KC Royals: 3 needed additions to the 40-man roster

With 2020 in the review mirror for the KC Royals, building on the last part of the season and adding quality players to the 40-man roster is needed.

One area the KC Royals improved this year was allowing young talent to grow. Many times in the past it appeared that prospects were not called up in order to obtain as much team control as possible before free agency. This year’s decision to have Brady Singer, Tyler Zuber, and Kris Bubic join the major league roster is hopefully a shift in the club’s thinking.

Singer and Bubic proved they were up to the challenge by at the very least meeting expectations, if not exceeding them. This should open the door for other promising youngsters to get their chances.

It will be tempting to some to include Bobby Witt Jr. and Asa Lacy to this list—their ceilings seem unlimited, after all. Because of their little, or in Lacy’s case no, experience in the minor leagues, it is wise to let them begin the season with an affiliate unless they plow through the competition and the Royals have a need at their positions.

The first players that should be considered have had success at the minor league level and will be able to help in areas that Kansas City needs. Having a few veterans sprinkled on the 40-man roster is wise, but signing them this offseason as a security blanket instead of giving the future of the club an opportunity will not breed confidence in the players or the fans.

Being added to the 40-man roster does not mean they have to start the year in the majors but it does ensure they can be called up if needed without making multiple other roster moves. There are some obvious targets to remove from the current alignment, which should make these decisions easy.

The way Mike Matheny and staff allowed the aforementioned players, along with allocating big league experience to Edward Olivares, Nick Heath, and Carlos Hernandez, should pay dividends soon.