Royals move for Ragans one of league’s best trades since 2023

Where does the acquisition of Ragans rank among deals since 2023 offseason?

When I go to a baseball game, I always hope to see something I’ve never before seen happen during the game.

I’ve always dreamed of seeing a perfect game, but I’d settle for a no-hitter. I’d love to see a batter go off and homer multiple times—three would great, but four would be utterly amazing.

A cycle? Yeah, I’d be down for that. Same goes for an immaculate inning, or four strikeouts in an inning, or a triple play.

Back in 2023, I attended a Royals’ day game, and witnessed a rare play, but, unfortunately, it happened to the Royals’ detriment.

In the top of the tenth, with the game tied 2-2 and Aroldis Chapman on the mound, Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez stole home.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

To say the air went out of Kauffman would be an understatement. The entire stadium deflated. It was just such a boneheaded play on Chapman’s part, who didn’t even bother checking on Ramirez before the pitch, and it looked like it would cost the Royals the game.

Surprisingly, the Royals rallied in the bottom frame, winning 4-3 on a walk-off two-run double by Freddy Fermin.

Aroldis Chapman would never again pitch for the Kansas City Royals.

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Is the Royals trade for Cole Ragans the best by any Major League team since the start of the 2023 offseason? That’s the question I’m looking to answer here.

After Chapman’s gaffe, which actually resulted in him earning the win against the Guardians, the Royals shipped him off to the Texas Rangers for the much younger Cole Ragans. Ragans has been a revelation for the Royals. Chapman won a title with the Rangers but left after the season. The Royals clearly won the trade, but, on a grander scale, just how badly did Kansas City fleece Texas?

Big shoutout to Spotrac, which is the site I used to take a look at every trade since the end of the 2022 season.

To determine the results of this little project, I used Baseball-Reference’s WAR for each player involved in the trade but only while that player was with the team to which he was traded. For example, we’ll soon take a look at Corbin Burnes’ trade from Milwaukee to Baltimore. To determine the difference in WAR of the trade, I didn’t include Burnes’ current time with Arizona, with whom he signed this offseason.

Overall, I looked closely at a total of eight trades, including the Ragans-Chapman deal. Let’s take them in chronological order.

All numbers current before games played on April 24, 2025.

Catchers & Athletics

The Trade: On December 12, 2022, this three-team deal went down. The Athletics dealt starting catcher Sean Murphy to Atlanta and received in return Esteury Ruiz and Manny Pina from the Brewers along with Kyle Muller and Freddy Tarnok from Atlanta. Atlanta received only Murphy while the Brewers nabbed William Contreras from the Braves and Joel Payamps from the A’s.

The WAR: Murphy’s been solid for the Braves, posting a total of 6.2 WAR, but that’s topped by Contreras’ breakout with the Brewers, as he’s posted 9.7 WAR in the same period. Payamps is down this year but overall has been worth a total of 2.1 since arriving. None of the players the Athletics acquired are still with the organization, leaving little value with Ruiz (-0.5) and Muller (-0.9) posting negative WAR, Pina adding nothing, and Tarnok adding 0.2

The Result: Overall, the Brewers netted 12.3 WAR. Both the Braves and Athletics lost much more WAR than gained to the point they’re both in the negative: -2.8 and -9.5 respectively. That’s a hefty win for Milwaukee, netting over WAR over Atlanta.

From the Desert to Canada

The Trade: About ten days after the Murphy-Contreras swap, the Diamondbacks dealt Dalton Varsho to the Blue Jays for two players: Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The WAR: While Varsho’s been the most valuable at 9.4 WAR, Moreno isn’t too far away with 6.4 and Gurriel Jr. was at 2.9 in the season before he hit free agency, eventually re-signing with the Diamondbacks.

The Result: It’s a wash so far, although Moreno and Varsho are both starters with more time to contribute.

Southpaw Swap

The Trade: In late June of 2023, the Royals sent veteran bullpen arm Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers for lefty starting pitcher Cole Ragans.

The WAR: Chapman only pitched the rest of 2023 for the Rangers before leaving in free agency, posting 0.3 WAR. Ragans remains with the Royals and fronts their rotation. So far, he’s posted a total of 7.8 WAR.

The Result: That’s a solid 7.5 WAR in the Royals’ favor.

Texas Adds Another Veteran Pitcher

The Trade: Before the 2023 trade deadline, the Rangers continued their blitz, adding Max Scherzer from the Mets for Luisangel Acuña.

The WAR: Scherzer helped Texas win the World Series in 2023 and hung around for 2024, posting 1.4 WAR. Acuña hasn’t done much—0.9 WAR—but at least he’s still with the Mets.

The Result: For now, the Rangers are up 0.9 WAR, but this could end up the way of the Ragans-Chapman trade.

Two for Saurez

The Trade: After the 2023 season ended, the Mariners traded slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez to the Diamondbacks for Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala.

The WAR: Suárez has posted 3.9 WAR down in Phoenix while Vargas and Zavala have together combined for -0.2 WAR.

The Result: Diamondbacks up by 4.1.

Soto Traded Again

The Trade: The Padres couldn’t re-sign Juan Soto, so they pivoted, trading him and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees for five players: Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Randy Vasquez.

The WAR: In his one season in pinstripes, Soto posted 7.9 WAR while Grisham, who’s still there, has posted 1.5. King has led the way for the new Padres with 5.4 WAR while the others have added a combined WAR of 1.6, with Thorpe used in part to land Dylan Cease.

The Result: Yankees up, by only by 2.4.

Sale Sold

The Trade: The Boston Red Sox finally give up on Chris Sale right before 2023 ended, dealing him to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom.

The WAR: Sale soared in 2024, but so far in 2025, he’s looking a lot like his Red Sox version. Still, he’s posted a total of 6.4 WAR. Grissom hasn’t fared well in Boston with a -0.2.

The Result: That’s a 6.6 WAR advantage in Atlanta’s favor.

Baltimore Nabs an Ace

The Trade: Before the start of the 2024 season, the Orioles swing a deal with the Brewers, landing Corbin Burnes for D.L. Hall and Joey Ortiz.

The WAR: Burnes pitched only one season in Baltimore, but fared well, posting 3.5 WAR. Ortiz and Hall have combined to give the Brewers 1.5 WAR in a season and change.

The Result: Well, that would be 1.7 in favor of the Orioles.

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There you have it: the Royals trade for Cole Ragans looks to be the second-best trade made by a team since the start of the 2023 offseason, bested only the Brewers hitting the jackpot with catcher William Contreras while giving up very little.

But I can leave the final results up to you, Dear Reader—which trade was better: Ragans to the Royals or Contreras to the Brewers?