Kansas City Royals

Off-season Overview:

The royals started this off-season incredibly slowly, but they have since made some interesting moves. Kansas City re-signed Zack Greinke and added former Rays SP Ryan Yarbrough as well as an aging Aroldis Champman. The Royals also sent SS Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox for Left handed relief pitcher Josh Taylor. All this to say, Kansas City had a productive offseason improving its weakest aspect - the pitching staff. The offense is young and full of potential. The Royals will be led by its standout young talent through SS Bobby Witt, C MJ Melendez, 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, and Nick Pratto. Add in some veteran leadership with C Salvador Perez and IF/OF Hunter Dozier and this team carries some promise into 2023.

Ceiling:

A 2nd place AL Central finish and just missing the playoffs. Kansas City has improved and has a promising future. This is not the year, however. While the Royals offense may offer some reprieve, the pitching staff, while improved, leaves a lot to be desired. Grienke is 39 and no longer an ace. Brady Singer had a great second half in 2022 but needs to show more consistency. Otherwise, there is more uncertainty in the rotation. The bullpen certainly improved with Chapman and Taylor, but who knows what version of Chapman we will see. If Chapman does return to form, it is the best bargain signs of the off-season.

Floor:

Another 5th place AL Central finish. Youth can be a great thing for an organization, but there's not a lot of experienced leadership in Kansas City to keep them on the right track. Perez is solid, but not enough. If the lack of experience prevails all season, the Royals are in for a rude awakening. There's a lot of promise, but if even just a few of their pieces don't work out, this team can have a tough year.

My Prediction:

A 4th place AL Central finish. While I'm very excited to watch this team and believe their future is incredibly bright, I don't think the Royals are as good as the White Sox, Twins, or Guardians yet. But stay tuned Royals fans, the future is bright and closer than you think.

-- Cyrus Beermann