5 questions for the Royals to answer this offseason

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KANSAS CITY -- For the first time in a long time, the Royals are working with a shorter offseason, as all their focus for the past few months has been on the playoffs.

But after an exit in the American League Division Series, the attention now turns to 2025. And as we’ve written here, the expectations are going to be higher -- along with the responsibility that comes with that.

Here are five questions facing the Royals this offseason:

1. How do they keep the rotation together?

Bobby Witt Jr.’s MVP-caliber season was one thing, but perhaps the most important development of the 2024 season was the Royals’ pitching success, fueled by the rotation. Four starting pitchers ranked in the top 20 in AL ERA.

That’s pretty good for a team that ranked in the bottom five of many pitching categories just one season ago.

Repeating it is going to be a whole different story.

Seth Lugo (206 2/3 innings), Cole Ragans (186 1/3), Brady Singer (179 2/3) and Michael Wacha (166 2/3) combined to make the bulk of starts this year. Alec Marsh was the fifth starter for the majority of the year, with contributions from Michael Lorenzen in the second half.

Lugo, Ragans, Singer and Marsh are returning in 2025. Lorenzen is a free agent, and Wacha has a looming player option that will dictate what the rotation looks like. That will go a long way toward helping the pitching staff build on its success this season.

The Royals were also remarkably healthy in 2024. General manager J.J. Picollo and manager Matt Quatraro have rightly acknowledged this might not be the case in ‘25, so adding depth will be important, even with internal options like Marsh, Daniel Lynch IV, Kris Bubic and a hopefully healthy Kyle Wright.

2. Who is their leadoff hitter?

The Royals tried a variety of leadoff hitters this season, from infielder Maikel Garcia to second baseman Michael Massey to outfielder Tommy Pham after he joined the organization in late August. Quatraro even put backup catcher Freddy Fermin up there for one game.

None really stuck, although Massey had a good postseason in that spot. Royals leadoff hitters posted a .604 OPS this season and just a .270 on-base percentage in the regular season.

Finding someone who sets the table for Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez is atop the to-do list this winter.

Whether that comes from an internal or external source remains to be seen. The Royals have plenty of contact-oriented hitters in their organization -- Garcia is one of the best -- but the criteria needs to be quality contact along with the eye (and patience) for walks.

3. Where’s the slug?

Equal on the list with finding a leadoff hitter is finding a middle-of-the-order bat. Specifically, someone who can slot into the No. 5 or 6 slot in the lineup and offer some protection for Perez at the cleanup spot.

This was the vision when the Royals signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe last year. He holds a $7.5 million player option after posting a .689 OPS this year -- a career worst, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season when he played 42 games.

Renfroe will likely be back in 2025, but the Royals shouldn’t solely rely on him getting better. They need another impactful bat. Kansas City lacks power in the spots many teams look for it: Outfield and third base, so both would be open for an addition.

Just as important as pitching depth is lineup depth. The Royals will rely on their stars for offense, but they need others to step up, too.

4. What improvements can be made internally?

The Royals made waves with their free-agent signings last offseason because they wanted to get better quickly, but it won’t always be their preferred method of adding talent.

Player development is still crucial.

Picollo specifically mentioned Garcia and outfielder MJ Melendez as two players who the Royals might stick with and hope for improvement. They both have had big moments in their young careers, but they both haven’t shown the type of consistent play that you’d want as everyday players. Garcia and Melendez could be immediate answers to the two previous questions here, respectively.

“They’re the two guys that have really big upside, and it’s hard to get players that have that athleticism, whether it’s defensive talent or offensive pop and potential,” Picollo said. “They’re players that every organization wants. You just have to stay with them.”

The Royals also have a number of Minor League players nearly ready for the Majors. Infielder Nick Loftin was up and down this year, and outfielder Tyler Gentry (No. 15 prospect) got a taste of the bigs. Lefty Noah Cameron (No. 12) should get a look in 2025, too.

5. Can they run it back with their bullpen?

Picollo said that the Royals feel “better” about their bullpen, which went through so many ups and downs in 2024 but finally steadied at the most important time of the year down the stretch.

Having a legitimate closer in Lucas Erceg returning helps tremendously. The Royals also are optimistic about what Hunter Harvey could give them after their midseason acquisition threw just 5 2/3 innings this year before he was shut down with back issues. Sam Long, Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber are all still under team control.

Depending on the rotation needs, Lynch, Bubic and/or Marsh could elevate the ‘pen next year, too. Chris Stratton holds a $4.5 million player option, and getting him healthy might help with the middle innings if he returns.

But relievers can be volatile, and health is a factor. So simply returning everyone might not be enough, and the Royals should look for low-risk, high-reward opportunities to fortify their ‘pen.