Offseason Outlook: Kansas City Royals

The Royals missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the past six seasons. After an 86-win season netted a Wild Card berth in 2024, they went 82-80 in 2025. This year’s group will win, at most, 73 games. The promising core of a few years ago has been marred by injuries and the aging of several key veterans. Kansas City now heads into the offseason looking for ways to surround their MVP-caliber shortstop with enough complementary pieces to contend. It’s going to be an uphill battle. Guaranteed Contracts Bobby Witt Jr., SS: $259MM through 2034 (Witt can opt out after 2030 season; if he does not opt out, contract includes club options for 2035-37) Maikel Garcia, 3B: $52.5MM through 2030 (includes buyout of 2031 club option) Seth Lugo, RHP: $23MM through 2027 (includes buyout of 2028 club option; option automatically vests at $20MM with 166 innings next year) Michael Wacha, RHP: $15MM through 2027 (includes buyout of 2028 club option) Salvador Perez, C/DH: $9MM through 2027 (not including deferred $7MM signing bonus and $2.5MM deferred salary) Cole Ragans, LHP: $7.5MM through 2027 (also controlled through 2028 via arbitration) Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B: $7.1MM through 2027 (also controlled through 2028 via arbitration) Option Decisions Carlos Estevez, RHP: $13MM club option ($2MM buyout) Tony Gonsolin, RHP: $2.5MM club option Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parenthesis) Kyle Isbel, OF (5.043) Nate Pearson, RHP (5.042) Nick Mears, RHP (5.022) Alex Lange, RHP (4.145) Daniel Lynch IV, LHP (4.136) Michael Massey, 2B (4.069) Anthony Gose, LHP (4.019) James McArthur, RHP (3.150) Randy Dobnak, RHP (3.148) Lucas Erceg, RHP (3.124) Non-tender candidates: Isbel, Lange, McArthur, Gose, Erceg Free Agents Jonathan India, Craig Kimbrel, Luke Maile, Josh Rojas Although the 2026 season was an immense disappointment, it’s unlikely that there will be sweeping changes made to organizational leadership. The Royals extended manager Matt Quatraro on a new three-year contract that covers the 2027-29 seasons — with a club option for 2030 — back in February. General manager J.J. Picollo signed a five-year extension just 11 months prior. He’s under contract through 2030, with a club option for the 2031 season. Prolonged struggles can eventually jeopardize executives and managers even when they’re under contract, but it’s quite rare for those figures to be replaced so early in long-term contracts — and the Royals have historically been a franchise that’s very loyal to its top decision-makers. The challenges for Picollo and his staff this winter will be significant. They’ll have multiple needs to address both on the pitching side of the roster and in the lineup. They’ll need to do so without a great deal of payroll space, barring a sudden hike in spending from owner John Sherman. One could argue that those facts, coupled with a last-place finish in a thin American League Central, signal there’s a need for a more forward-looking, long-term approach this offseason, but Kansas City’s activity at the trade deadline was indicative of the fact that a rebuild isn’t in the cards. The Royals did operate as nominal sellers, but they largely stood pat. Lane Thomas, an impending free agent, was traded to Atlanta but packaged with left-hander Bailey Falter, whose contract was ostensibly absorbed by the Braves to lower the cost in terms of prospects. The only other trade of note was sending injured lefty Kris Bubic to the Dodgers in exchange for reliever Carlos Duran. Kansas City had other players who’d have commanded interest — most notably right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha and left-handed reliever Daniel Lynch IV. Both Lugo and Wacha are signed through 2027. Lynch is under control through 2028. The Royals didn’t actively pursue trading any of those relatively short-term assets. They reportedly placed a very high asking price on Lugo or Wacha in particular, due to that pair’s importance to the 2027 rotation. Trades of either may not have been easy to navigate; Lugo turns 37 in November and has a full no-trade clause. Wacha turns 36 next summer and has a limited no-trade clause. Still, the pricey nature of their contracts and the fact that both righties are entering their mid-30s seemed to make them natural trade candidates. Even if the Royals were concerned about needing the innings in 2027, they could have moved Lugo and Wacha for prospects then signed different veterans in free agency to round out next year’s staff. Hanging onto a pair of mid-30s veterans both signaled an intent to build around them next season and locked in $34MM of payroll on a team that has never had an Opening Day payroll north of $143MM. Lugo and Wacha will return to anchor the staff alongside lefty Noah Cameron, who’ll be entering his third big league season. The 27-year-old hasn’t matched his brilliant rookie season but is sporting a quality 3.92 ERA through a career-high 172 1/3 innings with another start left to make. The rest of the group is going to need some augmentation. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker View Comments (1)