Kansas City Royals 2025-2026 Offseason Wish List

The Kansas City Royals are a team looking to take the next step as a franchise under GM JJ Picollo, who’s been in charge of the organization since 2023.

Since 2014, the Royals have two pennants and a World Series title under their belt, which is more than many MLB franchises over that timespan (including big-market ones). However, since that second World Series championship in club history, they have only had two winning seasons (2024 and 2025) and one postseason appearance (2024 ALDS).

For a city that has become accustomed to winning thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Royals are doing their best not just to be competitive in the regular season in 2026, but also in the offseason leading up to it.

Owner John Sherman, who bought the franchise after the 2019 season, has been more open to spending money than his predecessor, David Glass, who ran the Royals like a typical small-market franchise under his tenure (i.e., cheaply). However, Royals fans shouldn’t expect Sherman to channel David Cohen and offer a Juan Soto-esque deal to a free agent anytime soon. The Royals still have the third-lowest franchise value in baseball, according to Forbes, ahead of only the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins.

Nonetheless, Kansas City can improve this roster this offseason, especially on the offensive end, with some wise free-agent moves or shrewd trades.

They have a farm system that has been enhanced over the past three years under Picollo, with Jac Caglianone making the Majors less than a year after being drafted and Carter Jensen making a meteoric rise up the prospect rankings after a stellar MLB debut in September.

Furthermore, the Royals have developed strong starting pitching depth and, despite multiple injuries, ranked seventh in ERA as a group last season. Therefore, expect the Royals to utilize various avenues to help the club compete for an AL Central division title and return to the postseason after a one-year hiatus.

Let’s dive into what the roster turnover might look like this winter, what needs this front office will need to address, and who the Royals could target on the open market.

Offseason Roster Review

The Royals lost eleven players via free agency at the conclusion of the 2025 season. Four of those players were non-tendered by the November 21st deadline. While that’s a lot of roster turnover, none of those players were longstanding contributors or key parts of the Kansas City core, whether on offense or defense.

The club tendered contracts to 11 players, with two of them coming to agreements shortly after the non-tender deadline. Here is a summary of those free agents, tendered deals, and recently signed/acquired players from other teams.

All contract figures come via Spotrac.

Free Agents

• LHP Sam Long (non-tendered; signed with Chiba Lotte Marines of NPB)
• RHP Kyle Wright (non-tendered)
• RHP Michael Lorenzen
• RHP Hunter Harvey
• RHP Taylor Clarke (non-tendered)
• C Luke Maile
• UT Adam Frazier
• OF Mike Yastrzemski
• OF Randal Grichuk
• OF Mark Canha
• OF MJ Melendez (non-tendered)

Arbitration-Eligible Players

• 2B Jonathan India (agreed to $8 million to avoid arbitration)
• RHP James McArthur (agreed to $800,000 to avoid arbitration)
• LHP Kris Bubic
• RHP John Schreiber
• CF Kyle Isbel
• LHP Bailey Falter
• 1B Vinnie Pasquantino
• LHP Daniel Lynch IV
• LHP Angel Zerpa
• 2B/OF Michael Massey
• 3B Maikel Garcia
  

Recently Acquired Players

• RHP Alex Lange (one-year, $900,000 deal; two years of arbitration-eligibility after 2026)
• OF Kameron Misner (trade with Tampa Bay for PTBNL or Cash Consideration)
• SS/2B/3B Connor Kaiser (Minor League Free Agent Deal)

Kansas City Royals Offseason Priorities

1. Acquire a Productive Corner Outfielder

The Royals didn’t receive much production from the outfield in 2025. According to FanGraphs, Kansas City outfielders ranked last in wRC+ (70) and fWAR (-1.4). Hence, it’s not a surprise that GM JJ Picollo is willing to trade away prized pitching assets, including ace Cole Ragans, to acquire the outfielder they need to boost the lineup in 2026.

Two players make sense for the Royals to acquire via trade, especially since both teams could need some pitching reinforcements. However, Kansas City could also look to the free-agent market for two other options who could provide a boost to the Royals’ outfield in 2026.

Possible Targets

• Trade Options: Jarren Duran, Anthony Santander
• Free Agent Options: Adolis Garcia, Harrison Bader

Duran has been a target of the Royals for a while. Rumors swirled that Kansas City tried acquiring Duran at the trade deadline, but backed off and ended up acquiring Mike Yastrzemski instead. The move paid off for the Royals, as the former Giants outfielder posted a 127 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR in 186 plate appearances with Kansas City.

Unfortunately, Yastrzemski is a free agent again, and he likely will require a multi-year deal to return. The Royals would be better off pursuing a higher-end outfielder like Duran, who won’t be a free agent until 2029 and is coming off a season in which he posted a 111 wRC+ and 3.9 fWAR in 696 plate appearances.

To acquire Duran, it seems like the Royals would likely need to include Ragans in such a deal. While the Royals have Ragans under team control for a couple of more seasons, he’ll require a new contract in 2028 (his last year of arbitration eligibility) and will be a free agent in 2029. If Ragans isn’t seen as a long-term asset, Kansas City would benefit from trading one of its best players now, while his value is higher than ever.

If the Royals aren’t comfortable trading away Ragans and can’t convince Boston to covet Kris Bubic or Noah Cameron, they could pivot to the Blue Jays, who have Santander. Kansas City was in the hunt to sign him to a deal last offseason, but he ended up taking a five-year, $92 million contract from Toronto instead. His first season with the Blue Jays was rough, as injuries limited him to only 54 games. In that sample, he posted a 61 wRC+ and accumulated a -0.9 fWAR.

The Blue Jays seem to be in the hunt for Kyle Tucker, which would put Santander’s roster spot in jeopardy, especially since Toronto will need to clear space for a Tucker megadeal.

If the Royals had interest before, they could have it again in Santander, hoping he can bounce back fully healthy in Kansas City.

While the Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease this offseason, they may be interested in a pitcher like Bubic, who can pitch in either the rotation or the bullpen. Considering Toronto’s bullpen issues in the postseason, Bubic could become a high-leverage guy in the late innings, which may preserve his arm longer.

For free agent options, Kansas City may be interested in Adolis Garcia, who was non-tendered by Texas this offseason.

Garcia has demonstrated considerable power in the past with 25+ homers from 2021 to 2024. His HR total dropped to 19 last year, and his wRC+ also regressed to 83, the worst mark in his tenure with the Rangers. However, he still showed solid batted-ball ability in 2025, as his average exit velocity ranked in the 83rd percentile and his barrel rate ranked in the 73rd percentile, according to Savant.

The Royals’ outfield lacked power in 2025, as their .114 ISO was the second-worst mark of MLB outfields last season, according to FanGraphs. Garcia’s career .204 ISO would be a welcome presence in the Kansas City lineup in 2026.

If Kansas City values versatility more than raw power, then Bader may be the best fit.

The 31-year-old outfielder had a career year with the Twins and Phillies in 2025, posting a 3.2 fWAR and 127 wRC+ in 501 plate appearances. He also hit 17 home runs, stole 11 bases, and sported a DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) of +13. While Kyle Isbel is a strong defensive outfielder, he’s a liability against left-handed starting pitchers, and Bader could be one to slide in center field when they face lefties.

2. Add Velocity (And Strikeouts) in the Bullpen

The Royals’ bullpen had a much better season in 2025 than in 2024, especially with Carlos Estevez as closer, who led the league in saves.

The Royals’ bullpen did a good job of preventing runs (7th in bullpen ERA) and minimizing walks (4th in BB/9). However, they struggled to get swings-and-misses and punch batters out, as illustrated by their 29th ranking in K/9. Therefore, the Royals need to invest in some high-velocity arms who can generate whiffs and strikeouts, which could give Estevez more support leading up to the ninth inning.

They took a step in that direction by signing Lange, a local KC-area kid with great stuff but who struggled with control during his tenure with the Tigers.

Lange is a nice start, but the Royals could add another big arm to help solidify their bullpen even more in 2026.

Possible Free Agent Targets

• Pricier Options: Pete Fairbanks, Seranthony Dominguez
• Cheaper Options: Evan Phillips, Foster Griffin

The Rays declined their $11 million option on Fairbanks, even after their closer saved 27 games and posted a 2.83 ERA in 60.1 IP. It sounds crazy at first, but Tampa Bay is unwilling to spend big on relievers, even if they have proven productive ones like Fairbanks.

Last season, Fairbanks posted a 24.2% K rate and 16.8% K-BB% while sporting an overall Stuff+ mark of 111. His fastball has declined a bit, as it was only a 99 last year, according to Stuff+ metrics. However, his cutter and slider were elite pitches, Stuff+ wise, with 141 and 125 marks, respectively. That kind of profile would thrive in the 8th inning or in situations when Estevez isn’t available.

The same could be true with Dominguez, who posted a 3.16 ERA in 62.2 IP with the Orioles and Blue Jays. The 31-year-old righty was even more effective than Fairbanks in terms of strikeouts, as he generated a 30.3% K rate. He also sported an overall Stuff+ of 114 and had four pitches with Stuff+ marks over 100 (fastball, sinker, splitter, and slider).

The only issue with Fairbanks and Dominguez is that both will require AAV deals in the double-digit millions. The Royals likely would rather use that salary amount on a hitter rather than another reliever.

A cheaper option could be Griffin, who spent the last two years with the Yomiuri Giants. The former Royals first-round pick was particularly effective last year with the Giants, posting a 1.62 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 4.28 K/BB ratio in 78 IP. He could thrive under pitching coach Brian Sweeney, who wasn’t around in the Royals system when Griffin last pitched for the Royals.

Another interesting project could be Phillips, who was non-tendered by the Dodgers this offseason. He has intriguing stuff, as he posted a 112 Stuff+ overall and a 27.3% strikeout rate last year. However, injuries limited him to 5.2 IP in the previous season, and he has struggled to stay healthy over his career, despite showing effectiveness on the mound (career 3.36 ERA in 252 IP). He also received Tommy John surgery in June, which will keep him on the shelf until midseason.

Phillips carries some risk as an injury bounce-back candidate. That said, the Royals have been open to taking those risks, as illustrated by them trading for Wright a couple of seasons ago (though that didn’t work out). Plus, Phillips has a lot more upside and has shown much more consistency on the mound than Wright ever did.

3. Extend a Young Position Player

Witt is the face of the franchise in Kansas City for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, for a team to win a World Series, a club needs other star-caliber players that can provide support, especially in the lineup. The Dodgers proved that their plethora of stars was too much for the Blue Jays’ own group in the World Series.

Thankfully, the cupboard isn’t bare in Kansas City when it comes to secondary star players. The Royals have three who emerged last year and could make intriguing extension candidates this offseason, leading up to 2026.

Possible Options

• Options: Garcia, Pasquantino, Jensen
  

After not starting on Opening Day in 2025, Garcia ended up posting the best season of his career. In 666 plate appearances, he posted a 5.6 fWAR, 121 wRC+, hit 16 home runs, and stole 23 bases. He also made his first All-Star game and earned his first Gold Glove for excellent defense at the hot corner.

For a well-rounded player with long-term upside, Garcia fits the bill for a long-term extension. That said, the Venezuelan third baseman’s team may not be open to agreeing to one so early, especially with four years of team control. Another solid season in 2026 could net Garcia an even bigger payday next offseason.

A cheaper option could be Pasquantino, who stayed healthy (160) and produced on the offensive end big time. He hit 32 home runs, collected 113 RBI, and posted a 116 wRC+. His bat alone should merit him an extension, even if his defense weighed down his overall value a bit last season (1.5 fWAR). Furthermore, Pasquantino proved to be the heart and soul of the Royals’ clubhouse the previous year, along with Witt. Thus, he brings some intangibles that stats can’t measure.

Lastly, the Royals could pounce early and sign Jensen to a long-term extension, even though he only has 69 MLB plate appearances under his belt. That said, his small sample with Kansas City was eye-popping. He hit three home runs, collected 13 RBI, and posted a 159 wRC+. Going into 2026, he’s unanimously seen as the Royals’ top prospect in the system (though that won’t last for long, as he likely will be on the Royals’ Opening Day roster).

Jensen could be open to a long-term deal with the Royals. He’s a hometown kid who grew up a Royals fan with his family still living in the Kansas City Metro area. An extension gives him some long-term clarity, which allows him to really learn as Salvador Perez’s backup for a couple of more seasons until Perez hangs it up.

Witt and Jensen could be a formidable pair that could lead the Royals to future success for years to come. Locking him down this offseason could be the first step in making that a reality.

4. Find a Solution at Second Base

The Royals are solid on the left side of the infield (Garcia and Witt), at first base (Pasquantino), and behind the plate (Perez and Jensen). The only blemish? Second base.

Kansas City ranked 29th in second baseman fWAR last year with a -0.1 mark. Both primary options are back, but the Royals could look to utilize some outside help to improve their overall production at the second-base position next season.

Possible Solutions

• Internal Options: India, Massey
• External Free Agent Targets: Luis Arraez, Frazier

India and Massey seemed like a great pair who could provide stability at second base for the Royals in 2025. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, much to Kansas City’s chagrin.

In his first season with the Royals, India had a disastrous campaign in 2025. In 567 plate appearances, he posted an 89 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR. The Royals tried to move him around at the beginning of the year between second, third, and left field. However, they scrapped that plan after India struggled defensively at his new positions and was kept at second base for the remainder of the year.

Massey didn’t have much of a better season. He posted a -0.4 fWAR and 57 wRC+ in 277 plate appearances. Like in 2024, he struggled through nagging injuries, but this time, the production wasn’t great in his limited sample. The Royals have long liked Massey for his glove and pop for his position. That said, if he doesn’t turn it around, he may be out the door soon, much like India, who’s entering his final year of team control in Kansas City.

Picollo may opt to look outside for help, starting first by bringing back Frazier, who thrived in his return to Kansas City in the second half. In 56 games and 197 plate appearances, the veteran hit .283 with a 98 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR. He doesn’t provide a ton of pop, but he does give the Royals the professional at-bats that have benefited the Royals over the past 1.5 seasons.

A more outlandish option may be Arraez, who is a free agent after a successful recent tenure with the Padres. The 28-year-old doesn’t flash much power (.100 ISO last year). That said, he doesn’t strike out (3.1% strikeout rate last year), and his high-contact, spray-the-ball-around approach could be a nice fit in Kauffman Stadium, and in the leadoff spot ahead of Witt.

The primary issue with Arraez is cost (his market value is around $14 million, according to Spotrac) and the fact that he doesn’t offer much else beyond his ability to hit for average. He’s got no power, he’s not a good defender, and he’s not the fastest baserunner.

And yet, considering the Royals’ issues at the second-base position, especially offensively, the Royals may overlook those warts from Arraez for now.