The Royals’ offseason checklist is already pretty easy to read, and the front office doesn’t need much time to figure out where the problems were.
Kansas City’s 2026 season ended at 69-93, a rough finish to a year that started with real expectations and unraveled through injuries, inconsistency and underperformance. Now that the World Series is over, the focus has shifted fully to 2027, and the Royals have two glaring needs sitting at the top of the board.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic laid out those holes in a recent breakdown of every MLB club’s offseason priorities, and his take on Kansas City matched the obvious read on the roster. He pointed first to the need for a right-handed-hitting center fielder and then to a bullpen that needs a serious overhaul.
“The Royals need a right-handed-hitting outfielder who can play center field and perhaps will take a chance on 29-year-old free agent Luis Robert Jr., if he’s amenable to a one-year, prove-it type contract,” Bowden wrote.
That name has already been tied to Kansas City before, and the fit is easy enough to see. The Royals have not gotten enough offense from the outfield, especially from the right side, and that lack of production has been one of the season’s recurring issues.
Still, the pitching staff is the bigger conversation. Kansas City’s rotation and bullpen both left plenty to be desired, but the relief corps is the area that clearly needs the heaviest lifting. The Royals were forced to deal with injuries and uneven performance all year, and they can’t walk into another season with that same kind of uncertainty on the mound.
“The real priority for this team will be to continue to improve the pitching staff, which could include adding a starter, but the emphasis will be on rebuilding the bullpen through both trades and free agency,” Bowden said.
So while the offseason is just getting started, the Royals’ path is already clear: find a center fielder who can hit from the right side and rebuild the bullpen before 2027 arrives.
In Other News...
Michael Massey Just Changed The Royals 2027 Infield Picture
Michael Masseys 2026 season gave the Royals a much clearer answer at second base than they had a year ago. He took a real step forward at the plate and paired it with the kind of defense that put him in the mix as an American League Gold Glove finalist, which matters for a club trying to sort out its infield beyond the immediate future. For a team that has spent plenty of time looking for stability around the diamond, Masseys progress has become one of the more important developments on the roster.
It also changes the way Kansas City can think about the next wave of infield talent. Young prospects such as Angeibel Gomez are turning heads in the Arizona Fall League, and the Royals have other players and roster questions to weigh as they map out 2027. Masseys emergence does not close the door on competition, but it does make the picture more crowded in a good way, with the organization now trying to fit promising pieces around a position that suddenly looks less open than it did not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Former Royals Pitcher Is Getting A Fresh Chance With A Rival
Alec Marsh is getting another shot at a big-league path, and this one comes with a familiar twist for Royals fans. The right-hander, who once worked his way into Kansas Citys rotation mix, has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox and will head to spring training with a chance to show he can still be part of a major league staff.
Marsh has not pitched in two years after dealing with injury and surgery, so the White Sox are taking a low-risk look at a pitcher who has already logged 33 starts in 43 career appearances. For Chicago, it is another move aimed at deepening a staff that needs more answers going into next season, while for Marsh it is simply a chance to restart a career that has been on hold for far too long. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Add A New Hitting Voice To Fix A Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Royals are bringing in another voice to help sort out a problem that has lingered around the club for too long, hiring Hunter Mense as an assistant hitting coach. Mense arrives with a resume that includes time as a hitting coach with the Giants and as an assistant hitting coach with the Blue Jays, along with a playing background in the minor leagues and coaching experience across MLB organizations.
For Kansas City, the move is another sign that the organization is looking for fresh eyes and a different approach in the batters box. The Royals have spent enough time trying to steady their offense that any addition with league-wide experience is worth noting, and Mense now becomes part of the effort to give the group a clearer direction at the plate. [Read more 🡒]