What’s next for the Kansas City Royals? Here’s a glimpse at what 2025′s roster may look like
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As he stood at his locker minutes after elimination, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. vowed that Thursday night’s Game 4 exit from the ALDS was not the end for this group but rather the beginning of a bright future.
“It’s not what you want,” Witt Jr. said after Kansas City scored just 3 runs in two home playoff games against the New York Yankees. “Feels like you let a lot of people down when you do things like this but it’s part of the game. It’s something that’ll light a torch in you and leave you a bad taste for the future.”
Kansas City’s 2024 turnaround saw a historic improvement from a franchise-worst 106 losses in 2023 to 86 wins and a playoff series win a year later. Witt Jr. spent an extra few minutes in the Royals’ first base dugout following Thursday night’s season-ending loss, soaking in the pain of defeat.
“Now for Kansas City Royals baseball this is what we want,” he said. “This is what we’re going to do every year. We’re going to be in the postseason. Now, it’s how far are we going to go. It’s not how are we going to get there, but how far are we going to go. That’s what we’re going to work for and that’s what we’re going to do.”
While Witt Jr. was steadfast in the belief that Kansas City will be back in the playoffs next October, the Royals will have several roster moves to make to do so. In February, Kansas City signed Witt Jr. to the largest contract in franchise history. Now, owner John Sherman and general manager J.J. Picollo must determine what else to add around Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Cole Ragans.
Heading into the offseason several Royals will enter free agency -- or have the option to -- including Thursday night’s starting pitcher, Michael Wacha, who has a player option worth $16 million in 2025.
Royals free agents following 2024 season:
| Player | Position | Age | 2024 salary (per Spotrac) | Type of free agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Wacha | SP | 33 | $16,000,000 | Player option ($16 million) |
| Hunter Renfroe | RF | 32 | $6,500,000 | Player option ($7.6 million) |
| Will Smith | RP | 35 | $5,000,000 | UFA |
| Michael Lorenzen | SP | 32 | $4,500,000 | UFA |
| Adam Frazier | 2B | 32 | $4,500,000 | Mutual option ($8.5 million) |
| Chris Stratton | RP | 34 | $4,000,000 | Player option ($4.5 million) |
| Paul DeJong | SS/3B | 31 | $3,000,000 | UFA |
| Tommy Pham | OF | 36 | $3,000,000 | UFA |
| Garrett Hampson | OF/IF | 30 | $2,000,000 | UFA |
| Robbie Grossman | OF/DH | 35 | $1,500,000 | UFA |
| Yulieski Gurriel | 1B/DH | 40 | $1,000,000 | UFA |
Several of the free agents heading into the 2025 season for Kansas City are players who were acquired at the trade deadline or shortly after Vinnie Pasquantino’s broken thumb in late August. Following an off-season where Kansas City spent more than two-thirds of the league, whether Sherman opens up his checkbook for more free agent spending could determine how successful the Royals become in 2025.
In September, Kansas City’s offense ground to a halt. Over the final 25 games of 2024, the Royals were dead last in scoring in baseball. Of course, those struggles can be attributed in part to Pasquantino’s absence. They also can be attributed to a regression from a near league-best batting average with runners in scoring position.
READ MORE: Yankees end Royals remarkable season with 3-1 defeat in Game 4 of ALDS
Eight of the 10 players who are arbitration-eligible for Kansas City this offseason are pitchers, including Brady Singer and Kris Bubic, who played critical roles for the 2024 Royals. But as Kansas City figures out the pieces around its core, the Royals franchise cornerstone remains optimistic about the future.
“This team’s going to be special,” Witt Jr. said. “Royals baseball now is competitive. Teams aren’t going to want to be playing us. It’s gonna be like that for a while.”
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