The Kansas City Royals and outfielder Lane Thomas recently agreed to a contract in free agency. After spending the 2025 season with the Cleveland Guardians, Thomas decided to remain in the American League Central by joining Kansas City.

The 30-year-old outfielder is looking to make an impact with the Royals, and staying healthy will be his priority. In 2025, Thomas was limited to just 39 games played due to injury.

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“Coming off the last few years I had, I haven’t been healthy the whole time,” Thomas said recently, via MLB Network Radio. “I think it was a tough time to be entering free agency. Obviously you kind of play your whole career to get to this point. As much as I didn’t expect it to go the way I expected to playing-wise, I just gotta go out and try to get as many at-bats as possible… Prove that I’m a guy that can go out and give you close to 500 at-bats.”

When healthy, Thomas features the potential of a reliable outfielder. He can play multiple spots in the outfield and often offers a reliable bat. While he struggled with Cleveland, Thomas recorded a .783 OPS to go along with 28 home runs back in 2023 with the Washington Nationals. It goes without saying, but the Royals would be extremely pleased if Thomas can turn back the clock and give them that kind of production.

Staying healthy will be the key for the veteran. If he can accomplish that — and he clearly is focused on it as he said — 2026 could provide a necessary fresh start for Thomas. His underperformance in recent seasons may be fairly concerning, but Thomas’ ceiling remains intriguing.

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The Royals are trying to compete in the AL Central. An offensive upgrade is exactly what they need. Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia are set to lead the offense, but having extra help will only increase their chances of winning an AL Central championship.

Kansas City will be a ball club worth closely monitoring as the offseason moves forward. The Royals have been linked to a number of stars in trade rumors, so they could certainly end up making another notable addition or two.

Regardless of whether or not they make another move, Lane Thomas will be a player to watch throughout the upcoming 2026 campaign.