Who exactly the Kansas City Royals would bring in to address their desperate need for outfield reinforcements has been the dominant talking point amongst fans and pundits to start the offseason.

And when Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported ahead of the Winter Meetings that the Royals were in search of a pair of outfielders, “one through free agency and the other through trade”, it only fueled the curiosity of the Royals faithful of what exactly J.J. Picollo and Co. had up their sleeves.

Well, the day after the league’s brains trusts said their goodbyes and left Orlando, the Royals have managed to at least find a solution to half of that equation as it was announced Thursday evening they’d reportedly signed veteran free agent Lane Thomas to a contract, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com would later confirm that terms of the deal are one year, $5.25 million.

Lane Thomas has agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Royals, per source. The deal includes $1 million in incentives. @WillSammon was on it.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 11, 2025

On the surface, it may seem a tad underwhelming given how he’s struggled the past few seasons, but perhaps the Royals might be an ideal place for him to bounce back.

Lane Thomas and the Royals are a better fit than you might think

At first glance, is Thomas the sexiest move the Royals could have made? No.

After all, this is a guy who only appeared in 39 games with the Cleveland Guardians in 2025 after his season was cut short due to multiple stints on the IL. And when he managed to get on the field, he was rendered largely ineffective, slashing just .160/.246/.272 with four homers, 11 RBI and a measly 48 wRC+.

However, if you put his season of nightmares in 2025 aside and focus more on 2024, the fit suddenly starts to make a lot more sense.

Sure he was only a .709 OPS and 99 wRC+ hitter that year, but he did something the Royals desperately need from a corner outfielder…he hit left-handed pitching.

Earlier in the offseason, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the Royals were seeking a right-handed platoon bat “who can complement the left-handed hitting Jac Caglianone in right field” and Thomas fits that description to a T.

In his 2024 season, split between the Nationals and the Guardians, Thomas looked excellent against southpaws, slashing .302/.386/.492 with a 145 wRC+.

And at $5.25 million, he fits the financial requirements that Picollo had set out for a short side platoon bat, as per the aforementioned Feinsand report, after saying he “[didn’t] want to spend a lot of money on the short side of a platoon.”

What’s also a plus about Thomas is the fact that when he’s at his best (or at least healthy), he can also be a strength to the Royals’ defensive versatility as well a threat on the basepaths.

Thomas has spent a substantial amount of time patrolling center field. While he might not come close to Kyle Isbel’s Gold Glove-caliber fielding, the existing Royals center fielder wasn’t anything to write home about offensively in 2025 with a 79 wRC+ and thus shouldn’t have a strangle hold on a full-time starting role. Thomas could allow the Royals to get Isbel out of the lineup a bit more against southpaws for more favorable matchups on a day-to-day basis.

Then, on the basepaths, putting the injury-ridden 2025 season aside, Thomas was a force to be reckoned with, swiping 20 bags in 2023 and 32 in 2024 while posting above average BsR totals in each season – he sported a 1.7 mark in 2023 and then a 4.0 clip in 2024.

He’ll need to bounce back after the painful season that just was, but if he’s healthy, there’s no reason to see why he can’t thrive in a lower pressure platoon role with the Royals in 2026.