2 players from last year's KC Royals team who will be missed, 3 who won't

The KC Royals will miss Yuli Gurriel

Looking for offensive depth after first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken thumb, the Royals acquired Yuli Gurriel in a minor-league trade with the Atlanta Braves on August 31. Fortunately, Pasquantino ended up recovering in time for the playoffs, but the Royals' trade for Gurriel was still an overall success, with the 40-year-old being one of the team's more effective hitters over the last few weeks of the regular season.

Upon being traded from the Braves' minor leagues, Gurriel was immediately promoted to the majors in Kansas City. He played in 18 games for the Royals before the end of the regular season, and while his .241/.338/.296 line with 6 RBI and 1 stolen base in 65 plate appearances placed him below average amongst MLB hitters, he still managed a career-high 13.8% walk rate and surpassed his career average in exit velocity. He went on to play in all six of the Royals' postseason games, managing four much-needed hits when much of the team's offense had gone cold.

Having become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, Gurriel signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres on February 17. His deal included an invite to spring training, and he played in his first Cactus League game as a Padre on February 22.

Gurriel's stint with the Royals was brief, but he offered offensive output when it was needed most, and brought a mature energy to the clubhouse during the team's first postseason berth in almost a decade. While his 4 hits in the playoffs weren't enough to prove he was worth a new deal for the 2025 season, the fact that the Royals never found the middle-of-the-lineup bat they were looking for this winter means Gurriel's offense may be missed this year, even if it was only ever mediocre.