often, but with his stick, against a good lefty, that could be worth it. Yes, he crushes lefties. He’s hitting .383/.473/.766 against them in 55 plate appearances. He’s just on a one-year deal and is owed a bit more than $2 million the rest of the way, but he could be a really nice fit.

Josh Reddick – I’m not sure a more perfect player has ever existed at the trade deadline for a team than Reddick for the Royals. They’re on the lookout for a lefty-hitting outfielder. Well, Reddick plays excellent defense in right field, hardly ever strikes out and actually works walks. He has power, but not as much as you’d probably like from your right fielder. Basically he’s about the best Royals fit in baseball and he doesn’t even play for the Royals. He’s also only owed a bit north of $3 million the rest of the season. That’s not to say he’s a perfect player. He really struggles against lefties and he’s already dealt with an injury this season. Still, picking up Reddick and slotting him into the second spot in the batting order could do wonders for this lineup. He’s a free agent after the season, so the cost may not be prohibitive, but he’ll also be coveted by many teams. This one is very interesting to me.

Rickie Weeks – He was once a very good offensive second baseman for the Brewers, but fell on really hard times defensively and his offense declined to make him basically not playable at second. Now he’s an outfielder and after a rough go of it last year, he’s really picked things up and is now hitting decently for the Diamondbacks in a reserve role. The bad news is that his defense is pretty terrible. I don’t even think he’s a real option, but he’s owed next to nothing and the Diamondbacks would probably deal him, so why not include him?

Infielders

Gordon Beckham – You want a second baseman? This could be the best fit out there for the Royals. Beckham never really found it with the White Sox after a promising debut, but he’s doing a nice job in a utility role for the Braves. He works a walk, doesn’t strike out a ton and plays a decent second base. I’m not convinced he’s actually better than Merrifield, but he’s having a better year and is super cheap. I think he’d be a benefit to the Royals and can’t cost much in the way of prospects or money as he’s owed well less than $1 million the rest of the season.

Andres Blanco – Remember when Blanco was considered the shortstop of the future for the Royals and he was in the big leagues at the age of 20? Somehow he resurfaced with the Phillies a couple years ago and has been a valuable utility player for them. He’s seen time at every infield position and a little in the outfield as well. He’s not having nearly as good of a year offensively as he did last year and he’s not the defensive wizard he was coming through the Royals system, but he might be a nice fit as a utility guy in Kansas City. He’ll be a free agent after the season and isn’t making much money. Keep an eye on this one.

Zack Cozart – This is an admittedly imperfect fit, but I’ve heard some things about the Royals having interest. Cozart is a fantastic defensive shortstop with some power that would actually play at Kauffman Stadium (just not as well as in his home bandbox, though he has more homers on the road). The reason it’s imperfect is that the Royals have a shortstop already and neither Cozart nor Escobar has much experience at second base, if any. Still, Cozart would add to the Royals lineup, so if they feel comfortable with moving one of the shortstops to the other side of the bag, they could have something. He’s signed cheaply this year with a little less than $1.5 million remaining and then has a year of arbitration left before hitting free agency. The demand for him isn’t as high as I would have thought, but he’s a solid player, so he won’t be able to be acquired cheaply. I don’t see it happening, but it’s an interesting name to think about.

Daniel Descalso – I’m not spending much time on this. He’s not especially good in any facet, but he’s hitting well this year and can play multiple positions. And he’s cheap. So there’s that.

Yunel Escobar – The Royals don’t really need a third baseman or a shortstop and Escobar hasn’t played second base since 2007, but I’ve heard his name mentioned. He’s had a really nice season and does have a history with Dayton Moore as he was a part of the Braves organization way back then. If you feel comfortable putting him at second for two months, he could be a fit. I wouldn’t personally feel comfortable, but a guy who has hit well over .300 with a .370+ OBP since the start of last season isn’t something to turn your nose up at if he becomes available. He’s owed a little more than $3 million the rest of this season, though some of that is paid by Washington. He has a team option for $7 million next year. I don’t think he would require a huge haul, but I’m not sure why the Angels would trade him unless they get an offer that’s more than he’s worth.

Jed Lowrie – You’re not acquiring Lowrie for his defense, but he can really help a lineup out. He’s a quality hitter who will work a walk. Strangely, his power has somewhat disappeared this year. He plays a nearly competent second base, but the offensive upgrade is something that I think would be well worth the risk on his defense. He’s owed about $3.5 million more this year and then is owed $6.5 million next year with a team option for $6 million. He’s not the perfect player for the Royals, but he could hold down second base for the rest of this year and into next year until Mondesi is ready when he can be used as trade bait again.

Eduardo Nunez – This has been a breakout season for Nunez that hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere. It was easy to miss this last season, but Nunez was solid for the Twins last year as well. I’m not sure there’s a great fit here because he doesn’t play much second base, but if he could, this would make some sense. He doesn’t walk much, but he doesn’t strike out hardly at all either. He has tons of speed, so he might fit perfectly at the top of a Ned Yost lineup. He’s very cheap and will be entering his final year of arbitration next season, so the Twins don’t have to move him because the return likely won’t be fantastic anyway, but he could be a fit.

Yangervis Solarte – I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Solarte would have the season he’s had for the Padres. He’s played mostly third, but he has manned second a little bit this season. He’s not going to remind anyone of Roberto Alomar, but he isn’t going to kill you either. He can work a walk and doesn’t strike out much. He’s even developed a little power. He’d actually be a near perfect fit for the number two spot in the batting order, but could moonlight as a leadoff man. I think the Padres would ask a lot as he isn’t even arbitration eligible until next season. He did just turn 29, so there isn’t much additional upside, but he could be a nice plug and play option for the Royals for the next few seasons and, like Lowrie, give them a trade chip if everything works out with the guys already in the organization.