Revisiting The Royals' Last Offseason: Hitters

The 2025 Royals had clear issues in the lineup that needed to be addressed. Their main goals were to find an everyday left fielder, right-handed outfield options to platoon with Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone, and solidify second base. How did J.J. Picollo, with the benefit of hindsight, fare in addressing these needs?

These grades are based on a mixture of the decision at the time it was made combined with how the season eventually panned out.

Trading For Isaac Collins

Collins was acquired from the Brewers along with Nick Mears in exchange for Angel Zerpa. Left field was a position of difficulty for the Royals in 2025. All 13 players who played in left combined for a 75 wRC+ and -0.7 fWAR, which ranked 29th and 28th, respectively, in the majors in 2025. Collins was brought in to solidify that position. 

In one respect, Collins succeeded in solidifying left field. Collins accounted for 78% of the plate appearances from Royals left fielders in 2026. He also provided a noticeable improvement in offensive production with a slash line of .214/.321/.324 with an 84 wRC+ and 0.2 fWAR. However, his wRC+ and fWAR rank second-to-last and last among qualified primary left fielders. Collins was brought in for his on-base skills and plate discipline, but he saw a noticeable decline in his xwOBA from .322 in 2025 to .294 in 2026, which places him in the 15th percentile in the majors.

Collins still has four years of team control remaining, so his story in Kansas City is far from over. However, in order for the Royals to push for an improved 2027, they might consider moving on from Collins or relegating him to the bench as a fourth outfielder. 

Grade: B-

Signing Lane Thomas

Thomas was signed to a one-year deal, worth $5.25 million. He was signed for a relatively low salary after an injury-plagued 2025, in which he played only 39 games. He was signed to be a right-handed platoon bat, but ultimately saw more playing time in center field as Isbel spent an extended period on the IL. Thomas slashed .232/.326/.393 with a 102 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR. All of those marks represent an improvement over Isbel, at least offensively.

With the Royals being sellers at the trade deadline, Thomas’s versatility and offensive improvement made him a natural trade candidate. Thomas was sent to the Braves with Bailey Falter in exchange for a couple of minor-league starting pitchers in Lucas Braun and Carter Holton. While neither pitcher made the Royals Keep top prospects list, Braun is ranked the 16th-best prospect in the Royals’ system according to MLB.com and 27th according to FanGraphs. Holton is ranked 28th according to FanGraphs.

Ultimately, Thomas offered improved offensive output in center field and was able to net the Royals a couple of prospects in a trade before he was set to re-enter free agency. Time will tell if either prospect is able to make an impression for the Royals in the future, but not all impending free agents are able to be traded.

Grade: A

Signing Starling Marte

Marte was also brought in on a cheap one-year contract worth $1 million. His main role was to be a platoon option for Caglianone in right field and provide an additional option at designated hitter.

Marte’s time in Kansas City was not a success. He slashed .242/.298/.314 with a 71 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR. Despite being brought in to be a right-handed platoon bat, his wRC+ only improved to 79, worse than his platoon partner Caglianone, who has posted a 92 wRC+ against lefties. Marte’s regression ultimately opened the door for Caglianone to start against lefties and take on his role as an everyday player.

Unlike Thomas, Marte’s performance was not good enough to entice possible trade partners at the deadline. He was released on August 19th and has remained a free agent since then. While his time in Kansas City was not successful, the low contract prevents this from tanking his grade.

Grade: D

Retaining Jonathan India

Not a new signing, but there was a decision to be made for India's future in Kansas City. India was brought in the previous year to be the Royals’ leadoff man. After an underwhelming 2025 season where he slashed .233/.323/.346 with an 89 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR, he was a non-tender candidate. Letting India go would have allowed the Royals extra salary budget to spread across improving the team while keeping Michael Massey, Nick Loftin, and Tyler Tolbert on the 40-man roster to play second base.

The Royals decided to pay India, and they agreed to an $8 million contract in his last year before hitting free agency. The contract did not go well for the Royals since, after only 17 games played and 58 plate appearances, his season ended to undergo labral repair on his left shoulder.

While the injury itself should not be held against the Royals, it highlights the downside of committing $8 million to a player who already had legitimate questions surrounding his ability to contribute. The questionable decision resulted in a disastrous outcome.

Grade: F

Minor-League Deals

Josh Rojas

Rojas was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason. Rojas was looking for a bounce-back season after slashing .180/.252/.259 with a 43 wRC+ last season with the White Sox.

Rojas was never meant to be an everyday player for the Royals, but he offered major-league experience and was available to be called up when Maikel Garcia hit the injured list. His slash line of .238/.278/.337 with a 68 wRC+ was not flashy, but certainly an improvement from last season. 

Grade: C

Elias Diaz

Diaz was signed as the third catcher on a minor league contract. The former All-Star catcher offered insurance in case Jensen had a slow start to his first full season in the majors. With a slash line of .227/.261/.591 with a 127 wRC+, Diaz made the most of his small sample of 23 plate appearances in Kansas City before being released in June.

Grade: C

Kameron Misner

Misner was acquired in a trade for a player to be named later (Matthew Hoskins). Misner showed promising signs in Triple-A Omaha, slashing .286/.378/.563 with a 137 wRC+ that earned him a call-up to the majors on June 10. He failed to carry that strong start to Kansas City, where he slashed .220/.256/.244 with a 37 wRC+ before being designated for assignment on July 22. A few days later, he was traded to the Phillies for cash considerations.

Misner was a low-risk player for whom they gave up very little and were ultimately able to get some (albeit small) return when he left.

Grade: D

Overall, the Royals offense improved in 2026. The team as a whole went from a 93 wRC+ to a 97 wRC+. However, with the exception of Collins, all offseason acquisitions are either already out of the organization or set to hit free agency. Most of the improvements in offense can be attributed to the emergence of Caglianone and Carter Jensen. To take the next step offensively in 2027, the Royals will need to add more production to this lineup that still has room for improvement.

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