The Royals are staring at another busy winter, and the path back up the AL Central could run through a familiar place: the division itself. Kansas City finished the 2026 season seven games behind the Detroit Tigers and in the basement again, marking the third time in the last five seasons that the club ended up last in the division.
With that kind of hole and multiple glaring roster needs, the front office has a simple idea to work with. If players were good enough to help the Royals’ rivals, they might be good enough to help Kansas City climb back into the race in 2027.
One name to watch from Cleveland is Foster Griffin, a left-handed pitcher who first reached the majors with Kansas City in 2020 before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022. After three seasons in Japan, Griffin returned to MLB this year on a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
He put together a 3.06 ERA in 22 starts, earned an NL All-Star nod, and was then traded to the Guardians on August 3. His work in Cleveland was uneven, but the first-half production still stands out.
He logged 172 innings last season, and that kind of workload could make him a useful No. 3 or 4 starter for a Royals rotation that needs dependable innings.
Chicago’s Sean Newcombe is another obvious fit. Claimed off waivers by the Athletics in 2025, he turned that opportunity into a one-year contract with the White Sox and ran with it.
Newcombe made 60 appearances, six of them starts, and threw 90 innings with a 3.09 ERA. He was especially effective in the biggest spots, holding opponents to a .197 average and a .574 OPS in high leverage situations.
Kansas City’s bullpen was one of the worst in baseball, so that kind of bat-missing, run-stopping relief work would fit neatly into what the Royals need.
From Minnesota, AJ Minter jumps off the page as another bullpen target. The left-hander opened the season with the Mets before being dealt to the Twins at the deadline, and he finished with a 2.56 ERA.
Over 45 innings, he struck out 41 and walked only eight. The one blemish was the home run ball - nine allowed last season - but the overall profile still screams impact reliever.
Minter has spent years among the most respected left-handed relievers in the game, and his 7.4 fWAR ranks fifth among lefty relievers since his debut in 2017.
Another arm from the division mix is Tyler Kinley, who could also give Kansas City help on the left side of the bullpen in 2027. The 35-year-old spent most of his career with the Rockies before going to the Braves at the 2025 trade deadline, where he was outstanding late with a 0.72 ERA in 24 appearances.
His 2026 season in Atlanta was rough enough that he was released in late August, but he bounced back with Detroit, posting a 1.84 ERA in 15 games. Kinley wasn’t piling up strikeouts and did issue a few too many walks in that short stint, yet the flashes have been there, and that may be enough to earn him another look.
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Royals Could Signal Their 2027 Intentions With One Big Outfield Move
The Royals have spent much of their attention on how to push the lineup forward for 2027, and the outfield sits right at the center of that discussion. One name that keeps surfacing is Randy Arozarena, the Mariners left fielder whose offensive profile would fit a club trying to add more impact and balance to its order.
Arozarena has already established himself as a player who can change the look of an offense, especially with the way he handles left-handed pitching. For Kansas City, the appeal is obvious: a move like that would not just patch a position, it would signal a more aggressive approach to building the roster for the next stage of contention. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Have A Cheap Bullpen Fix They Can't Ignore
The Royals are already digging through the low-cost relief market as they look for a way to stabilize a bullpen that underperformed in 2026. It is the sort of shopping list that makes sense for a club trying to patch a clear weakness without spending heavily, and three familiar names have surfaced as possible fits: A.J. Puk, Taylor Clarke and Yuki Matsui.
Puk brings swing-and-miss stuff but is coming off injury, while Clarke offers the appeal of a former Royal who has shown he can be useful in Kansas City before. Matsui is the most intriguing of the group after a strong 2026 season, though the command and flyball concerns are part of the equation too. For the Royals, the issue is not whether there are options, but which one offers the best blend of cost, risk and upside. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Offseason Debate Comes Down To One Much Bigger Need
The Royals are heading into an offseason where the biggest questions are less about adding another bat and more about stabilizing the pitching staff for 2027. Randy Arozarena is the kind of offensive upgrade that can grab attention, but Kansas Citys front office knows the broader issue has been the arms behind the lineup, with injuries and inconsistency making both the rotation and bullpen areas of concern.
So the real debate is whether the Royals can find pitching help that fits their budget while still raising the floor of the staff. That could mean a veteran with a track record, or a cheaper option who brings depth and competition, but the priority is clear: Kansas City needs to make the mound a strength again before it worries too much about adding another name to the order. [Read more 🡒]