The Royals don’t have the kind of offseason budget that lets them shop at the top of the market, and that reality makes the next few weeks matter even more. With the December 2 deadline for the likely lockout closing in, Kansas City has to move with purpose if it wants to come out of the winter better positioned for 2027.
That urgency is baked into the state of the roster. Back-to-back disappointing seasons have left the Royals needing answers, and the pitching staff took a beating in 2026 when injuries forced manager Matt Quatraro to piece together innings with whatever arms he had available.
The lineup didn’t give him much help, either. Salvador Perez, Isaac Collins and plenty of others went through down years, and outside of Jac Caglianone, most of the outfield produced some of the lowest grades on the team.
Even so, the first order of business has to be the rotation.
Right now, that group is Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo and, as the source put it, a roll of duct tape. That’s not enough, and it’s why Clay Holmes makes sense as a priority target.
Holmes lost about two months after fracturing his right fibula in May, but durability hasn’t been a major concern for him overall. After signing with the New York Mets before the 2025 season, he shifted from reliever to starter and has handled the move well, posting a 3.73 ERA in 53 career starts.
He won’t come cheap, but Kansas City needs to be selective and aggressive, and Holmes fits that profile.
Casey Mize is another arm the Royals should have on their radar. He was rolling with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline, putting together a 2.70 ERA and a 0.992 WHIP in 16 starts for Detroit.
The second half in San Diego went sideways fast, though, as he allowed 13 home runs in only 44.2 innings. Even with that rough finish, Mize still profiles as one of the better middle-of-the-rotation options available, and his AL Central background could help Kansas City against familiar opponents.
The third move comes on the trade market, where Baltimore could be ready to unload just about everyone. According to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, every player except for Pete Alonso could be available.
One name that stands out for the Royals is Colton Cowser. He’s not the cleanest fit offensively, especially for a club that already has enough questions in the outfield, but his glove is real.
Cowser’s 13 Defensive Runs Saved in 883 innings ranked 10th among all outfielders in baseball in 2026. His bat has been inconsistent, but there have been signs that he can put things together, and a new setting might be exactly what he needs.
Kansas City doesn’t need to win the offseason. It just needs to make the right moves before the clock runs out.
In Other News...
Royals Just Made An Offensive Hire Young Bats Cant Ignore
The Royals have added another familiar name to their coaching mix, hiring Hunter Mense as a hitting coach and giving the staff a voice with both major league experience and local roots. Mense arrives after serving as the San Francisco Giants hitting coach in 2026, following a stretch as an assistant hitting coach with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2022 to 2025. For a Kansas City club still looking to sharpen its offensive identity, the move brings in someone who has worked in different big league environments and knows the grind of helping hitters adjust at the highest level.
Menses background also gives the hire a little extra resonance around here. He is a Missouri native and a former University of Missouri player, so this is not just another outside addition to the coaching staff, but someone with ties to the region and an understanding of the baseball culture that comes with it. For young Royals bats especially, the next question is how that experience will translate once the work begins in Kansas City. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Prospect Pipeline Is Demanding Attention Again
The Royals farm system is getting another spotlight in the Arizona Fall League, where Angeibel Gomez, Zion Rose and Justin Lamkin were chosen to represent the American League in the Fall Stars Game. It is another reminder that Kansas Citys prospect pipeline is drawing real attention again, with three different names earning recognition on a stage that tends to separate the merely interesting from the truly notable.
Gomezs selection stands out even more because he is the youngest player ever picked for the game, while Lamkins presence adds a different kind of storyline after he returned to action following a shoulder injury. The Fall Stars Game will be shown live on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com and the MLB app, giving Royals fans a chance to keep tabs on a group that is starting to make some noise beyond the organizations own prospect lists. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Just Added Another Honor Royals Fans Will Love
Bobby Witt Jr. keeps stacking up the kind of recognition that fits the way Royals fans already think about him. The shortstop has been named the winner of the Heart & Hustle Award for the third straight season, making him the first player in MLB history to do it. The honor, announced by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, goes to an active player who shows a love for the game and reflects its values, which has become a pretty fitting description of Witts profile in Kansas City.
It is another reminder of how complete his 2026 season was, with strong production on both sides of the ball and a place among the American League MVP finalists. Awards like this do not always carry the same weight as the bigger hardware, but for a player whose game is built on effort, consistency and presence, it lands in a way that resonates. For the Royals, it is one more sign that their centerpiece is drawing national respect for more than just the box score. [Read more 🡒]