Four Takeaways From JJ Picollo's Comments at the MLB GM Meetings

[Kevin O'Brien]

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

John Bonnes, covering for Diamondcentric, was at the MLB GM meetings today and spoke with Kansas City Royals general manager JJ Picollo for a few minutes. Picollo, in his fourth season as head front office honcho in Kansas City, had some interesting things to say about their latest coaching and roster additions, as well as what they may be looking to do this offseason. 

Thus, let's take a look at four takeaways from Picollo's comments at the GM meetings with John.

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Thames and Dawson Should Fit With Zumwalt's Philosophy

The Royals have filled out their hitting staff by hiring Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames, who come over from the Brewers and White Sox, respectively. That said, while they will bring fresh perspectives to the Royals coaching staff, they seem to align with the philosophy and approach of lead hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, who was retained for another season.

Here's what Picollo said about their two new coaching additions.

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Alex Zumwalt is still our senior director of hitting performance and Major League hitting coach, so he's still running the show. I think when you look at a guy like Marcus Thames, he's got a lot of years in the major leagues as a player and as a coach. So there's that experience that he has, that I think has brought us to a little bit different level. And then Connor Dawson is sort of in that younger mold, more progressive in the way he thinks about hitting, but we always think about putting coaching staffs together like we're putting teams together. The more balance we have, the more roles guys can play or fill, the better off we're going to be. We have a lot of belief in Alex Zumwalt and really kind of his multifaceted talents, and he's good with swings, good with game planning, good with bio mechanics, but he can't do it all. So now he's got two guys that have pretty special talents that should blend well and work well with each other.

Picollo's comments about building the coaching staff like a team were interesting and give credence to the Royals' decision to acquire two different kinds of coaches: Dawson, a younger, analytical type, and Thames, a more seasoned hitting coach with Major League experience. The Royals took a step forward in 2024 by creating a roster with the right mix of youth and veterans. It seems like Picollo was keen on doing that with his hitting team this offseason.

Regardless, the Royals seem to have confidence in Zumwalt and believe in his philosophy and his ability as hitting coach. However, it looks like Picollo feels that Zumwalt has better people around him in Dawson and Thames who can help the Royals produce results on the hitting side in 2026 and hopefully, beyond. 

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Black Likely Pitching in the Bullpen

Picollo talked a bit about Mason Black, who was acquired by the Royals yesterday from San Francisco in exchange for pitching prospect Logan Martin, who pitched primarily in High-A Quad Cities last season. 

The former third-round pick rotated between the rotation and bullpen during his brief time in San Francisco. However, it seems like Picollo and the Royals are more focused on him starting in relief for now, heading into Spring Training.

 

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Yeah, we got to talk more about it. But I think right now, you know, with our starting pitching the way it is, I mean, it's a deep starting rotation that Mason probably is going to fit best in the bullpen...That would be the most likely role for us. But you don't want to rule, rule it out. You know, might be somebody we build up in spring training, get into three innings, and then just determine which way.

 

 

It doesn't seem like Picollo is ruling out the rotation completely for Black. That said, their newest pitcher will likely have a better shot of making the Opening Day roster as a reliever. Thus, how his stuff plays up in relief this spring could determine if he can find a role in the Royals' bullpen. A velocity increase or repertoire modification could help him find a place in a Royals bullpen that is looking for help in terms of strikeouts (they ranked 29th in K/9 as a bullpen last year).

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Don't Expect Any Extensions Soon

After Bobby Witt Jr. earned an extension after the 2023 season, many Royals fans have wondered if another young Royals player may be getting an extension this offseason. After all, Maikel Garcia made the All-Star team and posted a 5.6 fWAR. Vinnie Pasquantino led the team with 32 home runs. Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone both made the Major Leagues and showed flashes of promise in their rookie debuts. 

However, Picollo mentioned that an extension doesn't seem to be a priority just yet, based on Picollo's comments at the GM meetings.

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It's not anything in the forefront for us. We still have a lot of years. We feel like we have time with certain guys, maybe not Bubic, because he's got one year of control, but we have time with the other guys to try to work on extensions. There's been loose discussion. I wouldn't say we're knee deep in trying to get something done right now.

It was interesting that he mentioned Bubic as a higher priority because the lefty is in his last year of team control. Still, he didn't quite mention an extension specifically for him. Does that mean he's a trade candidate? Or is Picollo holding his cards close to the chest with a possible Bubic deal?

There's still some time to go, but any Royals fan expecting a Garcia or Pasquantino extension this offseason may be in for a rude awakening this winter. 

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Royals Look to Be Active in the Trade and Free Agent Markets

Picollo was asked about the large number of arbitration-eligible candidates, and he didn't necessarily dismiss it as a bad thing. Thus, while some players like Jonathan India and Bailey Falter may command high salaries this offseason, Picollo didn't hint that they would be non-tender candidates (or not just yet, anyways).

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The arbitration thing - I think that's a good sign. You got a lot of great you got a lot of guys hitting arbitration. You don't want them all at the same time. But it's also a sign that they're performing fairly well, if their dollars are going up, so it's a give and take there. So we're not too concerned with that...

Furthermore, Picollo also mentioned that the Royals would need to pursue multiple bats this offseason to improve the offense. Hence, he seemed more in favor of utilizing the trade market this offseason (though he's not completely abandoning free agents who could be a good fit).

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Yeah, well, we're going to try to do both, because it's not like we need one player, we need a couple bats. So we're gonna explore the trade market. Free agent markets always there.

Picollo will likely add to the offense through free agency and trades, as he has in each of his previous offseasons as GM. However, his comments suggest that if the Royals make a significant player acquisition this offseason, it will be via trade rather than free agency. 

Thus, those Royals fans hoping for a big signing like Alex Bregman or Cody Bellinger this offseason may be sorely disappointed. 

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