Kansas City’s offseason shopping list usually comes with a catch: the Royals need help, but J.J. Picollo has rarely operated like a GM with endless room to spend. That matters here, because the names that make the most sense for this roster probably won’t be the flashiest ones on the market.
If the budget were no issue, the Royals could aim higher and chase pitchers such as Tarik Skubal and Adrián Morejón. But Picollo’s track record since taking over for Dayton Moore in September 2021 points in a different direction. Outside of Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, his free-agent work has leaned heavily toward the bargain side.
With an offseason that could be disrupted by a likely lockout in December, here’s a look at five possible targets for Kansas City in 2027, ranked by how much value they could bring.
- TJ Friedl, OF
Friedl is the kind of player whose surface numbers don’t tell the full story. His .510 OPS in 2026 looks rough, but injuries wrecked his season and never really let him settle in with the Cincinnati Reds.
Even with that lost year, he has produced 7.8 fWAR over his first six MLB seasons, which shows there’s real ability here. On a one-year “prove it” deal, he’d be a reasonable pickup.
The issue is fit: he could end up taking at-bats away from a younger player like Carson Roccaforte.
- Taylor Ward, OF
Ward’s 2026 season was a jarring step backward in one key area. After spending the first eight years of his career as a reliable power source, he managed only seven home runs in 498 at-bats between the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.
That was easily the lowest full-season total of his career. Still, he drew 99 walks combined, and that kind of plate discipline is hard to ignore.
He remains one of the more affordable outfield bats available, though his defense leaves something to be desired.
- Ryan Yarbrough, RP
Yarbrough has built a career on being useful in a lot of different ways. He can start, he can work out of the bullpen, and he’s the type of left-handed pitcher who can keep a big inning from turning into a disaster.
He doesn’t blow hitters away, but he gets by with deception, weak contact, and a knack for missing barrels. A return to Kansas City would also carry a little symmetry, since he already pitched for the Royals in 2023 after signing as a free agent.
- Jonathan Loáisiga, RP
Loáisiga’s 2026 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks was a strong reminder of what he can do when healthy. After dealing with injuries and throwing only 51.1 innings over the previous three seasons with the New York Yankees, he came back and posted a 2.42 ERA with a 1.030 WHIP in 67 innings.
The walk rate was tiny, and the swing-and-miss stuff was there too. For a Royals bullpen that could use impact arms, he fits the profile.
- Nick Pivetta, SP
Pivetta may not be an ace, but he checks a lot of boxes Picollo tends to value. His career 4.43 ERA across 217 starts says as much.
What stands out is the durability and the strikeouts: before a mostly lost 2026 season with the San Diego Padres, he had thrown at least 142 innings in five straight years. That kind of workload would play in Kansas City, especially if he settles in as a middle-of-the-rotation starter the way Lugo or Wacha have.
He might cost the most of this group, but he also looks like the best fit.
In Other News...
Royals Fans May Not Love This New Vinnie Pasquantino Speculation
Jake Bauers is off the board after agreeing to a four-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, and that has the Milwaukee Brewers sorting through a new set of first-base possibilities. The list is already familiar enough around the league: free agent Ty France, internal options such as Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Fischer, and now a trade idea that would pull Vinnie Pasquantino out of Kansas City.
For Royals fans, that last name is the one worth watching. Pasquantino remains the kind of player other clubs would love to pry loose if they think the price is right, and the Brewers are at least being mentioned as a team that could explore it while they weigh their alternatives. Nothing has been decided, but any rumor involving a young bat like Pasquantino is the sort of thing that can get a fan base paying close attention fast. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Just Raised The Stakes For Kansas Citys Future
Bobby Witt Jr. spent the season doing exactly what the Royals have been hoping for since he arrived: playing like a franchise centerpiece and making it look sustainable. Even with injuries limiting him to 143 games, he still finished third in American League MVP voting with 188 points, added another All-MLB First Team nod for the third straight year and picked up the MLBPAA Heart & Hustle Award for the third time, a strong reminder that his production and approach keep stacking up.
For Kansas City, the bigger takeaway is where this leaves the organization going forward. Manager Matt Quatraro and general manager J.J. Picollo both pointed to Witts growth and preparation as signs of what he means to the club beyond one standout season, and the Royals challenge now is clear: keep building a roster that matches his trajectory. After a year like this, the stakes around supporting him only get higher. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Loftin Created A Royals Roster Debate That Isnt Going Away
Nick Loftin spent the 2026 season doing exactly what players on the roster bubble are supposed to do: make the decision harder. He put together a career-best batting line, logged 118 games, and kept showing up wherever the Royals needed him, handling multiple infield spots while turning in enough value to finish with a 1.3 WAR. His work at third base even earned a Gold Glove nomination, a sign that his defensive reputation has started to catch up to the versatility he has offered all year.
The problem for Loftin is that progress does not always equal a clear lane the next season. Kansas City has competition at several infield positions, and while Loftin has made himself more useful, the outfield is still not an obvious answer for him because of the defensive questions there. So the Royals are left weighing a player who helped them in a lot of different ways against a roster picture that may still push him back into the same utility role, even after his best season yet. [Read more 🡒]