The looming offseason for the Kansas City Royals hinges on one single decision, due just after the World Series. Starter Michael Wacha signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the club last offseason. That contract included a player option for year two worth $16 million. Now, heading into the offseason a year later, Wacha’s looming decision will have a huge impact on the team’s free-agent strategy.
The deadline for decisions on contract decisions comes five days after the World Series. In other words, Kansas City should know whether Wacha will be back pretty shortly after the World Series wraps up. Wacha will be entering his age 33 season in 2025 — the same age that Seth Lugo was this season for the Royals. Lugo had a shorter track record of success than Wacha and still walked away with a three-year, $45 million contract. That deal likely becomes the foundation of Wacha’s demands later this month.
When looked at from that perspective, it seems likely that Wacha will take the chance and look for a multi-year deal on the open market. There’s also a chance that he and the Royals are willing to re-negotiate a new contract that keeps him in Kansas City while also realizing his goals of a longer-term deal. Regardless of what happens, Wacha represents a key foundation that the looming offseason will lean on.
The Royals have options without Wacha, but the best-case scenario sees him return
Should Wacha return next season, the Royals will have a chance to return the same rotation that ranked second in the league in ERA this season. It would be the best-case scenario for the Royals. The team has stated a goal to improve the lineup this offseason. Adding a starter to the team’s “needs” list would only make that quest even more difficult for the Royals.
Of course, there are some internal options the team could consider. Noah Cameron and Chandler Champlain are both prospects on the cusp of the big league that could factor in. Alec Marsh and Daniel Lynch IV are former starters turned relievers who could transition back. Then, there are arms working back from injury in Kris Bubic and Kyle Wright. Bubic, of course, returned in 2024 and pitched exclusively as a reliever to great success.
Cameron won an International League Pitcher of the Month award this season for Triple-A Omaha. He was fantastic over a notable sample, pitching to a 3.39 FIP in nine starts for the Storm Chasers. He’d be the favorite among prospects hoping to join the rotation in Wacha’s absence. More likely, the team will likely make it a competition in Spring Training once again. Kansas City did the same in Spring Training when Alec Marsh won the fifth starter role over Lynch. Bubic and Lynch have both seen more success in the bullpen than they ever did as starters, although Bubic showed signs of promise before his injury in 2023.
Last but not least comes Kyle Wright. The Royals acquired Wright in exchange for failing starter Jackson Kowar. The cost seemed extremely low for a proven starter with success at the sport’s highest level. Wright pitched to a 3.19 ERA in 2022 over 180.1 innings of work. He missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder. While there’s the hope for a strong return, there’s as likely a chance that Wright never returns to his 2022 form. Even when healthy Wright was only able to muster that level of success once over multiple seasons. Now, returning from a serious injury, he shouldn’t be seen as a reliable option to any degree.
Without Wacha, the Royals have options to lean on. They just offer far more questions and a much larger range of outcomes. Without him, the Royals run a greater risk of seeing the rotation take a notable step backward. Improving the offense won’t have nearly the same impact if the team has a substantially worse starting rotation in 2025. We will know soon enough, but losing Wacha to free agency would seem to shift the team’s focus to a degree.
