The Kansas City Royals have important work ahead of them this offseason. They have a few holes to fill on their roster after missing the postseason in 2025.
What ultimately failed them was their lack of offense. They needed another big bat to go alongside Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino. But without that piece, they struggled.
They’ll need to add a big bat either via trade or free agency. There are options out there that can help them get better in 2026. Unfortunately, that won’t include a big splash for one of the top free agents.
Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic listed all tiers of likelihood for teams to sign Kyle Tucker, and the Royals were in the “No Chance” tier.
Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) reacts after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning for game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
The Royals are likely in the no chance tier due to the way they operate financially. They’re not a team that’s going to break the bank for a top-tier free agent.
Instead, as a small-market team, they will more often than not choose to draft and develop their talent or make trades. If they do use free agency, they typically will use it to acquire bargain pieces on affordable deals rather than make a big splash.
Tucker would obviously make the Royals a much better team, but they have already handed out a big contract extension to Witt, so they likely won’t want to be tied up in another major financial commitment for a star player.
The Royals will instead focus on finding pieces to add to help them build around Witt. Tucker would allow them to do that, of course, but the way the Royals typically operate suggests that this is highly unlikely, so fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a big splash such as this.
Still, the Royals are looking to improve for 2026 and they need to add some pieces to the roster. Just don’t expect them to be pieces like Tucker, Kyle Schwarber or Alex Bregman. Expect those players to sign with larger-market teams.
It will be interesting to see what the Royals decide to do. There are plenty of affordable options available that could help them out as much as Tucker can, so they’ll be an intriguing team to watch as the 2025-26 offseason unfolds.
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