Friday, December 05

Welcome to this edition of the Royals beat newsletter. My name is Anne Rogers, and I’ll be delivering news and insight to your inbox all offseason long. Thanks for following along!

The Royals have had a busy week. They finalized their hitting staff with new coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames. They traded for a depth outfielder (Kameron Misner) and pitcher (Mason Black). They had news over on the business side, welcoming Cullen Maxey as president of business operations.

It’s only the start of what should be a busy winter in Kansas City. The GM Meetings were this week, a time in which teams start to assess the market and the players they’ve targeted.

In that regard, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell spoke with Royals general manager J.J. Picollo in Las Vegas about the club’s offseason plan. Here’s what stood out to me in their conversation:

Starting pitching surplus

Picollo: “That’s the most obvious spot, if somebody is looking for Major League return and it’s need-for-need. If somebody is evaluating our Major League roster, that’s where they’ll go. And we really have guys, I’ll say, in all shapes and sizes. Meaning guys with very little control to guys who have a lot of control. So you can kind of pick your poison, what fits your needs. There is some versatility within that group as well. If that’s the avenue to help get a bat that we need, we’re willing to explore that.”

OK, this isn’t news. We all know the Royals have a ton of rotation depth on their roster – nine starters, and that doesn’t include the guys in the Minors who should get an opportunity in 2026 – and it’s not hard to draw the line from what they want to acquire this offseason (offense) to how they’re going to be able to do that (pitching). What is notable is just how willing the Royals are to trade from their starting depth: Very willing, i.e., I would be surprised if it didn’t happen this winter.

Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek are all very young in their careers, giving teams more control – something that’s tough for the Royals to give up, but it also could see a more impactful return. Kris Bubic, on the other hand, only has one year left before free agency. He’s more proven, despite the injury history. Perhaps he’s packaged with a prospect or another Major League player to get the bat the Royals seek.

Are any pitchers off limits? Picollo didn’t go so far as to say so, but without naming names, he insinuated that trading Cole Ragans would take a very hefty return, and he pointed to Seth Lugo’s and Michael Wacha’s commitment to Kansas City with their contracts as why it would be difficult to trade them. It’s unlikely those three go; the Royals want them at the top of their rotation for 2026 and beyond.

Bottom line: The Royals want to be active in the trade market this winter, and they’ll use their pitching growth and depth to do so.

The outfield is the focus

Picollo: “That’s one of the objectives. Our outfield hasn’t been as productive as we needed it to be over the last two or three years. We’re back at it again, trying to figure things out. We’ve got a young player who we think is going to be very good in Jac Caglianone. Kyle Isbel has been an above-average defender in center. But left field has been a little bit of a revolving door. We have to try to settle that and then have that roster flexibility. If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield, that’s very beneficial as well. Trying to complete the roster in that fashion would be ideal, but the outfield is going to be the big one. If it’s somebody who can fit in the middle of the lineup, even better.”

What can the Royals get with the pitchers they have? They’ll be looking for outfield help primarily, along with a utility player who can move between the infield and outfield. Handedness does not matter as much as getting the best player available, Picollo said, but if they could choose, they’d like a right-handed bat.

As my colleague Mark Feinsand wrote, it does seem like the Royals are targeting an everyday left fielder as well as someone who could potentially platoon with Caglianone in right field. That’s not because they think Caglianone is a platoon player, but rather, it’s to give them reliability and protection as Caglianone navigates his first full season in the Majors following the struggles of ‘25. Ideally, Caglianone cements himself as the everyday right fielder because of his production. In reality, the Royals might have to be a bit more patient with the 22-year-old.

Cags and Carter are important factors right now

Picollo: “You try to evaluate how much risk is in your lineup at any one time. The risk meaning young players who may or may not be ready to produce but we know they’re talented. But then also getting them enough at-bats and enough experience so they reach that point sooner rather than later. If you go too slow, it may take longer. So you want to give them as much opportunity as you can. I think we’re in a position that they’ll both get plenty of opportunity.”

Picollo is speaking of Caglianone and Carter Jensen – the Royals’ former and current top prospect, respectively – and the balance of knowing what their potential is while also knowing the struggles that young players encounter. Caglianone, who hit .157 with a .532 OPS in 62 games, is not the first top prospect to struggle at the beginning of his big league career, and he won’t be the last. Jensen had a great September, but pitchers will adjust, and he’ll have to adjust back.

What it does sound like is that the Royals view those two sluggers as important pieces to the 2026 team. They’ll have to earn their spots on the roster, but Picollo talked openly about how Jensen especially will get playing time, splitting time with Salvador Perez behind the plate.

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