The Royals Can Be Competitive in Many Aspects This Season
In this story:
The American League Central has been shaken up this past offseason. The Cleveland Guardians are trying to shed payroll by putting Jose Ramirez on the trade block, the Detroit Tigers splurged on free agent acquisitions before the lockout, the Minnesota Twins making smaller moves while having the same core, and the Chicago White Sox are looking to make another run towards the World Series.
The Kansas City Royals have made some small signings this offseason, but they have not been able to sign someone who could fill a gap at a position yet. With that said, they still have money to sign an impact player at a position that needs to be fixed. With how the current roster is constructed, the Royals need a first baseman who can produce, another outfielder and some form of impact pitching.
So far this offseason, the Royals have signed a couple of pitchers: Sam Freeman, Brad Peacock, Daniel Mendgen, Aroydis Vizcaino and Taylor Clarke. These signings are typical for what the organization has done in years past — taking flyers on players who could be productive and ultimately trading them for a return. Think Trevor Rosenthal and Homer Bailey.
Aug 10, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke (45) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
While that has been a part of the Royals offseason in recent years, they could also spend a little cash this year like they did last year. Free agency has a couple of key targets that the Royals could need to be competitive for this season. Two marquee targets they could go after in free agency are Kris Bryant and Kenley Jansen.
Some analysts believe the Royals have a decent shot at signing Bryant. Signing Jansen is more of a longshot signing, but it would also help stabilize the bullpen and give Mike Matheny a solid and reliable arm to use as either a setup man or a closer. More realistic options are players like Zack Greinke, Danny Duffy, the aforementioned Rosenthal, and Michael Conforto. Three of these players are former Royals. Fellow Inside the Royals writer Lucas Murphy also believes the Royals should pursue Conforto, as the team needs an outfielder as well as more power in the lineup.
The Royals could also make a trade or two this offseason to make the team better. One trade candidate would be Carlos Santana. Even after a down year last year, he would likely garner a decent amount of attention from more competitive teams and maybe even net the club a decent return. Trading Santana could recoup a decent prospect but more importantly, it would open up first base for Nick Pratto if the Royals believe he is ready after a great year in the minors.
Sep 25, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana celebrates his fifth inning home run in the dugout in at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of free agency and trade options, the Royals can be competitive with players either breaking out or repeating similar stat lines from last year. If Adalberto Mondesi can play in at least 70% of games this year, that would be very helpful. A repeat performance from Nicky Lopez would also be beneficial, as he posted the team's highest WAR of 4.4 in 2021.
Salvador Perez will probably not have another year like last year but if he hits around 35 home runs with some more walks, the Royals would be happy with that. The Royals are also projected to be a relatively balanced offense with eight of nine starters hitting ten or more home runs with all nine projected to hit above .230. They are also expected to be stealing a lot of bases this year, with Mondesi and Whit Merrifield leading the way with 50 and 28 SBs, respectively.
The part of the team that needs to improve the most is the starting pitching. Last year was not great for Royals starting pitchers, as the majority of the rotation was either league average or worse. This year, the rotation will be filled with younger players who will develop as the year goes on, so expect a better starting rotation.
There is also one more factor that could make the Royals competitive this season and that is Bobby Witt Jr. playing at a good level. Witt very well could be on the Opening Day roster and if he comes up as advertised, then the Royals should have a Rookie of the Year winner as well as a future star in the league.
Jul 21, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt (90) leads off from first base against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
While the Royals have a chance to be competitive this season, expect them to be in the 75-plus win area. The AL Central, while weaker, will still give Kansas City issues. Things are starting to look up for the Royals, as prospects are on the cusp of making it to the majors and with more money available to spend on free agents, the team has a shot at being competitive in the American League soon.
