The offseason comes faster than it may seem. Luckily, for the Kansas City Royals, it came just a bit slower than we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. After a fantastic season and a brief playoff run, the team now sets its sights on 2025. It figures to be the most anticipated offseason for the Royals since at least 2016. Every key contributor from this year’s club figures to be back in 2025. At the same time, the opportunities on the big league roster are clearer than ever. In the minor leagues, there are decisions to be made as well.

47 different players will be eligible for this December’s Rule 5 Draft. The draft takes place as part of the league’s Winter Meetings. To be eligible for the draft, there are two criteria:

• Players signed at age 18 or younger become Rule 5 eligible after five seasons.
• Players signed at age 19 or older become Rule 5 eligible after four seasons.

In order for clubs to retain Rule 5 eligible players, they must add the player to their 40-man roster prior to this winter’s deadline. Otherwise, they risk losing the player in the league-wide Rule 5 draft. In 2023 the Royals selected pitcher Matt Sauer. The hit rate isn’t all that high, but pitchers Brad Keller and Joakim Soria were each Rule 5 picks for the Royals and went on to have notable success.

A closer look at Rule 5 eligible Royals in 2024

In this year’s Rule 5 draft, the Royals will have 47 players eligible. Many of those could be 40-man roster candidates. At least a few seem like locks to be protected. Last offseason, the Royals added RHP Will Klein and OF Tyler Gentry to their roster, protecting them before the draft.

The full list of eligible players is long, but there are some notable names.

LHP Noah Cameron

After his standout 2024 season, Cameron is all but assured a spot on the 40-man roster this offseason. He made 25 starts this season between Double-A and Triple-A. His 3.08 ERA was among the best in the farm system. Cameron added a cutter prior to the season and that new iteration of fastball really helped him on the mound. He’s a rotation candidate entering spring training and has a strong chance to make the big league roster to open 2025.

RHP Luinder Avila

Avila, unlike Cameron, doesn’t look to be on the doorstep to the major leagues. He did move up to Triple-A Omaha by the end of the season but only spent a brief time there. An injury sidelined him for much of the 2024 season. Still, Avila’s stuff is outstanding. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see a big league club snatch him up and place him in their bullpen. For that reason, it makes too much sense for Kansas City to protect him.

RHP Chandler Champlain

Champlain joined the organization in the Andrew Benintendi trade with New York. He’s been the best of that return thus far. 2024 saw Champlain struggle a bit more than he did the year prior. However, the underlying metrics on his arsenal point to the potential for better next season and beyond. He pitched some out of the bullpen for the Storm Chasers by the end of the season and could do the same for Kansas City in 2025.

RHP Eric Cerantola

Cerantola was a fifth-rounder in 2021. His pure stuff would’ve seen him go earlier. However, the command has long been a barrier for Cerantola. That remained the case in 2024. He walked 50 batters in 72.2 innings of work this season. Those walks came alongside 101 strikeouts. As a reliever, Cerantola struck out more than 14 batters per nine innings. That late-inning reliever upside is too good for the Royals to risk unprotected. However, questions around command make him less of a sure thing when it comes to 40-man roster projections.

2B/LF Peyton Wilson

By now, we’re reaching players that likely go unprotected this winter. While Wilson has long been a Top 30 prospect in the system, he simply hasn’t carved his path forward. There are many flashes of brilliance between Wilson’s plus arm and plus speed. However, he struggles to make hard contact. On a roster with more open spots, Wilson would likely be more in consideration.

RHP Beck Way

Way bounced back in a big way this season after a disastrous 2023. He made 47 appearances with Double-A Northwest Arkansas with a 3.88 ERA. The profile is very similar to Cerantola, although Way’s stuff is a tick behind. He sports a plus slider and a mid-90s fastball. However, there isn’t room for both Way and Cerantola. With Cerantola just ahead and a question mark in his own right, it’s not likely Way gets protected this winter.

LHP Evan Sisk

Evan Sisk was an International League All-Star in 2024. His 1.57 ERA across 58 appearances would appear to make him a strong candidate to be protected this winter. He posted strong in-zone metrics all season, limiting contact without relying too heavily on chase. The result was 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings — noticeably better than his minor league career mark of 10.5. Sisk joined the organization from Minnesota alongside Steven Cruz. Although he had a fantastic season, the profile isn’t going to press the issue in context. Again, similar to Peyton Wilson, on a roster with more flexibility Sisk may be a lock. However, it’s a crafty lefty profile. Sisk throws in the low-90s and tops out around 92 mph. With enough effective lefty bullpen arms above him on the depth chart (Lynch IV, Bubic, Long, Zerpa) it seems unlikely Sisk will get protected. He may even go unselected in the Rule 5 draft.

The full list of Rule 5 eligible players for the Royals is below:

INF Devin Mann, INF Cam Devanney, OF John Rave, INF Ryan Fitzgerald, C Rodolfo Durán, LHP Noah Cameron, RHP Chandler Champlain, RHP Andrew Hoffmann, RHP William Fleming, LHP Asa Lacy, LHP Christian Chamberlain, RHP Beck Way, RHP Noah Murdock, RHP Anthony Simonelli, LHP Evan Sisk, RHP Eric Cerantola, C Luca Tresh, 1B Dillan Shrum, C/1B Kale Emshoff, 2B/LF Peyton Wilson, SS/OF Tyler Tolbert, INF Leonel Valera, OF River Town, RHP Luinder Avila, LHP Rylan Kaufman, RHP Jacob Wallace, RHP Anderson Paulino, LHP Keylan Killgore, RHP Cruz Noriega, LHP A.J. Block, RHP Chase Wallace, C Omar Hernandez, 2B Lizandro Rodriguez, INF Deivis Nadal, OF Jean Ramirez, RHP Shane Panzini, RHP Natanael Garabitos, RHP Ben Hernandez, LHP Caden Monke, C Dionmy Salon, 1B Aldrin Lucas, INF Jhonny Perdomo, OF Erick Peña, RHP Mauricio Veliz, RHP Luis Polanco, RHP Ismael Michel, OF Omar Nuel