KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This time last year, the Kansas City Royals’ front office had already been stationed in Surprise, Ariz., for more than a week, holding a summit that laid the groundwork for one of the best MLB turnarounds of this century.
The Royals spent nearly $110 million in free agency, rebuilt their starting rotation into one of baseball’s best, and signed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to a nine-figure extension that will keep him in Kansas City through, at least, the 2030 season.
The Royals’ next offseason seems unlikely to be as transformative as its last. But after returning to the postseason for the first time in nine years — and bowing out against the New York Yankees in the ALDS — first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino spoke of elevated expectations in Kansas City.
“We’ve now, in our heads, put ourselves in a spot where we expect to be playing in October every single year,” Pasquantino said Thursday, after a season-ending loss in Game 4. “If you don’t win it all, you’re not successful. We didn’t win it all.”
That the Royals are uttering such proclamations is a testament to their success in 2024. It also means that pressure will be on the front office.
1. How will the Royals maintain their excellent rotation?
The Royals will enter 2024 with Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo, their top two postseason starters, back atop the rotation, which finished second in baseball in ERA. But veteran Michael Wacha, who posted a 3.35 ERA in 29 starts, is well positioned to exercise his player option, becoming a free agent for a sixth straight year. Wacha said Thursday that he had not considered the decision.
If Wacha departs, the Royals will need a replacement for his innings and performance. But the bigger question, perhaps, is what the club will do with starting pitcher Brady Singer, who returned to form in 2024. Singer, 28, posted career highs in starts (32) and innings (179 2/3) while posting a 3.71 ERA. But he logged just a 4.40 ERA after the All-Star break and is under team control for just two more seasons, making him a logical trade candidate if the Royals wish to go down that path.
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo has regularly talked about being more transactional than his predecessor, former GM Dayton Moore. Trading Singer would fit that philosophy, freeing up money while spinning a proven starter into longer-term assets.
If not, Singer would slot somewhere behind Ragans and Lugo in the middle of the rotation. The Royals also still possess Alec Marsh, who had a 4.53 ERA in 26 starts, Daniel Lynch IV, who flashed potential in the bullpen in September, and Kris Bubic, who was returning from Tommy John surgery this year but could be a factor in the rotation in 2025.
2. What can they do to strengthen the lineup?
On the offensive side, the Royals finished 13th in baseball in runs scored and are set to lose a long list of veterans to free agency, including Paul DeJong, Yuli Gurriel, Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman, all players who were added for the stretch run.
Outfielder Hunter Renfroe, 32, can also exercise a player option and become a free agent. But he may have an interesting decision to make. Renfroe is set to make $7.5 million in 2025 after posting a .689 OPS in 2024, his lowest in a season in which he played at least 100 games. Utilitymen Garrett Hampson and Adam Frazier — who possesses a mutual option in his contract — are also set to be free agents.
The Royals’ lack of offensive firepower came into stark focus during a series loss to the Yankees. The offense scored 14 runs in four games, including just three in two games at Kauffman Stadium. The club can hope for continued internal improvements from a young nucleus that includes Witt, Pasquantino, second baseman Michael Massey, third baseman Maikel Garcia and outfielders MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel. They can also hope for continued production from catcher Salvador Perez, who hit 27 homers this season and will turn 35 next May. Perez will make $22 million in 2025, the last guaranteed year of his contract. The Royals possess a $13.5 million club option for 2026.
Even if Perez remains an offensive threat, expect them once again to be on the hunt for impactful bats.
Another player who will draw trade interest from other clubs: catcher Freddy Fermin, a 29-year-old who has grown into one of the best backup catchers in baseball across the past two seasons. Fermin batted .271 with a .695 OPS and terrific defense while appearing in 111 games. The package was worth 3.0 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference.
Fermin was a relatively late bloomer, not making the big leagues until he was 27. And with five years of club control remaining, he could be tantalizing to a team looking for a cost-effective fix behind the plate.
3. How much higher might the Royals be willing to go with payroll?
The Royals fielded a payroll of just over $120 million in 2024, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, their highest since 2018. They have needs in the lineup and rotation and despite the addition of standout reliever Lucas Erceg at the deadline, the club will also be in the market for veteran relief help.
The farm system, meanwhile, has improved with the addition of first baseman Jac Caglianone, the team’s first-round pick in 2024, and the continued progression of catcher Blake Mitchell and pitchers Ben Kudrna and Blake Wolters, among others. But the most high-ceiling talent appears to be at least another year away, which could put pressure on majority owner John Sherman to spend again in free agency.
The answer will come this winter. One thing that will unquestionably be higher in 2025: the expectation to win.
“I think the best is yet to come for this team,” Witt said. “I don’t think we were supposed to be in this situation and we were. We got a special team. We’re gonna keep riding it out.”
(Top photo of Bobby Witt Jr.: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
