The Royals didn’t need much convincing on Tony Gonsolin. A one-year deal in mid-August got him through his rehab and back on a major league mound for the first time since June 4, 2025, and Kansas City doubled down earlier this week by picking up the right-hander’s 2027 team option for just $2.5 million.
At that number, the move makes plenty of sense. Gonsolin will be 33 in May next season, but the track record is still there in flashes, and the price tag barely asks Kansas City to blink. For a club trying to build out its pitching staff without spending recklessly, that’s the kind of bet worth making.
The upside has never really been in question. Gonsolin debuted for the Dodgers in 2019 and posted a sub-3.00 ERA over 40 innings.
In the shortened 2020 season, he was even sharper, finishing with a 2.31 ERA in 46 innings. Injuries interrupted 2021, but he still turned in a 3.23 ERA across more than 50 innings when he was available.
Then came the peak season everyone points to. In 2022, Gonsolin made 24 starts, threw 130 innings and put up a 2.14 ERA. He was an All-Star for the Dodgers, held hitters to a .536 OPS and allowed 5.46 hits per nine innings, though a right forearm strain cost him all of September.
Since then, the road has been rough. He struggled in 2023, missed all of 2024 after Tommy John surgery and returned in 2025 for just 36 innings before the Dodgers designated him for assignment at season’s end. Still, there have been stretches in recent years that hinted at the same pitcher who once looked like a frontline arm.
That’s why the Royals’ decision feels so straightforward. Even a version of Gonsolin that gives them 100 innings with an ERA in the threes would more than justify $2.5 million. If he rediscovers more than that, Kansas City may have landed a real difference-maker at a bargain.
The need is there, too. For 2027, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron are set to have rotation spots on Opening Day, but the final two jobs remain open.
Gonsolin could slide right into one of them and give the staff a higher ceiling. If it doesn’t work, the Royals haven’t sacrificed much beyond the cost of a platoon bat.
That’s the appeal here: minimal risk, real upside. It’s the kind of move a team chasing improvement should be making.
In Other News...
Royals Prospects Are Giving Fans An Early Reason To Watch Closely
The Arizona Fall League has given Royals fans an early look at several prospects who are trying to turn promising tools into real momentum, and the early returns have offered plenty to track. Angeibel Gomez, Justin Lamkin, Zion Rose, Felix Arronde, Brooks Bryan, Austin Charles, Josh Hansell and Frank Mozzicato have all been part of the mix, each at a different stage of development and each with something to prove as the season winds down.
For Kansas City, this is the kind of update that matters because the organization is still sorting out which young players are ready to climb the next rung and which ones need more time to settle in. Some have flashed production, others have run into the usual bumps that come with the Fall League, and the broader picture is less about any one box score than the way these prospects are handling a tougher level of competition. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Still Have One Pitching Problem Hanging Over The Offseason
The Royals offseason pitch to themselves starts with a simple truth: the rotation and bullpen need more swing-and-miss. A look at the Brewers offers a useful contrast, since Milwaukee had more pitchers with at least 20 innings who posted above-average strikeout rates, while Kansas City leaned on a smaller group of arms who could consistently miss bats. For a club trying to build on its progress, that gap matters because it shapes everything from how often innings get escaped to how much pressure lands on the defense behind them.
There is hope in the mix, of course, with Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic giving the Royals reasons to believe the strikeout picture can improve. But the bigger question is how much internal growth is realistic and how much the front office will need to add from outside as it sorts through the winter market, trade candidates and the broader MLB offseason landscape. The World Series is still fresh enough to remind everyone how valuable pitching depth can be, and Kansas City has one lingering problem that will follow it into the offseason until it gets answered. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Waste An Offseason Chasing The Wrong Lineup Fix
The Royals are headed into an offseason with obvious work to do, especially in the outfield and on the pitching staff, and that alone figures to keep the front office busy. But one idea floated by former GM Jim Bowden would send Kansas City in a direction that does not line up cleanly with its roster, even if it sounds like the kind of move a club can talk itself into when it wants a quick fix.
Gleyber Torres has been mentioned as a possible target on a two-year, $42 million deal, but the fit looks awkward with Michael Massey already in place at second base and Torres coming off a stretch that does not inspire much confidence. For a team that needs to use its resources carefully, the better path may be to stay focused on the areas where the Royals can actually improve the lineup and rotation without creating a new problem in the process. [Read more 🡒]