*****Official 2024 Royals Season Repository Thread*****

[ChiefsCountry]

Year Two of the Matt Quatraro tenure. Time to take a step up this year. Active in free agency and trades this offseason. A new look pitching rotation and bullpen. Will the young players take the leap up offensively? Bobby Witt extension? New stadium? Will Vinny recover from injury? Salvy taking aim at the Royals record book? Will Cole Ragans turn into the best Royals starting pitcher since Greinke 1.0?

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Seth Lugo, SP
Michael Wacha, SP
Kyle Wright, SP
Hunter Renfroe, OF/DH
Will Smith, RP
Chris Stratton, RP
Nick Anderson, RP
Adam Frazier, 2B
Garrett Hampson, INF/OF
Matt Sauer, RP

[DJ's left nut]

A lot of the time an innings high isn't something that hits you until next year.

If I'm the Royals, my biggest concern for 2025 is if the burden on the rotation actually rears its head next year. And they don't have a ton of ready replacements in the minors.

Feels like the Royals should go into next season with 7 legitimate rotation options because I wouldn't be surprised if at least 2 of those guys that are carrying the water this year end up breaking down next year.

[Ocotillo]

Blake Mitchell demolishes his 16th homer of the year for the Single-A @ColaFireflies.

Last year's No. 8 pick (@Royals) has the second-most roundtrippers among all players 19 years old or younger in the Minors this season. pic.twitter.com/90xKxWmyfN

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 14, 2024

[Redbled]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

A lot of the time an innings high isn't something that hits you until next year.

If I'm the Royals, my biggest concern for 2025 is if the burden on the rotation actually rears its head next year. And they don't have a ton of ready replacements in the minors.

Feels like the Royals should go into next season with 7 legitimate rotation options because I wouldn't be surprised if at least 2 of those guys that are carrying the water this year end up breaking down next year.

Aren’t several of our starters contracts up?

[GabyKeepsMeWarm]

Originally Posted by Redbled

Aren’t several of our starters contracts up?

Wacha has a player option, and I think Lorenzon is the only other starter coming off the books.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by GabyKeepsMeWarm

Wacha has a player option, and I think Lorenzon is the only other starter coming off the books.

Wacha has a $16 million player option - he'd be wise to decline that and look for a 2-3 year deal if he can finish out the season healthy. He can get $14-15 million per on a 3 year deal pretty easily, IMO.

Lugo is under contract for $15 million (player option for $15 million in '26)

Singer is Arb3 (super 2 player, so still under team control in '26)

Ragans is still pre-arb

I guess Kyle Wright is Arb 2 and could be an option. The Royals traded for him last fall knowing full well they weren't going to have him in '24. It was a pretty savvy little move, actually. I mean Wright may just never recover (shoulder surgeries are scary) but it isn't like they gave up anything with Kowar and Kowar immediately blew up in his own right.

Yeah - Lorenzen is the only UFA the Royals will have from their present starting staff next season.

So at it stands:

Lugo, Ragans, Singer, Wright is a probable 1-4. I'm not sure if the Royals will (or should) be interested in a long-term deal for Wacha. He's been pretty much this same guy for 3 seasons now so he's probably a fair bet to be this guy again next year...for 130 innings or so. Which is about what he usually gives a team. Banking on health for him is a fools errand and at 33 years old next season, he'll be one more injury away from probably on his way out of the league.