After losing 100 games for the third time in the past six seasons, the Kansas City Royals did what they never do: get active on the hot stove. As the club gets closer to reporting to Arizona for spring training and the off-season comes to an end, I thought it would be a good time to go over all the moves Kansas City made. Here’s a recap of what’s happened thus far.
Acquiring Nick Anderson & Kyle Wright via trade
The Royals had a gigantic pitching issue. You knew it, I knew it, and the Royals knew it after they finished 2023 with a team ERA of 5.17, which was the third worst in the MLB. Rather than punt on it and hope for the development of their guys, Kansas City went out and acquired two proven vets. The first of which was Nick Anderson, a 33-year-old reliever who has a career ERA of 2.93. All the Royals gave up in exchange for Anderson was cash, which was refreshing to see the organization send away cash in a trade rather than bringing it in at the expense of a player.
The second move is more enticing to me personally. The Royals traded away RHP Jackson Kowar in exchange for Kyle Wright. Getting anything for Jackson Kowar would have been a win in my book, but getting a guy who led the NL with 21 wins in 2022? That’s just a home run from JJ Picollo and the Royals front office. Wright will miss the entire 2024 season but should be ready to be a part of the starting rotation come the 2025 season, which might fit the current Royals window perfectly. GRADE: A+
Signing Seth Lugo to a three-year deal
When you’re coming off the season the Royals are there is no such thing as an overpay. Kansas City inked Lugo to a three-year, 45 million-dollar contract in early December with a player option for the third season in hopes of strengthening the rotation. To be completely honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of going after Lugo with starting pitching money initially. Lugo was coming off his first year as a full-time starter, and while it was a solid showing, could the Royals risk spending this much on a guy with such a small sample size? After time to mull over the move, I’d say yes. When you lose 106 games, free agents aren’t necessarily flocking to come join you. Did the Royals pay more than another team would’ve for Lugo? Probably, and that’s okay! If he can come in and do what he did in San Diego a year ago, he will instantly become the Royals’ second-most reliable starter, behind Ragans. GRADE: B
Signing Michael Wacha to a two-year deal
This just might be my favorite free agent signing of the off-season. The Royals could’ve called it a day after landing Seth Lugo. The club could’ve just depended on the young guys to step up and flourish like they have in years past. Thankfully, they didn’t settle and landed Michael Wacha on a two-year, 32-million-dollar contract with a player option for 2025. Wacha is about as reliable an option as baseball has when it comes to starting pitching. Through his time with five different clubs, Wacha has thrown more than 1200 career innings with an ERA of 3.96.
Are those jaw-dropping numbers? No, not at all, however, it shows one thing: you can depend on him. The best part is the Royals might just be getting the absolute best from Wacha, as his ERA in the past two seasons is 3.27 with a win-loss record of 25-6. He isn’t flashy and most likely won’t be an All-Star, but he brings stability to a rotation that desperately needs it. GRADE: A-
Adding two veteran bats
While pitching may have been the glaring need in Kansas City, the lineup needed reinforcements as well. The Royals didn’t spend much on hitting, but they did bring in two bats in infielder Garrett Hampson and outfielder Hunter Renfroe. Starting with Hampson, the Royals lost infield depth when they traded Nicky Lopez last summer and decided to fill that void with the 29-year-old coming off a solid year with the Marlins. I have nothing against adding Hampson; I’m just not sure where he plays. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. have the left side of the infield covered, and either Vinnie Pasquantino or Nick Pratto will likely patrol first base. That leaves second base, which for the majority of the second half of last season belonged to Michael Massey, who I believe still deserves a shot at being the everyday guy. You could argue platoon, but in all honesty, I’d rather see Nick Loftin get those at-bats.
The second move of bringing in power hitting Hunter Renfroe makes more sense to me. Kansas City currently doesn’t have an outfielder who’s a solidified everyday starter. Sure, guys like Drew Waters and MJ Melendez have potential, but up until this point, we have yet to see them put up consistent numbers. Renfroe provides a solid bat that can provide help in the lineup for some of the younger guys. GRADE: B-
Overall Grade: B+
This was one of the best off-seasons I can personally remember as a Royals fan. Going out and acquiring pitching was something this fanbase had begged for, and the front office delivered. Will it work out and turn Kansas City around? Who knows. One thing is for certain: the front office is tired of losing and went all out to fix it.