The Kansas City Royals enter the offseason with a few question marks.
All eyes will be on Royals general manager J.J. Picollo as he attempts to infuse offensive talent around a strong nucleus that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez.
The Royals have sought an impact bat for the last three seasons. They have attempted to fill the void with MLB veterans such as Hunter Renfroe, Tommy Pham, Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski among others.
None have adequately satisfied the Royals’ needs.
As a result, the Royals expedited the arrival of top rookies Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen to the big-league level. While both showed flashes of production — in a small sample size — the Royals need more to compete in the American League Central.
Jensen looked comfortable in his first month with the Royals. He received rave reviews from the coaching staff and teammates for his work behind the plate. Jensen posted a .300 batting average, three home runs and 13 RBIs in his first 20 games.
The Royals hope Jensen can assume backup catching duties while continuing to study under Perez next year. The club plans to exercise Perez’s contract option for the 2026 season and potentially look to sign him to an extension.
However, it could be Caglianone who holds all the cards to the Royals’ offseason.
Caglianone, 22, arrived with a lot of anticipation. In early June, the Royals promoted him to the 26-man roster to help generate more run production. At the time, Picollo wasn’t worried about the positional fit.
“We brought Cags up this year expecting to get a boost there,” Picollo said during his end-of-year interview in September.
The Royals saw Caglianone’s power on display throughout the minor leagues. In his first full professional season, he jumped levels with his own path of destruction. There wasn’t much teams could do to stop his ascension.
Caglianone posted five home runs and 10 RBIs in his first week with the Omaha Storm Chasers in Triple-A. He initially spent 12 games in Omaha before joining the Royals on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
“You know, he was killing Triple-A and doing everything he needed to do as a player to get that promotion,” Picollo said. “And the next step for him was to be in the major leagues.”
For many fans, Caglianone was seen as the potential savior. He would save the Royals offense — which was inconsistent throughout the season — and usher in a new era geared toward winning.
However, it became clear that Caglianone still had a lot to learn. He went through his rookie struggles and posted a .140 batting average in his first 35 games. He struck out 30 times and recorded a .459 OPS (on-base plus slugging) during that span.
Caglianone made a lot of hard contact. There were times he was on the opposite end of a great defensive play. On other occasions, Caglianone struggled with plate discipline, and it boxed him into non-competitive at-bats.
The Royals remained patient as he overcame a hamstring injury and worked through his struggles during a rehab assignment in Triple-A Omaha. He returned in September and looked like an improved hitter.
There was better plate discipline and he drew a handful of walks. His outfield defense also improved, and he seemed more confident in his second big-league stint.
In total, Caglianone finished his rookie campaign with a .157 batting average, seven home runs and 18 RBIs.
“It didn’t go as we may have liked it to have gone,” Picollo said. “But we’ve got to remind ourselves that he is one of the best players in baseball. He was probably on his way to being Minor League Player of the Year. There is a strong belief that he is going to be an outstanding major league player.
“The difficult thing about Cags now is that he beat Triple-A. Even when he went back after his injury, he didn’t miss a beat. So he is going to have to do a lot of his learning in the major leagues. But it doesn’t take away from the upside, the talent and what he is going to do.”
Now, the Royals need to see Caglianone’s power on full display.
This offseason, the Royals must figure out their outfield production. The free-agent market is top-heavy with potential options — Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker and Trent Grisham — all set to receive hefty contracts.
It’s likely those players will be outside the Royals budget. If a free agent is added, it could be from the second tier of available players.
“I know the outfield production has got to be better,” Picollo said. “You know, we’ve got to play good defense, but we have got to produce as well.”
A potential trade might be an avenue. The Royals could pursue someone like Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran to accommodate their needs. However, a trade would require the Royals to part with some of their starting pitching depth or young prospects.
Offseason trades are easier to navigate but come with some risk. Both sides have to ensure the trade fits their long-term view.
“I like to think we haven’t shown an unwillingness to do that,” Picollo said. “I think we have made some moves along the way that have helped us. I think that is an avenue we have to explore once we get into the offseason.”
Hence, Caglianone is the safest bet to infuse the Royals’ offense. An offseason of development and expected growth can propel the starting lineup forward. Caglianone has a rare power stroke that can play at the MLB level.
A few minor adjustments could help him elevate his game in his second season.
“A lot of it will come down to pitch selection,” Picollo said. “Depending on what pitches he is swinging at, pitchers are trying to get him to hit the ball on the ground. They don’t want him to hit the ball in the air. So how (he adjusts) to what the pitcher is trying to do to him will have a greater effect on how many balls he gets in the air.”
And it could give the Royals the infusion of offense that can potentially get them back to the postseason.