The Royals know where the problem sits. Kansas City’s bullpen ended the 2026 season with a 5.07 ERA, the second-highest mark in baseball according to FanGraphs, and that leaves little mystery about the offseason priority. If the goal is to get back to a competitive level next season, the relief group has to be overhauled.
Two free-agent options stand out as possible fixes: David Bednar and Adrian Morejon.
Bednar, a right-hander coming off a strong year with the New York Yankees, delivered a 2.47 ERA over 69 1/3 innings in 2026 and struck out 76 batters. At 32, he still works like a classic closer, leaning on velocity and a three-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, splitter and curveball. His average fastball sat at 96.1 mph last season, according to Statcast.
What makes Bednar especially appealing for Kansas City is the kind of innings he handled. The Royals lacked reliable high-leverage help this year, and Bednar has shown he can live in those moments without blinking.
He backed that up with elite bat-missing and chase numbers, posting a 38.4% chase rate that ranked in the 99th percentile. He also put up a 30.8% whiff rate, a 4.9% barrel rate and a 51.6% ground-ball rate.
Morejon offers a different look, but the same kind of impact. The left-hander is coming off his eighth season with the San Diego Padres and turned in a 2.83 ERA across 86 innings in 2026, while setting a career high with 107 strikeouts.
At 27, he brings a four-pitch arsenal built around a sinker, changeup, slider and four-seam fastball. His four-seamer averaged 99.4 mph last season, and his sinker was even a touch higher.
Like Bednar, Morejon has already proven he can handle late-game work. He thrived in a setup role with the Padres, and that wasn’t a one-year blip. In his All-Star season in 2025, he posted a 2.08 ERA over 73 2/3 innings and struck out 70.
The underlying numbers only strengthen the case. Morejon finished 2026 with a 38.6% chase rate, a 34.2% whiff rate, a 30.4% strikeout rate, a 2.8% barrel rate and a 58% ground-ball rate. In short, he checks a lot of the same boxes as Bednar, just from the left side.
If the Royals are serious about attacking the bullpen issue, these are the kinds of arms that would move the needle. Neither pitcher would come cheap, but both could give Kansas City the kind of relief upgrade it clearly needs.
In Other News...
Royals Face A Risky Michael Wacha Decision This Offseason
Michael Wacha entered the 2026 season looking like the kind of veteran arm a contender would be reluctant to move, and Kansas City played it that way when the deadline came around. Even with trade interest building, the Royals kept him because the rotation was already being tested by uncertainty and injuries elsewhere, and Wachas steady performance gave them a reason to hold the line.
This winter, though, the calculus could shift. The front office may have more willingness to listen if it can turn Wacha into help for the future, but the Royals still have to weigh that against a pitching picture that remains far from settled. For all the talk of leveraging his value, Kansas City may decide the safer move is simply to keep a reliable starter in place and sort out the rest later. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Left Field Problem Now Has A Familiar Offseason Twist
Left field has felt like a rotating problem spot for the Royals ever since Alex Gordon retired in 2020, which is its own kind of reminder of how steady he made the position look for so long. Gordon held down left field from 2011 through the end of his career and won eight Gold Gloves along the way, setting a standard that Kansas City has struggled to recreate while cycling through 24 different players there with limited success.
So when the conversation turns to offseason fixes, it is no surprise that a familiar type of target keeps popping up. Ian Happ, the Cubs outfielder who is heading toward free agency, has drawn attention because his offensive and defensive profile lines up closely with what Gordon once provided, enough to make him a logical name for a Royals club still searching for stability on the left side of the outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Outfield Battle Could Put Kyle Isbel Under Real Pressure
The Royals offseason focus may be on rebuilding the pitching staff, but there is some real movement brewing in the outfield, too. Kansas City expects competition for those roster spots, and center field is shaping up as one of the more interesting spots to watch as the club sorts through its next wave of talent.
Carson Roccaforte has pushed his way into the conversation after a strong season across Double-A and Triple-A, and the organization sees him as a player with a chance to help sooner rather than later. General manager J.J. Picollo has already identified him as a very good center fielder who will be in the mix for the Royals, either when the season opens or at some point after, which only adds to the pressure on Kyle Isbel as spring training approaches. [Read more 🡒]