For Royals fans looking for an upgrade in the lineup, two options are already off the board.
Free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres of the Tigers and outfielder Trent Grisham of the Yankees both accepted the one-year Qualifying Offer to remain with their respective teams. Also accepting are pitchers Shota Imanaga of the Cubs and Brandon Woodruff of the Brewers. Each player will receive a salary of $22.025 million, the average of the highest 125-paid players, or they can work out a new deal with their respective club.
Torres was a free agent last year, but found a weak market and signed with the Tigers on a one-year deal. He had a great first half and earned an All-Star nod, but slumped in the second half and finished at .256/.358/.387 with 16 home runs and 2.9 rWAR. The Tigers also have Jace Jung, Zach McKinstry, Javier Baez, and Colt Keith in their infield.
Grisham had a career year at the plate this year, but an inconsistent track record prior to this year. He hit .235/.348/.464 with a career-high 34 home runs, and interestingly, he hit much better away from Yankee Stadium with 21 home runs on the road. He struggles against lefties, but is just 29 years old and is a solid defender.
Imanaga had a 3.73 ERA in 25 starts this year, a regression from his impressive rookie numbers in 2024. The Cubs declined a three-year club option that would have paid him $57 million, and he declined a $15 million player option. Instead, the 32-year-old lefty will return to the Cubs on the Qualifying Offer.
Woodruff is a two-time All-Star who has been limited to just 23 starts over the last three years due to injury. He had a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts this year, missing time with shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old gives the Brewers a high-upside arm on a short-term deal, and he can better establish his value for next offseason.
Nine other players rejected a Qualifying Offer and will become free agents – Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Edwin DÃaz, Zac Gallen, Michael King, Ranger Suárez, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker, and Framber Valdez. Any team that signs one of these players will have to forfeit draft pick compensation, depending on their status as a competitive balance tax payer, or revenue-sharing recipient. The Royals are a revenue-sharing recipient, so they would have to forfeit their third-highest draft pick next summer, which amounts to a second-round pick.
Since the Qualifying Offer system was implemented in 2012, 144 players have been given an offer, and just 18 have accepted. The four free agents this offseason is the most to accept in one year, eclipsing the three that accepted in 2015 (Brett Anderson, Colby Rasmus, Matt Wieters).