Kevin O'Brien

Image courtesy of © Dennis Lee-Imagn Images On Tuesday afternoon, the Royals announced on Bluesky that they would be acquiring right-handed pitcher Mason Black from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-handed pitcher Logan Martin. The move comes in the wake of the Giants designating Black for assignment on November 6th to make room for outfielder Justin Dean (formerly of the Dodgers) and left-handed pitcher Reiver Sanmartin (formerly of the Reds). Before Black could be a free agent, the Royals were able to pull off a trade for the talented but inconsistent righty. The move now puts the Royals' 40-man roster at 37, according to Roster Resource as of November 11th. They have three open roster spots, but more should open up this offseason. Kansas City GM JJ Picollo will likely non-tender more players before the November 21st Non-Tender deadline, with some candidates being Jonathan India and Bailey Falter, who are estimated to command $7.4 million and $3.3 million this offseason, respectively. The acquisition of Black gives the Royals some flexible pitching depth, especially with Black still holding a Minor League option for 2026. In return, the Giants receive Logan Martin, who posted a 3.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 11.1% K-BB% in 22 starts and 91.1 IP for the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits. Martin has pitched in the Arizona Fall League with Surprise, but has struggled with the Saguaros, posting a 9.82 ERA and 2.18 WHIP. Based on his pitching summary data from TJ Stats (utilizing his October 25th outing as an example), the former Kentucky Wildcat has shown good stuff, but struggled to generate chases and whiffs in Arizona. Even though it's not an "earth-shattering" move, Black is an intriguing arm with long-term potential who was once a top prospect in the San Francisco Giants system. Thus, can Brian Sweeney and the Royals' pitching coaches (sans Zach Bove, who is now with the White Sox) help tap into Black's full potential in Kansas City in 2026? A Look at Black's Time in San Francisco Hopes were certainly high among Giants fans for Black, a third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Lehigh University, a Patriot League school. Black had an excellent Minor League season in 2023, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 20.1% K-BB% in 29 starts and 123.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A. As a result, MLB Pipeline ranked Black the Giants' No. 8 prospect entering the 2024 season. Here's what Pipeline said in their scouting report. The combination of Black's diverse repertoire, solid command, and atypical delivery made him one of the Giants' better pitching prospects in the upper Minors, as seen below in this highlight film of him pitching with the Sacramento Rivercats, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, in 2024. Black finally made his MLB debut in May of that season, but the results weren't great in his initial exposure to Major League hitters. In nine outings (eight starts) and 36.1 IP with the Giants that season, the right-hander posted a 6.44 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and 9.5% K-BB%. His FIP was only nominally better at 5.45, and his -0.2 fWAR illustrated how mediocre his San Francisco debut was a couple of seasons ago. While Black did flash some strikeout stuff, he didn't generate enough whiffs and chases, and he also struggled with giving up a lot of hard hits and barrels. When looking at his TJ Stats season pitching summary profile, Black showcased slightly below-average stuff, with a 97 overall TJ Stuff+. As a result, he struggled to generate consistent chases (27.4%) and whiffs (16.4%), and he also gave up a lot of hard and productive contact, as illustrated by his .428 xwOBACON. His four-seamer was perhaps his most intriguing pitch in 2024, which he threw 31.5% of the time (his most used offering). Even though it sported a 95 Tj Stuff+ and 46 grade, he did produce a 30.6% chase rate and 23.1% whiff rate on the pitch, both above-average marks. The only problem was that he gave up a xwOBACON of .601 on the fastball, the worst mark in his six-pitch repertoire. Things didn't seem to get better for Black in 2025. His ERA in Sacramento ballooned to 5.81 in 119.1 IP, and his 21.5% K rate was 2.2% lower than his Triple-A mark in 2024 and 6.4% lower than his mark with the Rivercats in 2023. His TJ Stats pitcher summary profile from Sacramento last year didn't look hot either, on both the stuff and results ends. With the Rivercats last season, his overall TJ Stuff+ was 96, and he only posted a chase rate of 25.4%, a whiff rate of 24.8%, and an xwOBACON of .365. The latter two marks are around average to slightly below, but considering it was his third stint in Triple-A, he was expected to produce more dominant results. Black only made one appearance in 2025 with the Giants, a four-inning relief appearance on the Fourth of July against the Athletics. He gave up five runs on five hits, including two home runs. However, he struck out five, walked zero, flooded the strike zone (71.6% strike rate; 55.4% zone rate), and showcased some intriguing development with his pitches from 2024, especially with the sweeper. Against the A's, Black's sweeper sported a 103 TJ Stuff+ and produced a 47.8% zone rate and 41.7% chase rate. The 30.8% whiff rate and .373 xwOBACON weren't impressive, but were still serviceable, especially for a pitch that he threw 31.1% of the time. In addition, he showed growth with his sweeper in nearly every category from the previous season with the Giants. He saw a `13.5% increase in chase, 14.8% increase in whiff, and a 59-point decrease in xwOBACON. It's a small sample (one game after all). However, it showed that Black made the necessary adjustments to his pitch mix and quality, leading to improvement from his rookie season. Why the Royals Would Want Black The one thing that sticks out about Black's history is that he is not just a student of the game, but an intelligent individual in general. Not only did he attend college at Lehigh, a pretty intense academic university, but he was also on the verge of entering medical school before getting drafted. Black's story and scientific approach to pitching were profiled in a short video segment from the San Francisco Giants back in 2023, when he was still a prospect in the Giants' farm system. The Royals have seemed to thrive with pitchers who not only study their craft but are willing to make the necessary adjustments to their pitch grips and repertoires. Seth Lugo finished second in the AL Cy Young race in 2024 thanks to the changes he made with the Royals. Cole Ragans went from questionable arm in Texas to Opening Day ace for the Royals. Lastly, Kris Bubic has thrived the most under Sweeney and the Royals' pitching development team, going from a mediocre starter to an AL All-Star last season. Black certainly has the mindset to rebound in Kansas City, and his tools aren't bad, if they can be adequately developed. Last year, his 6'8 average extension ranked in the 80th percentile. It was 6'7 this year (yes, get your laughs in, Gen Z folks), but that still ranked above average. That extension can make up for the lackluster velocity, which Black sported last year (92.7 MPH fastball velocity). An example? Bubic, who utilized his 85th percentile (6'9) extension to produce a 76th percentile whiff rate (28.8%), despite an 18th percentile fastball velocity (92.1 MPH). Bubic also had an average arm angle of 38 degrees, not tremendously different from the 29-degree arm angle that Black showcased last season with the Giants. Thus, it's in the realm of possibility that a few minor tweaks from Sweeney and the Royals' pitching coaches could help Black solidify the bottom of the Royals' rotation. If he doesn't have the length to be a starter, Black could thrive in the bullpen, especially with a four-seamer and sweeper combo that can be effective when utilized properly. That was on display in this strikeout of A's catcher Shea Langeliers in Black's lone outing last season. Now, is Black going to be the next Bubic? That may be a little rash, especially since Black has proven far less at the MLB level than the former Stanford product. At the same time, Royals fans shouldn't sleep on or completely dismiss Black and his potential. He has the intelligence, the tools, and the repertoire to become a serviceable starter or reliever for the Royals as soon as next season. Furthermore, there is some long-term upside with Black if everything clicks in Kansas City, especially since he will be only 26 when pitchers and catchers report in February. View full article

For sure. I think Frazier coming back is a foregone conclusion too which would make the non tender decision even easier with India

Image courtesy of © Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images After filling out the hitting coaching staff with the hirings of Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames and non-tendering pitchers Sam Long and Kyle Wright, the Royals have been active in adding to the depth of their roster this offseason, especially on the offensive end. Royals GM JJ Picollo hasn't added any big names just yet. It's a bit too early for that, and significant transaction "talk" doesn't typically happen until the Winter Meetings in December. That said, Kansas City has added two athletic depth pieces over the past week who will likely be with the Royals in Spring Training in Surprise for camp and will battle for spots on the Opening Day roster. Let's take a look at the Royals' newest acquisitions, who also hold local ties to the Kansas City area. Royals Acquire Outfielder From Rays On Monday afternoon, the Royals announced that they traded for outfielder Kameon Misner from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later and/or cash considerations. The 28-year-old outfielder is a graduate of the University of Missouri and was selected 35th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. Misner mashed in Triple-A in 2023 and 2024, as he hit 38 combined home runs with the Durham Bulls over those two seasons. He also posted a 105 wRC+ in 2023 and a 109 wRC+ in 2024. He also stole 21 bases in 2023 and 30 bases in 2024, making him a dual power and speed threat. He had only a small MLB sample in 2024, playing in eight games. However, the Rays gave him a more substantial opportunity at the MLB level last season. Unfortunately, it didn't go well, which explains why Tampa Bay was willing to trade him to Kansas City. In 71 games and 217 plate appearances, Misner slashed .213/.273/.345 with five home runs, 27 runs scored, 22 RBI, and eight stolen bases. He also posted a .618 OPS and 71 wRC+ with the Rays. A big issue for Misner, even in Triple-A, has been the strikeouts. He sported a 29.3% K rate with Durham in 2024, and that followed him to the Majors last year, as he struck out 31.7% of the time. He also walked only 7.4% and had mediocre contact and whiff rates, according to his Statcast percentages via TJ Stats. His whiff rate ranked in the 3rd percentile, and his Z-Contact% ranked in the 6th percentile. He also posted a 7th percentile hard-hit rate and 2nd percentile LA Sweet-Spot%, which is not what one wants to see from a hitter with such low contact numbers. He did sport a Pull% in the 63rd percentile, and his 90th Percentile EV ranked in the 40th percentile, which aren't terrible marks. On a positive note, he was three outs above average defensively, according to Savant, and ranked in the 79th percentile in arm value and 85th percentile in arm strength. Thus, at the very least, Misner could be a defensive option off the bench who could fill in all three outfield spots for the Royals. Royals Sign Former Diamondbacks Infielder to Minor League Deal On Friday, the Royals signed former Arizona shortstop Connor Kaiser to a Minor League contract. Kaiser is a local product, as he attended high school in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas. Kaiser has a more humble professional pedigree than Misner. The 28-year-old infielder out of Vanderbilt was a third-round pick by the Pirates in 2018 and has only had 14 career games and 23 plate appearances at the Major League level. In the sample, he has a career slash of .091/.130/.136 with a .267 OPS. The Diamondbacks primarily kept him in Reno in 2025, and he posted average numbers in Triple-A. In 71 games and 229 plate appearances, he slashed .236/.345/.406 with a .751 OPS. He also hit six home runs, scored 32 runs, collected 31 RBI, and stole two bases. When looking at his TJ Stats profile from Triple-A, no particular tool of Kaiser sticks out. On a positive note, Kaiser didn't chase a whole lot; he swung at a lot of pitches in the strike zone, and he walked a lot. Other than that, however, he doesn't seem to offer much to this Royals team at the MLB level, especially with the glut of infielders they already have with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, and Michael Massey. The Kaiser move is likely to add to their depth in Omaha, especially after the Royals released 20 players in their system last week, including former top prospect Nick Pratto. Even though Kaiser will likely not do much at the Major League level in 2025, he is expected to compete for playing time in Surprise during Spring Training. Can Misner and Kaiser Benefit From the New Hitting Staff? The Royals have filled out their hitting coach staff this offseason with Connor Dawson from the Brewers and Marcus Thames from the White Sox. It definitely seems like the Royals want to increase their hitters' aggressiveness while minimizing the chasing that plagued them at times in 2025. According to Fangraphs, the Royals had the 11th-highest O-Swing% in baseball while ranking 17th in Swing%. That doesn't seem like a recipe for success, and their meager hitting rankings from a year ago (26th in runs scored) seem to illustrate that. However, it seems like Dawson and Thames will bring a refreshing perspective to the Royals coaching staff, especially Thames, who was known for preaching disciplined aggressiveness at the plate with hitters at his multiple stops (as I pointed out on Bluesky from a CHGO article that came out after he took over as hitting coach). One has to wonder if the Misner and Kaiser moves, while minuscule in scale, are players that could benefit from the new coaching regime in 2026. While the Royals had chase problems at the plate, the Rays were technically worse. Their 29.4% O-Swing% was the fifth-highest in baseball last season. Furthermore, their 63.7% F-Strike% was the third-highest (for comparison, the Royals had the seventh-highest rate at 62.6%). Conversely, the Brewers (where Dawson comes from) ranked 23rd in F-Strike% and 29th in O-Swing%. Thus, while the acquisitions of Misner and Kaiser will likely impact the Omaha club more than the Royals one in 2026, it will be interesting to see if either player can see a bump in plate discipline and production under this revamped Royals hitting staff. If one or both can see some progression, the Royals could be on their way not only to having an elite pitching coach staff (though the loss of Zach Bove hurts), but perhaps a hitting one as well, long term. 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I go back and forth. I could also see a situation where they sign India but trade him to a team that's maybe more desperate for middle infield help. I think if Massey were healthier, they would definitely non-tender India. I agree that Pham and Refsnyder are low-hanging fruit. At the same time, I think that big-time outfield help would have to come through trade rather than free agency (unless they want to have a platoon of Yaz/Pham or Refsnyder which isn't eye-popping but could be productive).

Mitchell was rated No. 1, and yes, a broken hamate bone kinda put him behind, especially in the power department. I think Mitchell, as long as he stays healthy, can bounce back a bit in 2026 and he's shown some good progress in the AFL this year (though he's still striking out a bunch).

On Monday, MLB.com Royals writer Anne Rogers reported via her sources that the Royals would be filling out their hitting coaching staff by hiring Marcus Thames, who recently was the hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox. As Rogers pointed out on Bluesky, Thames has coaching experience with multiple MLB teams and has held the title of hitting coach with the Yankees, Marlins, Angels, and White Sox. Thames is a former MLB player who played in 640 games with the Tigers, Yankees, Rangers, and Dodgers from 2002 to 2011. He has hit 115 career home runs and has a career batting average of .246. Last season, Chicago struggled offensively under Thames, ranking 27th in OBP and runs scored, and 28th in OPS. However, the White Sox saw the growth of some young hitters under Thames' tutelage, including top prospect Colson Montgomery, who hit 21 home runs and posted an .840 OPS, Kyle Teel, who hit eight home runs and posted a .786 OPS, and Miguel Vargas, who hit 16 home runs and posted a .717 OPS. Thames will join Connor Dawson on the staff, who comes over from the Brewers organization. Dawson is a KC native who attended Olathe North High School and coached at St. Thomas Aquinas High School before matriculating to the Mariners organization and then the Brewers in 2021. Alec Zumwalt remains the Royals' lead hitting coach for 2026. Photo Credit: © Matt Marton-Imagn Images View full rumor

Really interesting piece by Jake. The tax avoidance part was intriguing, and as he mentioned, it's going to be hard to convince big teams like the Yankees and Dodgers to walk away and/or modify such big loopholes. The meritocracy part is intriguing from a Royals perspective, as Sherman is trying to build his teams like the Brewers and Guardians rather than the White Sox and Rockies. I think giving revenue based on merit will help keep push the Royals to continue to invest in their team, which wasn't always the case under previous Royals owner David Glass.

According to the Royals' official transaction sheet, left-handed reliever Sam Long was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Triple-A Omaha on November 6th. It is unclear whether Long will remain in the Royals' organization with this latest move. However, to pitch for the Royals again in 2026, he would need to be added to the 40-man roster again at some point. Signed as a Minor League free agent in the spring of 2024, Long made the Royals roster and ended up being a key piece of the Royals bullpen during their 86-76 season. In his first season in Kansas City, he posted a 3.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, and 2.59 K/BB ratio in 43 appearances and 42.2 IP. The Sacramento State product was a key left-handed reliever for manager Matt Quatraro, especially in high-leverage situations. Unfortunately, Long battled injuries and ineffectiveness in 2025. Over 39 appearances and 40.1 IP, the 30-year-old lefty posted a 5.36 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 5.54 WHIP, and 1.50 K/BB ratio. Long struck out fewer batters (7.5% decrease in K rate), walked more (1.9% increase in BB rate), gave up more hard-hits (9.1% increase in hard-hit rate), and saw his called strikes plus whiff rate (CSW) go from 28% in 2024 to 23.5% in 2025. As a result, Long lost his setup position in the bullpen to other left-hander relievers like Angel Zerpa and Daniel Lynch IV last season. Long went on the IL on April 13th due to left elbow inflammation and didn't return to the Royals until June 20th. He struggled in the first half of the season with a 9.82 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in 14.2 IP before the All-Star Break. However, he was more effective in the second half, as he posted a 2.81 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 25.2 IP. The Royals were in a tough dilemma with Long this offseason. Not only was he arbitration-eligible (MLBTR predicted his salary amount to be around $950K), but he was also out of Minor League options. With Lynch, Zerpa, and Bailey Falter, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Trade Deadline, also on the 40-man roster, Long appeared to be the odd man out. Kyle Wright was also listed as an outright to Omaha after clearing waivers on the transactions sheet. On Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that Wright was being put on waivers. Update (9:55 a.m., November 7th): The Royals announced via social media that they have outrighted Long and Wright officially, and they both have elected free agency. Photo Credit: © Dennis Lee-Imagn Images View full rumor

On Wednesday, rumors circulated that the Royals were adding a new hitting coach to their staff for the 2026 season. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Kansas City parted ways with assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon. Hitting coach Alec Zumwalt remains in his current role. Royals insider David Lesky of Inside the Crown and the Kauffman Corner podcast first reported that Brewers assistant hitting coach Connor Dawson would be joining as part of the hitting coaching staff under manager Matt Quatraro. Later this evening, Robert Murray of Fansided confirmed the rumor via his sources. Dawson has been part of the Milwaukee coaching staff since 2021. Over the past two seasons, the Brewers rank ninth in wRC+ and fourth in runs scored, according to FanGraphs. Conversely, over the past two years, the Royals rank 21st in wRC+ and 19th in runs scored. Dawson is a local product who attended Olathe North High School in Kansas and played college baseball at Neosho Community College, which is 2 hours from Kansas City. He coached high school baseball at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas, from 2015 to 2018 and at Marshalltown Community College in Iowa in 2019. He made the jump to professional ball with the Mariners in 2019, where he served as a Minor League Hitting Coach until the Brewers hired him. No official announcement has been made about Dawson by the Royals or about anyone else joining the coaching staff. In addition to parting ways with DeRenne and Dillon, the Royals let go of Minor League Hitting Coordinator Drew Saylor and lost assistant pitching coach Zach Bove to the White Sox, where he will be the pitching coach. View full rumor

This piece is in Spanish (thank God for translation plug-ins), but it's really insightful, with many powerful and poignant quotes from Maikel. Gives a glimpse into his road to the Majors and some of the things that he had to overcome personally to get this far.

Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Kansas City Royals GM JJ Picollo hasn't been idle since the 2025 MLB season concluded with Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday, November 1st. Since the Dodgers clinched their latest World Series championship, Picollo has parted ways with pitchers Michael Lorenzen and Kyle Wright, as well as outfielder Randal Grichuk (all expected moves). However, the most significant move by Picollo just three days into the offseason was the signing of catcher and captain Salvador Perez to a new two-year deal. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers confirmed on social media shortly after the official announcement that Salvy's two-year deal is worth $25 million. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The Royals held a club option on Salvy for 2026 worth $13.5 million. While they are paying for an extra year, they save $1 million on his 2026 contract under this new deal. At 35 years old, Perez is entering the twilight of his career, though he has still been productive at the plate for the Royals. In 2025, Salvy slashed .236/.284/.446 with a .729 OPS and hit 30 home runs and collected 100 RBI in 597 plate appearances. His 95 wRC+ was lower than his 117 mark in 2024, and his 0.5 fWAR was also much lower than 3.3 fWAR in 2024. Still, in terms of home runs and run production, Salvy was one of the Royals' more dependable hitters a season ago. Let's look at what Salvy did in 2025 in terms of Statcast metrics and how the Royals should handle his catching load in 2026 and 2027 to maximize his production over the duration of his new contract. Salvy's Batted Ball Quality Still As Good As Ever When it comes to plate discipline, "patience" isn't exactly a term that describes Perez's approach. In 2025, his 0.22 BB/K ratio was 12 points lower than in 2024, and his 4.4% walk rate was 2.3% lower. Interestingly enough, his 40.1% O-Swing% was actually 2.5% better than a year ago, and his contact rate was 1.2% better as well, according to Fangraphs. Still, those categories ranked in the 2nd and 3rd percentiles, respectively, via Savant. Conversely, his barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and launch-angle sweet-spot percentage remained stellar, as illustrated in his TJ Stats Statcast profile below. Salvy's 90th percentile EV ranked in the 77th percentile, his Max EV ranked in the 87th percentile, and his barrel rate ranked in the 90th percentile. Those are all elite marks and illustrated that Perez remains one of the better power-hitting catchers in the game, despite his age. His hard-hit rate (65th percentile) and LA Sweet-Spot% (66th percentile) weren't quite as immaculate, but they were still solid marks, nonetheless. When it came to barrels, Perez's 10.9% Brls/PA% was the second-best mark in baseball, behind only Seattle's Cal Raleigh, an AL MVP candidate. An interesting aspect about Salvy's batted-ball profile is that he remained strong in pulling the ball, especially in the air. His Pull Air% ranked in the 89th percentile, and many of his home runs were launched over the left-field wall, especially at Kauffman Stadium, which profiles as more friendly to right-handed pull hitters, according to Statcast park factors. That said, he still demonstrated an ability to hit the long ball to all directions in 2025, as illustrated by his 2025 HR spray chart, via Savant. Based on the batted-ball profile and spray charts, Perez should remain an option for the Royals in the No. 4-5 spots in the batting order in 2026 and perhaps 2027, depending on how this upcoming season goes. Even with slight regression (he will be 36 in May), his exit velocity and barrel profile should still help him collect 20-25 home runs next season, at the very least (as long as he stays healthy, of course). Royals Have Help For Salvy Behind the Plate in Jensen The trade of Freddy Fermin to San Diego helped the Royals in the long term, as it gave them two solid arms in Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek. However, one could argue that it hurt Salvy at the plate, as he was forced to increase his catching load in the absence of Fermin. According to Fangraphs game logs, after August 1st, Perez slashed .199/.256/.423 with an 82 wRC+ in 212 plate appearances. He hit 12 home runs and collected 36 RBI over that sample. However, he was unable to provide much else beyond home runs during those last two months of the regular season. A positive development for 2026, though, is that Salvy should have help with Carter Jensen, who had a sensational rookie debut in Kansas City. The Royals brought Jensen up when rosters expanded in September, and he absolutely mashed in his month-long sample. In 69 plate appearances, he slashed .300/.391/.550 with a 159 wRC+. He also hit three home runs, scored 12 runs, and collected 13 RBI. The most impressive aspect of his rookie debut may be the excellent exit-velocity, barrel, and plate-discipline metrics he displayed, according to his TJ Stats profile. What Jensen did on a Statcast end was absolutely ridiculous, especially when one breaks it all down: 99th percentile in Average EV. 98th percentile in barrel rate. 97th percentile in LA Sweet-Spot% 97th percentile in wOBA; 98th percentile in xwOBA 94th percentile in BB% 74th percentile in K% and O-Swing% 90th percentile in Pull Air% Granted, that's only a month-long sample. Still, it's absolutely elite and shows that Jensen has All-Star and Silver Slugger potential. Even with some expected growing pains on both the offensive and defensive ends, Jensen's presence in the lineup will ease the pressure on Salvy to play catcher every day while still maintaining above-average power production. Furthermore, Jensen backing up Perez in 2026 also allows Royals manager Matt Quatraro to give Salvy those much-needed breaks from catching and let him play first base or hit in the DH spot. Fermin's strong defensive ability and average hitting allowed Quatraro to employ that strategy in 2024 and most of 2025, much to the benefit of Salvy and the Royals as a whole. Jensen should continue that trend, as long as he continues to showcase his solid skillset in 2026 over a full MLB season. The development of Jensen could help Perez remain a key producer for the Royals, not just in 2026 but also in 2027. Not only will that make Salvy's contract well worth the money, but the next two years could allow Salvy to mentor Jensen and help him develop into the Royals' next long-term franchise catcher. View full article

On Tuesday, the Chicago White Sox announced that they hired Zach Bove as their pitching coach for the 2026 season. Bove, who came to Kansas City from the Twins, where he served as an assistant pitching coordinator, had been the Royals' assistant pitching coach for the past three seasons and worked closely with pitching coach Brian Sweeney. The White Sox have been adding new members to second-year manager Will Venables' staff. In addition to Bove, Chicago will also be hiring a former Marlins assistant hitting coach to be the White Sox's hitting coach next season. The loss of Bove is a tough one for a Royals pitching staff that has seen a resurgence under Bove and Sweeney. In 2025, the Royals' pitching staff ranked 6th in baseball with a 3.73 ERA. In 2024, they ranked 7th with a 3.76 ERA. The bullpen saw the most significant gain over the past two seasons, going from 20th in ERA in 2024 to 7th in 2025. Bove was known for his work in helping pitchers refine their pitch shapes and quality during his time with the Royals. Many pitchers saw positive changes in their repertoires during their time in Kansas City, with Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans being the biggest success stories. Lugo and Ragans finished second and fourth in the AL Cy Young race in 2024. No replacement for Bove has been named yet. Sweeney remains as the Royals' pitching coach, and Mitch Stetter is still the Royals' bullpen coach, according to the Royals' official website. Photo Credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images View full rumor

On the Royals' social media on Tuesday evening, the club announced that it had agreed to terms on a two-year contract with catcher Salvador Perez. The Royals held a $13.5 million club option on Perez for 2026. However, it was expected that they would bring Salvy back next season, either on that option or by offering a new contract, so that he could perhaps retire with the Royals organization he had spent his entire career with. It appears that Royals GM JJ Picollo went with the latter, committing to their captain for at least a couple of more seasons. Here's what Picollo said about the announcement on Salvy's new deal. No monetary amount has been reported just yet, and it's unclear whether any options will be involved in his new deal. More details about the agreement will likely be revealed in the coming days.* Edit as of 7:38 CST: Joel Sherman reports that it will be a two-year, $25 million deal (thus, an AAV of $12.5 million). Earlier today, Jon Heyman reported that pitcher Kyle Wright would be placed on outright waivers. That clears a roster spot on the 40-man roster and money on the payroll, as Wright was arbitration-eligible. Salvy's extension is likely the first of a series of moves by the Royals this offseason as they look to return to the postseason after an 82-80 campaign in 2025. Kansas City has the financial flexibility to make some roster moves, and the releases of players like Michael Lorenzen, Randal Grichuk, and Wright only give them more flexibility, even with the announcement of Salvy's new deal. Thankfully for Royals fans, the future Royals Hall of Famer (and possibly Cooperstown-bound catcher) situation isn't in doubt next season or in 2027. Photo Credit: © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images View full rumor

Image courtesy of © William Purnell-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals are one of Major League Baseball's "small-market" teams by most standards. The Kansas City metro ranks 34th in Nielsen TV market size, and the Royals also rank 28th in franchise value, according to Forbes' latest rankings. However, it doesn't seem like owner John Sherman, who took over the franchise with his ownership group right before the 2020 season, is using that as an excuse to not "compete". Even though they didn't make the postseason this year, the Royals had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015. Furthermore, Sherman has increased the Royals' payroll every year since taking over during the pandemic-affected 2020 season. According to Cot's Contracts, the 2025 Royals Opening Day payroll is the highest payroll since 2017, when it was just over $143 million. The Royals haven't committed to whether payroll will continue to grow in 2026. That said, in an October 7th interview with MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers, Sherman at least acknowledged that they would remain competitive financially this offseason (though they would not be spending like the Los Angeles Dodgers anytime soon). Thus, with this known, let's take a look at some of the deals coming off the Royals' books from this past season, the players under guaranteed contracts for 2026, and what kind of payroll flexibility Kansas City could have this offseason. Players Coming Off the Roster From 2025 Looking at the Royals' Opening Day payroll from a year ago, here are the players who played for the Royals last March and are no longer on the Royals roster (along with their salaries). Hunter Renfroe, OF ($7,570,000) Michael Lorenzen, RHP ($5,500,000) Chris Stratton, RHP ($4,500,000) Hunter Harvey, RHP ($3,700,000) Cavan Biggio, UT ($2,000,000) Mark Canha, OF ($1,400,000) Freddy Fermin, C ($781,750) Total: $25,451,750 Renfroe, Stratton, Biggio, and Canha were all designated for assignment and released during the season. Fermin was traded away to San Diego in exchange for pitcher Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek. Harvey was on the Royals roster in 2025, but only threw 10.2 IP due to various injuries. He became a free agent this offseason, along with Lorenzen, for whom the Royals declined the mutual option for 2026. In addition to Harvey and Lorenzen, the following players on the Royals roster at the end of the season also became free agents. Many of these players were acquired by the Royals midseason. For that financial data, I used the Royals' year-end payroll data from Cot's Contracts. Randal Grichuk, OF ($688,172 for 2025) Mike Yastrzemski, OF ($2,934,140) Adam Frazier, 2B/OF ($606,720) Luke Maile, C ($1,182,796) Lorenzen buyout ($1,500,000) Grichuk buyout ($3,000,000) Total: $11,411,828 Adding both those totals yields $36,863,578. Players With Guaranteed Contracts for 2026 The following Royals players will have guaranteed deals for 2026. This only includes what they will make next year and not beyond. Bobby Witt Jr., SS ($13,707,071) Seth Lugo, RHP ($21,500,000) Michael Wacha, RHP ($18,000,000) Carlos Estevez, RHP ($10,100,000) Cole Ragans, LHP ($4,583,333) Total: $49,890,404 The Royals also hold a club option for Salvador Perez for next season. If exercised, that would be $13.5 million. Perez will likely be back in Kansas City for 2026, whether it's on the club option or a new extension. If the Royals exercise Perez's option, that guaranteed contract total increases to $63,390,404. When adding all projected amounts for arbitration-eligible players (the Royals have 14, as of this moment), the projected 2026 Opening Day payroll will be $119,038,911, according to Cot's Contracts. That's roughly $10 million less than their Opening Day payroll a year ago. Projecting the Payroll for 2026 The Royals increased their Opening Day payroll by nearly $11 million from 2024 to 2025. It's likely the Royals will do something similar, especially after seeing attendance rise last season. The Royals averaged 21,590 fans last year, a 1,117 increase from 2024. That was the 10th-highest difference in baseball last year, according to Baseball-Reference. If the Royals increase, their estimated Opening Day payroll will be around $137 million for 2026. Thus, the Royals have about $19 million available for free agents or transactions, based on that estimated Opening Day payroll amount from Cot's Contracts. Of course, that number could get higher, especially if they non-tender expensive arbitration players like Jonathan India ($7.4 million), James McArthur ($8 million), and Bailey Falter ($3.3 million). If GM JJ Picollo can get $20-$25 million to work with this offseason, that could net in some affordable outfield free agents that could help boost the middle of the lineup. That likely would mean acquiring one or two mid-level free agents, such as Mike Yastrzemski, Tommy Pham, and Rob Refsnyder, as I discussed in my post yesterday. Even though those free agents don't have the star power of an Alex Bregman, they would still improve a lineup that ranked 26th in runs a season ago. View full article

On Monday afternoon, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh had a labral repair on his right shoulder last month. According to Rogers, the 27-year-old, who missed all of 2025 due to a shoulder injury, may be looking at up to a year of recovery. Marsh was a key pitcher for the Royals during their 86-76 season in 2024. In his first full season with the Royals, he posted a 4.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 129 IP. While his ERA was high, it was an improvement from his 5.69 ERA in 74.1 IP in 2023, and his 4.34 FIP and 3.15 K/BB ratio illustrated that he may have been better than his ERA in 2024. Before his injury, the Royals were unsure whether Marsh would return to the rotation or remain in the bullpen, where he pitched at the end of the 2024 season. However, he suffered his injury early in Spring Training and didn't throw a single pitch at the Minor or Major League level in 2025. The injury to Marsh hurts the possible depth of a Royals staff that was heavily affected by injuries last year. Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic missed significant time due to shoulder injuries, though Ragans returned in September. Kyle Wright pitched in the Minor Leagues, but was shut down during his rehab and didn't throw a pitch at the MLB level. Seth Lugo was also shut down at the end of the season due to a back issue. With Michael Lorenzen a free agent, the Royals may look for pitching on the free agent or trade market to replace Marsh's spot on the 40-man roster for 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images View full rumor