Kansas City Royals fans didn’t need much convincing, and they didn’t get it.
In this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey, 69% of respondents said Sherman’s Q&A with Josh Vernier did nothing to make them believe the Royals can compete in 2027. That was the clear runaway answer, with “Neutral” finishing a distant second at 13%.
The scale of the skepticism is hard to miss. More than two-thirds of the fan base came down on the side of no confidence, while only a small slice saw anything in the discussion that changed their view. The broader picture, at least from the fan side, is that optimism about next season remains thin.
There is, at least on paper, a path for the Royals to add. The club reportedly has far less salary committed for next season, which should leave room to spend in free agency without pushing payroll much higher than it is now.
But the issue is not simply whether they can spend. It’s whether they can spend in a way that actually solves the problem.
The roster still appears to need two quality starting pitchers, depth, and multiple relievers. That leaves a simple question hanging over the offseason: can Kansas City land a premium difference-maker and still fill out the rest of the needed spots? Or does the club keep leaning on the kind of additions that raise the floor but don’t move the ceiling much?
Jonathan India came up as part of that larger point. The Royals gave him $8 million this past offseason with the idea that he would handle most of the playing time at second base before he got hurt early in the season.
Some would say that kind of spending proves the team isn’t cheap. The argument here is the opposite.
The comparison made is straightforward: sometimes a club spends money not because it is investing aggressively, but because it knows it has to buy something, even if it’s not the best version of that thing. In that view, paying $8 million for India fits the profile of a cheap team - one that chooses a lower-end option because it won’t go higher for a better player.
The idea is that a club willing to spend more up front on a higher-impact player could get more value over time. Instead of settling for a player like India, the argument goes, Kansas City could have pursued someone closer to Cody Bellinger’s level, someone who might deliver a bigger return on the investment. The cheaper path may look restrained, but it can end up costing more in the long run if the production never matches the need.
In Other News...
Royals Take A Chance On Former All-Star With One Big Catch
The Royals added a familiar kind of upside play by signing right-hander Tony Gonsolin to a Major League contract for the 2026 season, with a club option for 2027. It is the sort of move that can make sense for a club looking to build pitching depth without overcommitting, especially when the name on the contract still carries the memory of an All-Star peak.
Kansas City had to make room on the roster, and the move came at a cost in the bullpen picture. The transaction also underscores how carefully the Royals are balancing present-day flexibility with future value, because any addition like this only matters if the arm can get back on the mound and justify the bet. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Land A Rare National Spotlight At Baseballs Most Iconic Site
The Royals are headed for one of baseballs most recognizable stages, a trip to Dyersville, Iowa, where theyll serve as the home team in the 2027 MLB at Field of Dreams Game. MLB and Universal Pictures announced the matchup with the Red Sox, and NBC Sports will carry the event nationally on August 12, 2027, giving Kansas City a rare prime-time showcase at a site that has come to symbolize the games nostalgia and charm.
For the Royals, it is the kind of spotlight that reaches well beyond the standings, tying a current roster to one of the sports most enduring images. Both clubs had their executives embrace the announcement as a celebration of baseball tradition, and while the setting is fixed, the larger draw is what a game in that setting can mean for a franchise looking to make the most of every national stage it gets. [Read more 🡒]