Royals brass held their end-of-season press convention at this time, with basic supervisor J.J. Picollo and supervisor Matt Quatraro fielding questions from MLB.com’s Anne Rogers (two hyperlinks) and different reporters concerning the membership’s profitable 2024 marketing campaign and a few of their plans for the approaching offseason.
Whereas Picollo described the Royals’ offense as “acceptable” general, the group is in search of bookends across the highly effective 2-3-4 lineup mixture of Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez. The Royals relied closely on that trio for many of their offense, and thus discovering a extra constant leadoff hitter and no. 5 hitter are the primary steps in growing manufacturing.
Picollo famous that impending free agent Tommy Pham did a superb job in stabilizing the leadoff spot after Pham was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals on the finish of August. Basically, nonetheless, “that leadoff spot, we had been circulating guys all 12 months lengthy, looking for the precise individual….Each lineup, and the higher lineups that we confronted, they’re deep,” Picollo mentioned. “The extra you possibly can push guys down, the higher our lineup might be. You begin with a leadoff man, and then you definately attempt to discover someone in the course of the lineup, as properly. The deeper you get, the extra explosive you will be as an offense.”
Kansas Metropolis batters had a collective .306 on-base proportion this season, rating nineteenth of 30 groups. Witt’s .389 OBP did lots of the heavy lifting on that cumulative whole, as Yuli Gurriel (in solely 65 plate appearances) ranked second on the group with a .338 OBP, adopted by Perez at .330. Maikel Garcia had the vast majority of at-bats out of the leadoff spot and his sturdy third base protection saved him within the lineup, however he hit solely .231/.281/.332 over 626 PA. Garcia’s 69 wRC+ was the bottom of any certified hitter in baseball this season.
Regardless of Garcia’s lack of manufacturing, Picollo mentioned Garcia and left fielder MJ Melendez (who additionally struggled) might be counted to enhance on the plate as they head into their fourth Main League campaigns. Nonetheless, Picollo singled out the outfield as a pure space the place the Royals might add some energy and extra offense normally, as solely the Pirates and White Sox bought much less manufacturing from their outfielders in 2024 than the 79 wRC+ posted by Kansas Metropolis’s outfield combine.
“Usually talking, while you’re taking a look at left area, proper area, that’s the place you’re fascinated by energy guys,” Picollo mentioned. “And we all know this ballpark doesn’t lend itself to homers, but it surely does lend itself to slug. So we’ve bought to be extra productive there. And that’s the place being optimistic about a number of the guys that now we have and looking out on the expertise they’d, I believe that’s positive.”
Proper area is essentially the most logical goal space if Hunter Renfroe declines his $7.5MM participant possibility for 2025, although Picollo mentioned he hadn’t but spoken to Renfroe about his upcoming choice. Renfroe can take a $1MM buyout and return to free company, but it surely most likely appears likelier than Renfroe will take the bigger $7.5MM payday after a sub-replacement season. Renfroe had a -0.1 fWAR over 120 video games with Kansas Metropolis, hitting .229/.297/.392 with 15 residence runs, and he sandwiched a red-hot stretch in June and July between ice-cold performances within the first two and last two months of the common season.
Kyle Isbel was additionally a below-average hitter however a minimum of performed some stable protection in middle area, so he might need essentially the most job safety of all Royals outfielders heading into 2025. If Ok.C. did certainly decide up a brand new nook outfielder or two, Renfroe, Melendez, Dairon Blanco, and Nelson Velazquez might all be vying for part-time or bench obligation, or the Royals might look to maneuver any to create roster house.
On the pitching finish, Michael Wacha must resolve on both exercising or declining his $16MM participant possibility for the 2025 season. Wacha’s glorious changeup powered his 3.35 ERA over 166 2/3 innings in his first season with the Royals, and induced a ton of soppy contact whereas posting an above-average 6.6% stroll price. Although his lack of strikeouts and velocity will at all times restrict his market to some extent, Wacha has now posted very stable ends in every of the final three seasons, and will definitely discover a multi-year pact once more on the open market this 12 months.
Even when the chances are high that Wacha does cross on his possibility, Picollo mentioned “there’s no query we’d prefer to have him again. How we go about that, I’m unsure simply but….He’s going to have alternatives with different golf equipment. So we’ll work on that.”
The Royals intention so as to add extra pitching with or with out Wacha nonetheless within the rotation, although clearly will probably be a extra obtrusive want if Wacha does head elsewhere. Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Brady Singer nonetheless mix for a pleasant prime three and Alec Marsh earned himself a rotation job, so on paper Kansas Metropolis would have loads of inside candidates to compete for only one open beginning job. However as Picollo famous, “we had been remarkably wholesome this 12 months,” so the membership expects to wish extra pitching within the doubtless even that the Royals aren’t as fortunate in avoiding the harm bug.
As to how a lot the Royals must spend for any improve, Picollo was naturally unspecific on the subject, however he felt proprietor John Sherman would have as a lot “flexibility” with the payroll as final winter. “I might suspect it might be very comparable,” the GM mentioned. “Not essentially in, ’We’re going to spend $100 million,’ however extra so his flexibility, him being open-minded to what our group’s wants are.”
RosterResource estimates that the Royals completed the 12 months with a payroll of barely greater than $113.5MM, which represents the franchise’s largest spend since its $122.2MM payroll on Opening Day 2018. A rise in attendance and two playoff video games ought to enhance income, however the Royals are additionally one of many groups whose broadcast offers with Diamond Sports activities Group might be severed as a part of DSG’s ongoing chapter proceedings.
It stays to be seen if the Royals might work out a brand new cope with DSG/Bally Sports activities for the 2025 season or if the group may hunt down one other broadcast associate, or pursue an settlement with Main League Baseball itself to broadcast video games (as six different golf equipment have performed). Whereas clearly lots of uncertainty exists right here, it must be famous that the Royals’ earlier cope with Bally was already up after the 2025 season, and the group nonetheless went forward and had a comparatively massive spending splurge final winter even with the looming questions on its broadcast future.
In some harm updates, Hunter Harvey, James McArthur, and Chris Stratton ought to all be prepared for the beginning of Spring Coaching after ending the season on the injured listing. Some well being uncertainty awaits Adam Frazier, who might be present process some sort of process on his proper thumb this week.
Frazier had a minimal 10-day IL stint in late June/early July resulting from a sprain in that very same thumb, and an harm might clarify his tough hitting numbers, because the veteran batted solely .202/.282/.294 in 294 PA. Kansas Metropolis is certain to say no its finish of an $8.5MM mutual possibility on Frazier for 2025, and he’ll be purchased out for $2.5MM. Between his down 12 months and maybe this surgical procedure impacting his readiness, Frazier could must accept a minor league pact in free company.
