Kansas City Royals news: Lottery luck lands in MLB Draft

Lady Luck smiled on the Kansas City Royals in the 2026 MLB Draft lottery on Tuesday, much to the pleasure of the front office.

“It’s awesome. It’s exciting,” said Royals general manager J.J. Picollo. “We had less than a one percent chance of getting the first pick, we probably should have been closer to 16, so to get the sixth pick, you feel like there’s a little vindication. We dropped in previous years. We were so disappointed a couple of years there with how much we fell with good chances, high percentages, to get the first pick and we tumbled. To hit a year where we had good fortune, that’s exciting for us. It’s a great opportunity for the scouting department. Excited to see what we can do with that pick.”

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal details how Jonathan India’s return may not be impacting Kansas City in free agency.

An $8 million salary is high for a hitter whose OPS-plus was 11 percent below league average last season. But non-tendering India would have left the Royals with a hole at second base, and the savings would not have dramatically altered their outfield pursuits. They’re shopping for inexpensive types, which is why a deal for Harrison Bader seems unlikely.

Bader, perhaps the top free-agent outfielder after Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, is seeking at least a three-year contract with an AAV between $10 million and $15 million, according to people briefed on his market. The Royals want to add two outfielders at lesser salaries.

David Lesky patrols the rumor mill for the Royals at Inside the Crown.

This time of year is fun because the possibilities are kind of endless. There starts to be an end eventually, but we’re not there yet with so much of the offseason left to be played out. I think I wrote on Friday that I have a plan/goal to attend the Winter Meetings at some point in my life, but that year is not this year. So I’m relying on the reports we see and little snippets of information I’m able to get from people who are hanging around and have much better sources than I do. That doesn’t make it any less fun. The rumor mill is one of my favorite things about sports. Then it sometimes becomes the worst when the rumors you want to happen don’t happen, but we can deal with that when the time comes.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy gives a positive outlook for Kansas City’s new assistant hitting coach Connor Dawson.

Dawson has been with the Brewers and Seattle Mariners. He joined the Brewers under Murphy after the 2021 season. Players quickly gravitated toward his coaching style and daily routines. It didn’t go unnoticed by Murphy. He expressed his gratitude for Dawson as he begins the latest chapter in his professional career. “I think he’ll be impactful,” Murphy said. “You know, he’s been a part of a lot of young players. I know some of the Royals players well. You’ve got one of the best young players in the game in (Bobby) Witt Jr. You have other great players and leaders like Salvy (Salvador Perez). Connor will be a big impact.”

Craig Brown is in Groundhog Day, whilst evaluating a rumored Royals trade target.

I think I’m at risk of overvaluing Royals players in a trade for a player like Meyers. Even though Bubic has just a year before he hits free agency and has battled injury in each of the last three seasons, his upside as a staff ace means I wouldn’t want to part with him for Meyers. While I believe Noah Cameron is set to take a step back, his years of team control remaining carry some value. More than a straight swap for a historically defense-first center fielder.

The Royals already have a defense-first center fielder in Kyle Isbel. In fact, while Meyers is a year older than Isbel, both have followed the same path offensively-speaking for the most part throughout their careers.

Leawood and Overland Park residents come “together as part of a growing, vocal effort to oppose a Royals stadium in the Kansas City suburb.”

A spokesperson for the Royals said the team remains in serious talks about all three sites where stadium proposals have been pitched. But the Johnson County residents who spoke during Monday’s meeting are frustrated with the lack of transparency coming from the team and state officials. “There is clearly work going on with no work presented from Johnson County, Overland Park or Royals ownership,” resident Amanda Palan said. “Residents should be informed or polled about billion-dollar projects that will change the character of their community.”

T-Mobile states they will leave the Aspira campus if the Royals move there. Fox4KC has more on the company’s statement.

Baseball America’s top 10 Royals prospects sees Carter Jensen in the top spot, while two current Columbia pitchers rank second and third.

Redbird Rants’ Josh Jacobs calls Noah Cameron “an underwhelming centerpiece of a Brendan Donovan trade.”

Last Word on Sports’ Kirby Ingles argues that Kansas City has a “standards issue.”

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider “feels bad” about criticism towards Isiah Kiner-Falefa for getting thrown out at home plate in Game 7 of the World Series.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is “not focused” on possibly losing ace Tarik Skubal this offseason.

Kyle Schwarber returns to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year, $150 million contract.

Edwin Diaz leaves the New York Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million pact.

Cleveland baseball writer Paul Hoynes won the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

AP names Shohei Ohtani their Male Athlete of the Year for fourth time.

Never fear, The Bandwagon Guide to the MLB Hot Stove is here.

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Where humans and error meet, there are the Fundies.

What is nPA%, and why is former Royals outfielder Mike Yastrzemski one of the game’s best at it?

Need more numbers? Here is Ken Pomeroy on how coaching challenges have affected college hoops.

Philip Rivers is back in football, joining the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.

Sugar-free Oreos are coming to the United States next year. Double Stuf lovers rejoice!