Brock Beauchamp

Welcome to an all-new Royals analysis and news site! Along with launching a new forum for Royals fans, we will now provide thoughtful articles from fellow Royals fans and writers. It is all part of an ongoing effort to create a one-stop shop, a community for passionate Royals fans. So, what can you look for and expect from the front-page articles of Royals Keep? To answer that, I’d like to encourage you to click on one of our established sister sites, Brewer Fanatic, for what you might see over time from some of your favorite Royals writers. Here is what you may find over time: Deep statistical analysis on a player or topic. For those who enjoy looking into baseball's many advanced statistics, some articles may help explain team or managerial decisions, provide situational analysis, and more. Minor league articles. The plan is to have daily minor league reports on the Royals' affiliates throughout the minor league season. You will see how the teams did, how the players performed, some highlights, and more. In addition, we will provide prospect rankings and more. Player profiles on major-league players or minor league players. As relationships develop, we hope to conduct player interviews and share stories. Maybe there will be stories on current minor leaguers, big leaguers, or even former big leaguers who call Kansas City home. News articles from the day. If a player gets hurt, we will try to analyze how the front office will adjust the roster and maybe how the manager will alter lineups, rotations, roles, etc., as well as trade or free-agent analysis. Draft coverage before, during, and following the MLB Draft. Historical articles digging into some of the great (or not-so-great) Royals teams since the formation of the team in 1969. But the history of baseball in Kansas City is long and filled with interesting topics and stories. Video! In the coming days, we’ll roll out our video section, featuring short videos about the Royals' major and minor league players. We are not looking to duplicate Brewer Fanatic. We want to add to that community and provide more options for Royals fans to connect to their favorite team. The articles, much like the writers, will likely evolve, and that’s a good thing. What if I want to write for Royals Keep? That’s a great question. I’m glad you asked. First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@royalskeep.com or contact any of the other writers and express interest. But you will also note that the user blogs page is still there. If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Royals takes, this is the perfect place. We will frequently monitor the blogs, and if we see quality writing and interesting topics, we may reach out to you about writing for the front page. It is also noteworthy that we will be paying our front-page article writers. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort. We ask that you support our writers by clicking on their articles, reading them, and leaving comments, questions, and feedback on the topics. This is just an extension of the forums and another way to enjoy following the Royals. I am seriously looking forward to knowing much more about the Royals, their farm system, and more. You can also follow Royals Keep on X, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Have you wondered where the Royals' minor league teams play? Who are their coaches? Where can you find their schedule and rosters? We have the guide for you. At Royals Keep, we would like to become a top site for Royals information, as well as for Royals minor league teams and prospects. As we grow, we will continue to grow our minor league coverage. In 2021, a new minor league alignment brought several changes across baseball. Some minor-league teams were shut down. Others were a List Of Royals Affiliate Teams (click to jump to section) Omaha Storm Chasers - AAA Northwest Arkansas Travelers - AA Quad Cities River Bandits - High A Columbia Fireflies - Low A Arizona Complex League Royals (Peoria) Dominican Summer League Royals (Boca Chica) Upon agreement, the Royals (and all other clubs) signed 10-year Player Development Agreements. Here are the Royals' affiliates, where they play, their schedules, and where you can order tickets. Triple A: Omaha Storm Chasers League: International League (West Division) Stadium: Werner Park (Capacity: 6,434 fixed seats (total capacity of 9,023 including berm and standing room only) 12356 Ballpark Way Papillion, NE 68046 Tickets: (402) 734-2550 Website: https://www.milb.com/omaha How long have they been the affiliate? There has been professional baseball in Omaha going back nearly 150 years. The Omaha Royals began in 1969. They played in the Triple-A American Association as the Royals' affiliate. The Royals needed a Triple-A affiliate that year because they were one of four MLB Expansion teams. The other new teams that season were the Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and the Seattle Pilots. Omaha played its game in the legendary Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. In 1997, the American Association disbanded. Its teams are split between the International League and the Pacific League. Omaha played in the Pacific Coast League from 1998 through 2020. During the minor league restructuring before the 2021 season, Omaha remained with the Royals. From 1969 through 2010, the team was called the Omaha Royals. However, in 1998, they began considering a new team name. Fans and the team voted to rebrand as the Omaha Golden Spikes in 1999. While the best amateur player in the country is named the Golden Spikes Award winner, the team name wasn’t baseball-related. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1969 in Promontory Summit, Utah. That is where a golden spike was driven into the ground —the final spike that connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It was meant to honor the railroad tradition in Omaha, which was the headquarters of Union Pacific. In 2001, Union Pacific sold its 50-percent share of the team. Soon after, the team returned to being the Omaha Royals. In 2011, the team moved out of Rosenblatt Stadium (home of the College World Series) and into Werner Park, a new $26 million stadium. They also decided to rebrand the team again. This time, the Storm Chasers' name appears to have stuck. Fifteen seasons later, that is still the name. In 2021, with the minor league realignment, Omaha was moved to the International League. Did you know? Warren Buffett was a minority owner of the team from 1991 to 2012 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Mike Jirschele (retired after the 2025 season after 48 years in professional baseball and 38 years in the Royals organization.) Hitting Coach: Bijan Rademacher Assistant Hitting Coach: Darin Everson Pitching Coach: Dane Johnson Assistant Pitching Coach: David Lundquist First Base Coach: Pat Osborn Radio Voice: Nick Badders 2025 Omaha Storm Chasers Roster Omaha Storm Chasers Schedule Double A: Northwest Arkansas Naturals League: Texas League (North Division) Stadium: Arvest Ballpark (Capacity: 6,500, max capacity 7,800) 3000 Gene George Blvd, Springdale, Arkansas 72762 Tickets: (479) 927-4900 Website: https://www.milb.com/northwest-arkansas How long have they been the affiliate? In 1987, the Wichita Wranglers became the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. From 1995 through 2007, the Wranglers were the affiliate of the Royals. Bob Rich Jr owned the Wranglers, but they were seeing low attendance in Wichita. In 2006, he reached out to Springdale, Arkansas, hoping to move his club there, but only if they got financing for a new stadium. A one-cent sales tax to help raise $50 million for the stadium passed in a close vote. Ultimately, it cost $33 million to build Arvest Ballpark, and the other $17 million went toward road and infrastructure improvements. There were a couple of potentially strong names for the new club in the new city and state. For instance, in an online fan poll, the #2 choice was the “Thunder Chickens.” That makes sense, as Springdale is home to Tyson Foods. In fact, each season, the team plays one game as the Thunder Chickens. Back in 1983, Rich bought the Buffalo Bisons for $100,000. Soon after, Hollywood came calling and asked Rich about filming scenes for The Natural at Buffalo’s War Memorial Stadium. When the movie came out, attendance at the stadium nearly tripled for several years. The top choice by the fans was the “Naturals.” Fortunately, with the 2021 minor league realignment, the Royals' relationship with Springdale remained. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Brooks Conrad Pitching Coach: Larry Carter Assistant Pitching Coach: Sam Eades Hitting Coach: Andy LaRoche Assisting Hitting Coach: Chris Corbett Coach: Kevin Kuntz Radio Voice: Shawn Murnin 2025 Northwest Arkansas Naturals Roster San Antonio Missions Schedule High A: Quad Cities River Bandits League: Midwest League (East Division) Stadium: Modern Woodmen Park (Capacity: 8,500) 209 South Gaines St. Davenport, IA 52802 Tickets: (563) 324-3000 Website: https://www.milb.com/quad-cities/ Trivia: Without looking, can you name the four cities that comprise this Quad Cities locale? (Answers below) How long have they been the affiliate? Baseball has played a huge role in the Midwest, and in the Quad Cities area, there have been professional teams going back to 1879. There were several team names and league names. In 1901, the “Three-I League” started with teams from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Over time, teams began working as affiliates for the big-league clubs. Starting in 1936, Davenport was an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1946, they joined with the Cubs organization. In 1948, they became an affiliate of the Pirates. They became the 1950s with a couple of seasons with the Tigers, and at the end of the decade, they spent a couple of seasons with the White Sox. They began the ‘60s with the Milwaukee Braves in the newly formed Midwest League. Then the team had a little stability. In 1961, the Davenport Braves became the Quad City Braves, and the team has been “Quad City” ever since. From 1962 to 1978, they were an affiliate of the California Angels. They were with the Cubs again for six seasons, from 1979 to 1984, before returning to the Brewers from 1985 to 1992. They were with the Astros from 1993-1998, the Twins from 1999-2004, the Cardinals from 2005-2012, and the Astros again from 2013-2020. Since the restructuring of minor-league baseball in 2021, the Royals have been in the Quad Cities. What’s in a name? From 1946 to 1991, the Quad Cities team was named after their big-league affiliate. They held a “name the team” contest in 1991 and became the Quad City River Bandits. A dozen years later, another contest was held. From 2004 to 2007, the team was known as “The Swing of the Quad Cities.” A third contest was held, and they have been the River Bats ever since. Modern Woodmen Park On May 26, 1931, Municipal Stadium opened. The stadium was built for $165,000. It had light poles right from the start. In 1971, it was renamed John O’Donnell Stadium (named after a long-time sports editor at a local newspaper. In 1007, Modern Woodmen of America bought the stadium naming rights for $4.5 million. Sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Stadium was designed for the likelihood of significant flooding. However, there have been four years during which flooding penetrated the stadium’s walls. The stadium has been named “the best minor league ballpark in America” in some form or another by a variety of media types, from USA Today to Baseball America and more. One reason for that is the view of the Rock Island Centennial Bridge (officially known as the Master Sergeant Stanley W Talbot Memorial Bridge) beyond the right-field wall. Over the past 20 years, they have continued to make improvements. There is an amusement park beyond the left-field wall that includes a 110-foot-tall ferris wheel, an old-fashioned carousel, bouncy houses, and more. Ah, Sugar Released in 2008, the movie Sugar was released. It was filmed between Davenport and Burlington, Iowa. It is the story of Miguel “Sugar” Santos, a young Dominican pitcher who gets the opportunity to attend spring training with the fictional Kansas City Knights. He gets assigned to the team’s Single-A team in Iowa (referred to as Bridgetown in the movie). He lives with a host family. He is one of just a couple of Dominicans on the team’s roster and faces bigotry on the field and around the community. He experiences some moments of success and becomes popular, only to face struggles and losses on the field. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Jesus Azuaje Pitching Coach: Derrick Lewis Assistant Pitching Coach: Clayton Mortensen Hitting Coach: Ryan Powers Assistant Hitting Coach: Kyle MacKinnon Radio Voice: Kyle Kercheval 2025 Quad Cities River Bandits Roster Quad Cities River Bandits Schedule Answer #1: Two of the four cities are in Iowa: Davenport and Bettendorf. The other two cities are in Illinois: Rock Island and Moline. The Quad City DJs, who had a hit with “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)” in 1995, originated in Jacksonville, Florida. Not in the Midwest. Low A: Columbia Fireflies League: California League (South Division) Stadium: Segra Park (Capacity: 7,501 seating, up to 10,000 for sporting events) 1640 Freed St. Columbia, SC 29201 Tickets: (803) 726-4487 Website: https://www.milb.com/columbia How long have they been the affiliate? Columbia first had a pro baseball team in 1892, when the Columbia Senators. They lasted just one season. In 1904, they tried again, this time as the Columbia Skyscrapers. Over the next 57 seasons, they fielded a team in the South Atlantic League under various names. Following the 1961 season, the team moved to Macon, Georgia. Twenty-one years later, minor-league baseball returned to the capital city of South Carolina. They were a Mets affiliate from 1983 to 1993. After the 2004 season, the team moved to Greenville, SC. In 2014, Columbia approved plans for a new stadium. The team began playing at Segra Park in 2016. While they began as an affiliate of the Mets, and they moved into the new stadium as an affiliate of the Mets, they also spent over a decade in the Cardinals organization. When minor-league baseball re-aligned before the 2021 season, the Mets moved out and the Kansas City Royals came to town. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: David Noworyta Pitching Coach: Taylor Bloye, Julio Pimentel Hitting Coach: Ramon Castro Coach: Tripp Keister Radio Voice: John Kocsis, Jr. 2025 Columbia Fireflies Roster 2025 Columbia Fireflies Schedule Complex League: Arizona Complex League (ACL) Royals League: Arizona Complex League Stadium: Surprise Stadium (capacity 10,714) 15850 N. Bullard Ave Surprise, AZ How long have they been the affiliate? The Royals began competing in the Arizona Complex League in 2003. Previously, they had been in Florida, playing in the Gulf Coast League. They had two teams in 2003, and the Royals 1 team won the league championship. Since then, the ACL Royals have fielded one team. They did not have a team in 2014, and then no one played in 2020. Since 2021, the Royals have fielded two ACL teams again, Royals Blue and Royals Gold. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Larry Sutton Pitching Coaches: Jesus Delgado, Christopher Marte Hitting Coaches: Wilson Betemit, Chris Nelson Assistant Hitting Coach: Joel Rivera Coach: Jesus Atencio Rehab Pitching Coach: Ken Knutson 2025 ACL Royals Roster ACL Royals Schedule Dominican Summer League: Dominican Summer League (DSL) Royals League: Dominican Summer League Stadium: Kansas City Royals Complex Boca Chica, DR How long have they been the affiliate? The Dominican Summer League began in 1985. In 1989, the Royals first had a team in the league. In 1990, they shared an affiliate with the Mets. In 1992, they teamed with the Cubs, and in 1992, they teamed with the Rockies. They were with the Cubs for just one season, but they continued with the Rockies until 1996. Since 1997, the Royals have had their own DSL team. 2025 Coaching Staffs (Ventura) Managers: Sergio de Luna Bench Coach: Quilvio Veras, Hitting Coach: Fernando Martinez Pitching Coach: Leonel Santiago First Base Coach: Onil Joseph 2025 Coaching Staffs (Fortuna) Managers: Ramon Martinez Bench Coach: Irving Falu, Hitting Coach: Rosell Herrera Pitching Coach: Jose Veras First Base Coach: Ariel Venegas 2025 DSL Royals Rosters (Ventura, Fortuna) DSL Royals Schedule (Ventura, Fortuna) Additional Player Development Staff and Coordinators Executive VP and GM: JJ Picollo VP, Baseball Operations: George Brett Director, Player Development: Mitch Maier Director, Minor League Operations: Nick Leto Assistant Director, Player Development: Kevin Howard Assistant Director, Minor League & International Operations: Kristin Lock Special Assistant to the GM/Player Development: Chino Cadahia Special Assistant to the GM/Quality Control: Rusty Kuntz Sr. Director, Pitching Performance: Paul Gibson Vice President, Player Development: Ryley Westman Assistant Director, Player Development: Mike Daly Director, Baseball Operations: Allison Luneborg International Player Development Coordinator: Vicente Cafaro Player Development Coordinator: Clinton Sewell Director of Instruction, Defense, and Baserunning: Vinny Lopez Player Plan Coordinator: Molly Meyer Special Assistant, Pitching Coordinator: James Keller Pitching Coordinator: Jose Rada Hitting Coordinator: Jonathan Mathews Hitting Advisor: Scott Coolbaugh Infield Coordinator: Danny Worth Catching Coordinator: Oswaldo Pirela Special Assistant, Baseball Operations and Player Development: Scott Servais Special Assistant, Major League Staff and Baseball Operations: Allen Craig Special Assistant, Major League Staff and Baseball Operations: AJ Ellis Special Assistant, Major League Staff and Baseball Operations: Craig Stammen Special Assistant to the General Manager: Moises Alou Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations: Glenn Hoffman Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations: Trevor Hoffman Special Assistant, Baseball Operations: Mark Loretta Special Assistant, Baseball Operations: Hideo Nomo Special Assistant, Baseball Operations: Chan Ho Park Miles Between Stadiums Kauffman Stadium Werner Park Arvest Ballpark Modern Woodmen Ballpark Segra Park Kauffman Stadium X 160 174 288 871 Werner Park 160 X 266 286 1021 Arvest Ballpark 174 266 X 392 726 Modern Woodmen Ballpark 288 286 392 X 804 Segra Park 871 1021 726 804 X Royals Top Prospects For current Royals Keep Top 20 Royals Prospects, click here.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Kansas City Royals' 2025–2026 offseason, highlighting key dates and events across Major League Baseball’s winter calendar. It includes details on the Winter Meetings, MLB Draft Lottery, and the important deadlines when the Royals must decide on arbitration-eligible players and those with team or mutual contract options. In the sections that follow, you’ll find a list of pending free agents, players with contract options, and a detailed timeline of the offseason ahead. To view the current Royals 40-man roster, view our roster page, updated nightly. The 2025 season was a step back for the Royals. After making it into the postseason in 2024 and advancing to the Division Series, the 2025 squad finished with an 82-80 record and third place in the American League Central division. With the team carrying over most of its roster into the 2026 season, there is potential to make it back into the postseason as soon as next year. Kansas City's pitching held its own in 2025, posting a 4.01 FIP (12th in baseball), led by Michael Wacha (3.6 fWAR) and Kris Bubic (3.3 fWAR). Cole Ragans, out for much of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury, returned in September and is expected to be fully healthy in 2026. The Royals were held back by their lack of offense, posting a 93 wRC+ in 2025. Beyond superstar Bobby Witt Jr. and the 2025 breakout player Maikel Garcia, the offense sputtered all season and will be a focus this offseason. With one of the best players in baseball on its roster, along with a promising pitching staff, the Royals will look to bolster their existing roster this offseason and make a push toward October again in 2026. Click any link below to jump to an explanation of that event/date. 2026 Offseason Dates & Calendar Oct 24 - Nov 1: World Series Immediately After The World Series: Players Become Free Agents, Trade Market Opens 5 Days After Conclusion Of World Series: Contractual Options Due, Qualifying Offers Due, League-Wide Free Agency Opens Early November: General Manager Meetings Nov 13: The MLB Awards Nov TBA: Rule 5 Protection Deadline, Qualifying Offer Decisions due Nov TBA: Tender Deadline Dec TBA: Announcement of Competitive Balance Picks Dec 7-10: Winter Meetings (Orlando, FL) Dec 10: MLB Draft Lottery Dec 10: Rule 5 Draft January 2026: BBWAA HOF announcement Mid-January: Arbitration agreement deadline Jan 15: International Signing Period Opens Late January-Early February: Arbitration Hearings February 2026: Royals Rally Event Mid-February: Report to Spring Training February TBA: First Spring Training Game March TBA: MLB Spring Breakout March 25: MLB Opening Night (Yankees @ Giants) March 26: Opening Day (Royals @ Braves) World Series Game 1 of the 2025 MLB World Series is set for Friday, October 24, with a potential Game 7 scheduled for Saturday, November 1. The offseason officially begins the moment the final out of the World Series is recorded. Players on expiring contracts immediately become free agents, though certain restrictions apply in the first few days that will be detailed later. The day after the World Series ends, teams can resume making trades for the first time since the midseason deadline — marking the official start of the MLB offseason. 5 Days After The Conclusion Of World Series As the offseason begins, free agents are permitted to negotiate exclusively with their most recent team for a five-day period. After that window closes, they are free to engage with all 30 MLB clubs. For the Kansas City Royals, multiple players are slated to reach free agency following the 2025 season. Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier, and Hunter Harvey are unrestricted free agents with no options attached to their contracts. Yastrzemski, acquired in a midseason trade from the San Francisco Giants, had a very good half-season with the Royals and could factor into their offseason plans. Player/Team/Mutual Options During the initial offseason period, teams and players must decide whether to exercise or decline any contractual options for the upcoming year. Several key Royals contributors hold options that will need to be addressed in the coming weeks, along with Salvador Perez's club option. The club has a $13.5 million team option on catcher Perez, which they will likely enact. Michael Lorenzen and Randal Grichuk have mutual options, which are rarely used by both parties, effectively making both free agents this winter. Qualifying Offers Like contract options, Qualifying Offers must be issued within five days of the World Series’ conclusion. The value of the Qualifying Offer changes annually, as it’s based on the average salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players from the previous season. For the upcoming offseason, that figure is projected to be $22 million. To be eligible, a player must have spent the entire previous season with one club and must never have previously received a Qualifying Offer. Teams have until five days after the World Series ends to extend them, and players then have until mid-November to make their decision. If a player declines a Qualifying Offer and signs elsewhere, their former team receives draft-pick compensation. The specifics of that compensation depend on factors such as the team’s market size, revenue-sharing status, and the value of the player’s new contract. With only a few players reaching free agency, the Royals will not extend any Qualifying Offers this offseason. Free Agency Free agency officially begins the day after the World Series concludes. However, during the initial five-day period, players can only negotiate with the team they are departing. Once that window closes, full free agency opens, allowing every club to contact and negotiate with any available player. Depending on how long the World Series lasts, league-wide free agency is expected to begin between November 2 and November 6. General Manager Meetings Roughly a week after the World Series concludes, all 30 general managers gather for meetings to discuss league business and key offseason matters. While these sessions don’t typically draw much attention from fans, they often help establish the groundwork for trades and other transactions that take place later in the winter. Rule 5 Protection/Draft The Rule 5 Draft takes place each winter (with the exception of 2020) and gives teams a chance to uncover unprotected talent from other organizations. Under Rule 5 rules, players who signed at age 18 or younger must be protected within five seasons, while those who signed at age 19 or older must be protected within four seasons. Teams protect these players by adding them to the 40-man roster, which can be a challenge in years when roster space is limited. For the Kansas City Royals Royals, several prospects will be under consideration for protection ahead of the mid-November deadline to avoid exposure in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for December 10. That group includes Carter Jensen, Frank Mozzicato, and Ben Kudrna, among others. Players who are not added to the 40-man roster by the deadline can be selected by another organization for a $100,000 fee. Any player drafted must remain on the selecting team’s active Major League roster (or the MLB injured list) for the entire season. If the player is designated for assignment and clears waivers, they must be offered back to their original team for $50,000. While most Rule 5 selections don’t become stars, many develop into useful role players, a reminder of how impactful roster protection decisions can be for a club’s long-term depth. The MLB Awards The MLB Awards return to Las Vegas on November 13, taking place at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Among the honors announced will be the Hank Aaron Awards, Comeback Players of the Year, Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Relievers of the Year, the Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year, and the All-MLB First and Second Team selections. Around the same time, the BBWAA Awards, including Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player, will also be revealed. Non-Tender Deadline & Arbitration Players with between three and six years of MLB service time automatically qualify for salary arbitration. There’s also the Super Two designation, which allows a select group of players with just under three years of service to become eligible as well. Arbitration gives players still under team control a chance to argue for compensation they feel reflects their on-field performance. If a team believes a player’s projected arbitration salary exceeds their value, they can non-tender the player instead of offering a contract. Although arbitration eligibility depends on service time, any player with fewer than six years in the majors can technically be non-tendered. Doing so immediately makes them a free agent, while also freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster. Teams have until the non-tender deadline (typically in late November) to decide whether to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. Once tendered, the two sides can continue negotiating a salary until mid-January. If no agreement is reached, the case proceeds to an arbitration hearing, where both sides submit salary figures, and a neutral arbitrator selects one. Hearings usually take place between late January and mid-February, with pitchers often going first due to their earlier Spring Training report dates. The arbitrator’s ruling is final, and the player is paid that amount for the upcoming season. While the process ensures fairness, it can sometimes strain relationships between players and teams Arbitration Eligible Royals (Expected $ in parenthesis) Taylor Clarke: $1.9MM Kris Bubic: $6MM John Schreiber: $3.8MM Jonathan India: $7.4MM Kyle Wright: $1.8MM Kyle Isbel: $2.7MM Bailey Falter: $3.3MM Daniel Lynch IV: $1.3MM Sam Long: $950K Vinnie Pasquantino: $5.4MM Angel Zerpa: $1.2MM Michael Massey: $2MM MJ Melendez: $2.65MM Maikel Garcia: $4.8MM James McArthur: $800K Lucas Erceg: $1.9MM Competitive Balance Draft Picks Each offseason, Major League Baseball announces the Competitive Balance Draft picks, which are designed to help smaller-market and lower-revenue teams maintain competitive balance across the league. These picks were first introduced in 2012 and are awarded annually based on a formula that considers a club’s market size, revenue, and winning percentage. Eligible teams are assigned to one of two rounds: Round A, which takes place between the first and second rounds of the MLB Draft, and Round B, which falls after the second round but before the third. In addition to the extra pick, teams receiving a Competitive Balance selection also get a slightly larger international bonus pool to use during the international signing period. Unlike other draft selections, Competitive Balance picks can be traded once, though they cannot be exchanged solely for cash considerations. Last season, the Royals had a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick (#28 overall) for Bobby Witt Jr. being on the Opening Day roster, along with a Competitive Balance Round B pick (#76 overall). Winter Meetings Each December, high-ranking executives from all 30 organizations, along with agents, players, and media members, gather for the MLB Winter Meetings, a four-day event that serves as the centerpiece of the offseason. This year’s meetings will take place in Orlando, Florida, from December 7 to 10. The Winter Meetings are where the bulk of offseason business takes shape. Trades, free agent signings, and major rumors often dominate the headlines during this stretch. Juan Soto, who was the central story of the 2023 Winter Meetings when he was traded to the Yankees, once again stole the spotlight this year after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. He was joined in the headlines by Max Fried, who signed with the New York Yankees, and Garrett Crochet, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox in one of the biggest deals of the week. If there is one point on the calendar when the most MLB transactions are likely to occur, this is it. In addition to roster moves, both the MLB Draft Lottery and the Rule 5 Draft take place during the Winter Meetings, adding even more intrigue to one of baseball’s busiest weeks of the year. MLB Draft Lottery In 2023, Major League Baseball introduced a draft lottery system designed to discourage teams from intentionally losing games to secure higher draft positions. Under this system, all clubs that miss the postseason are assigned odds to land one of the top six picks in the following year’s draft. The teams with the worst regular-season records still have the best odds, but the process now includes an element of chance rather than relying solely on reverse standings. The order of the postseason teams in the draft is determined by when they get eliminated, revenue-sharing status, and then winning percentages. Those 12 teams will choose in the following order: Wild Card Series losers, Division Series losers, Championship Series losers, World Series losers, World Series winners. Within each of those groups, clubs will be sorted by revenue-sharing status, with payee clubs selecting before non-payee clubs. This year’s MLB Draft Lottery will be intriguing for Royals fans. While the Royals had a winning record in 2025, they did not make the postseason and are therefore eligible for the draft lottery. They have a 0.84% chance to be awarded the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Due to anti-tanking restrictions, both the Rockies and Nationals are ineligible to select within the top ten, which pushes the Royals higher in the odds. BBWAA HOF Announcement Every January, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) announces its voting results for the newest class of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Players become eligible five years after retirement and can remain on the ballot for up to ten years, provided they continue to receive at least five percent of the vote each cycle. Earning election requires appearing on 75 percent of submitted ballots. If a player falls below the five-percent threshold, they are removed from future ballots and can only be reconsidered later by one of the Hall’s era-based committees. This year’s ballot lacks top-end HOF candidates but still showcases several notable names, including Cole Hamels and Ryan Braun, who are making their first appearance, and Manny Ramírez, who is entering his final year of eligibility. 2026 International Signing Period Opens The international signing period reopens on January 15, marking one of the most important avenues for MLB organizations to acquire young talent from around the world. Most of these signings come from Latin America, though teams also scout and sign players from Asia and other regions. During this window, clubs can reach agreements with foreign players who are 16 years or older. The range of signing bonuses varies widely. For instance, Ronald Acuña Jr. signed with the Braves for just $100,000 in 2014 and developed into one of the best players in baseball, while highly touted prospects such as Kevin Maitan, who signed for $4.25 million that same year, never panned out. These examples show how unpredictable this market can be. Each team operates under a hard spending cap, and this year, the Royals fall into the highest bonus pool, with $8,034,900 available to spend. Bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count against that total. Many of these deals are informally agreed upon well in advance, as teams scout and build relationships with players years before they are eligible to sign. While some of these teenage prospects eventually rise through the minors and reach the big leagues within five or six years, many do not. Development paths differ drastically, as players mature physically, adapt to professional baseball, and adjust to entirely new environments. The international signing period officially runs through December 15, after which preparations begin for the next year’s class. Royals Rally The Royals Rally is an annual fan-fest hosted by the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. It serves as a kickoff for the season, featuring player meet-and-greets, autograph opportunities, interactive games & activities for all ages, discounted merchandise, and team leadership appearances. In 2025, the event was held on Saturday, February 1, running from about 10 a.m. until approximately 4:40 p.m. CT. The 2026 date has not yet been announced, but it should occur in late January or early February. Spring Training 2026! Royals pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise Stadium in mid-February, with position players arriving a few days later to begin full-squad workouts. Spring Training games will begin shortly after and continue for about a month as the team prepares for the regular season. Dates for the Royals’ first Cactus League game and MLB’s Spring Breakout have not yet been announced, but both are expected to take place in the usual February/March timeframes. Spring Breakout will once again showcase each club’s top prospects in special exhibition matchups against other organizations’ best young talent. The 2026 MLB regular season will officially begin on March 25, when the New York Yankees face the San Francisco Giants on Opening Night. Unlike the past few seasons, there will be no international series to open the year, with all games beginning in North America. Every team, including the Royals, will open its season the following day as baseball returns in full force. Thank you for reading, and I hope this guide helped make sense of the many dates and details that come with the MLB offseason. It can be a lot to keep track of! I’ll continue to provide updates as more specific information becomes available. Enjoy the offseason, and here’s to a great 2026 season ahead!

MLB Trade Rumors recently posted a piece on why the Royals might trade starting pitching to shore up an offense that held them back in 2025. Kansas City has assembled a rotation with depth, starting with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen. Entering 2025, Wacha re-upped on a three-year deal, Lorenzen returned on a one-year pact, and Lugo and Ragans were again set to headline the staff. Behind them, several internal candidates were positioned to compete for the final spot or provide reinforcement, including Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Marsh, Kyle Wright, and left-handed prospect Noah Cameron. The club has demonstrated a willingness to reallocate pitching via trade. During the 2024–25 offseason, Kansas City moved Brady Singer to Cincinnati, creating a 179 2/3-inning gap that the organization identified as coverable with the aforementioned internal options. Kansas City’s run production trailed league norms in 2025. The Royals hit .247/.309/.397 with a .307 wOBA and 159 home runs, while MLB as a whole posted .245/.315/.404 and a .313 wOBA. Expected metrics showed roughly league-average contact quality, with a .326 team xwOBA, compared to the MLB mark of .324. The lineup’s top end produced, led by Bobby Witt Jr. at .295/.351/.501 with a .360 wOBA and .377 xwOBA, and Vinnie Pasquantino at .264/.323/.475 with a .345 xwOBA. Maikel Garcia added .286/.351/.449 with a .345 xwOBA. Several regulars and role players were below the club’s on-base and slugging averages, including Salvador Perez at .236/.284/.446, Kyle Isbel at .255/.301/.353, and John Rave at .196/.283/.307. In limited time, MJ Melendez posted .083/.154/.167. The distribution of production concentrated a larger share of extra-base impact among the core, with complementary spots providing lower OBP and SLG.

Royals Keep can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. Where many sites have blogs, or forums, and sometimes both, Royals Keep’s scope extends far beyond that and offers many fan-specific features you won’t find elsewhere. This guide will walk you through the site and its sections. Royals Keep News: This is the front page of the site, and the place you will find news and analysis from our stable of dedicated Royals writers. You can read and then comment on any article in this section. Notes & Rumors: This section features shorter pieces, including low-impact news such as a minor-league promotion or a brief stint on the injured list, as well as all free agent and trade rumors. This section is hopping in July and December. Royals Keep Forums: These operate much like traditional internet forums (for those of us born in the 1900s). It’s all user-generated content where people are free to talk baseball all day, every day. Unlike many places on the internet, basic human decency is expected and will be enforced. This is a place to talk baseball without the drama and nastiness found elsewhere. User Blogs: These are user-created blogs that look and read much like our front page news, though any Royals Keep user can create their own blog and be read by thousands of like-minded fans! If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at baseball writing, this is the place to do it. You will receive built-in readership from day one, allowing you to hone your craft. Royals Keep Videos: The counterpart to our front-page articles, this is where you will find our multimedia content, both news and analysis. Those are the five largest sections of the site. But we’re only getting started… Guides & Resources: Here, you will find a collection of useful resources, including stadium guides, an introduction to visiting spring training, a history of team ownership, a gift-giving guide, and more. Active Roster & 40-Man Roster: We maintain roster pages for both the 26-man (active) roster and the 40-man roster, updated nightly. Bullpen Usage Chart: Stay on top of bullpen usage with this handy chart that shows reliever usage over the past five days. The Activity Feed: This is a highly customizable page that many users bookmark as their primary launching point into Royals Keep’s content. You can select which content to show and which to ignore, and then save your feed preferences. Top Prospect Rankings: We have a dedicated page featuring the top 20 Royals prospects, which includes brief scouting reports, updated statistics, and recent articles and videos to keep you informed about your favorite prospects. Rank Your Favorite Prospects: Unlike most other publications, Royals Keep involves the community in ranking prospects. We hold open voting a half-dozen times a year, keep an eye open for the next round! Fan Polls: One of the newest interactive features of Royals Keep, we update polls regularly, and you’re allowed to vote once a day. Let us know what you think of the Royals organization, its players, and personnel today! Offseason/Trade Deadline Blueprint: Have you always dreamed of becoming an MLB general manager? If so, check out our blueprint page, which is active during July and throughout the winter. Build the Royals roster to your specifications, then share it with other Royals Keep users for discussion. Become A Royals Keep Caretaker: Want to support the site at a higher level? Become a Caretaker today! Not only can you receive ad-free browsing of the entire website, but you also get first (and often free) access to our events and access to exclusive content. That’s most of what Royals Keep has to offer! If you have any questions or suggestions, you’re welcome to message our community manager, @Brock Beauchamp. How To “Install” Royals Keep on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Royals Keep on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/.

It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups? It will be an interesting offseason for free agents ranging from Kyle Tucker to Willi Castro. No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers. Free Agent Hitters In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Hitters DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent hitters in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason. Free Agent Pitchers In the 2025-2026 MLB Offseason Complete List Of 2025-2026 MLB Free Agent Pitchers DiamondCentric.net Here is a complete list of free agent pitchers in the 2025-2026 MLB offseason.