The Royals’ offseason is already shaping up to be a balancing act, and Joel Penfield spent the latest episode of “One Royal Way” digging into both sides of it: what Kansas City might do at the major league level, and which young players could help shape the future.
One of the biggest themes was bullpen construction. Penfield pointed to the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers and their dominant relief group, singling out Ashton Ashby’s postseason run as an example of the kind of impact Kansas City could use. His takeaway was clear: the Royals could stand to build a bullpen with that same kind of edge.
From there, Penfield shifted into roster-building mode with a general manager simulator, laying out two possible versions of the Royals’ 2027 team. In both scenarios, he had Kansas City signing outfielder Randy Arozarena to a four-year, $80 million deal and swinging a trade for Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy.
That hypothetical deal would send prospects Blake Mitchell and Michael Lombardi to Colorado. Penfield pointed to Mitchell’s strikeout rate and the longer developmental timeline as part of the thinking behind the move. He also brought up names like Nick Martinez and Mason Montgomery during the discussion.
The bullpen conversation tied into a broader point Penfield made about the kind of arms Kansas City should be chasing. He argued the Royals need more high-strikeout relievers, saying the current preference for pitchers with lower velocity has not worked well enough.
The episode also spotlighted one of the organization’s most intriguing young talents: 17-year-old Angeibel Gomez. Penfield said Gomez has stood out in the Arizona Fall League, where he has posted a .333 batting average and a .906 OPS against older competition.
That kind of production has Penfield thinking big. He said Gomez could become one of the sport’s top prospects sooner rather than later and even floated the idea that the outfielder could reach the majors as early as 2028.
For a Royals offseason full of uncertainty, Penfield sees both immediate roster questions and long-term upside worth watching.
In Other News...
Royals Outfield Search Just Drew One Clear Line This Offseason
The Royals are heading into the 2027 offseason with one corner of the outfield already spoken for, but left field and center field remain open, and that makes the market especially tricky. It is not a deep free-agent class, either, which leaves Kansas City weighing limited options while bigger names like Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki figure to draw plenty of attention elsewhere.
Jim Bowden floated one possible fit in Daulton Varsho, projecting him as a buy-low target on a one-year, $8 million deal. Bowden also pushed back on the idea of Trent Grisham, pointing to the inconsistency in his offensive and defensive production and suggesting he would cost more than he is worth, which only underscores how narrow the Royals path may be as they try to patch together the rest of their outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Infields Gold Glove Push Ended In A Brutal Near-Miss
The Royals had a real shot to turn Gold Glove night into a showcase for their infield, with four players reaching finalist status for the 2026 American League Rawlings awards. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Nick Loftin all put themselves in position to bring home hardware, a reflection of how much Kansas Citys defense has mattered as the club has tried to build around a young core.
Instead, the evening ended with a clean sweep of near-misses. Witt, a two-time reigning Gold Glove winner, was trying to make it three straight before falling to Taylor Walls, while Pasquantino, Massey and Loftin each came up short at their spots as well. For a group that had reason to believe it could pile up recognition, the final result left the Royals with the kind of empty feeling that comes from being close enough to taste it. [Read more 🡒]