Do the KC Royals have big plans for the offseason?

The KC Royals want to get back to winning, but it seems that there is still work to be done. Do they have big plans for the offseason?

The KC Royals finished the 2020 season with a record of 26-34, a .433 win percentage. It was good enough to not be last in the American League Central but only good enough for 4th place. The pitching staff seemed to turn things around from recent years, and while there were good offensive games, there were plenty of instances where the bats just didn’t come through.

As a whole, it seems things are trending upward, though there is still plenty of work to be done. For that reason, something included in a recent piece from Jeffrey Flanagan could raise some questions.

Flanagan in his inbox piece answered questions from fans on twitter. One fan asked about the timeline for the rebuild and Flanagan’s answer was short and simple.

"“The rebuild is over. The Royals want to win now.” mlb.com"

This comment is interesting to think about. The Royals have plenty of young talent about ready to go, especially in the pitching department. Brady Singer and Kris Bubic were just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to starting talent, and there are plenty that could help in the bullpen if needed as well.

There are some holes to fill around the field, but most players are either set in their spot, such as Adalberto Mondesi, likely filling a newer spot like Hunter Dozier at first, or could possibly come from the minor leagues like the outfield.

The Royals of 2020 though had some big issues to fix if they were going to win in the postseason. The pitching was better but some consistency is needed. The beginning of the season was a bit of a struggle with starters out, but still, the young arms need some more time.

The defense came around, though it did start off slow. And the offense needs help. The Royals were unable to hit when it was needed and missed plenty of opportunities with runners in position, or the bases loaded.

In 2020, Kansas City hit for a .244 average. This won’t cut it, and it might speak to the need for a change in the pitching philosophy in Kansas City.

So, the fact that the Royals believe the rebuild is over and that it is now time to win is curious.

There are obvious things that need to be fixed if the Royals hope to see the postseason. There are still some young players to sort through, and some current players that need to step it up. It seems as though the Royals know, or feel like they know, something fans don’t.

Could this mean there are bigger plans for the offseason? While it’s typically laughable to think the Royals will do something big, little is still known about how aggressive the new ownership group plans to be. If winning is what they want, the money may start to flow a little more than in previous years.

The Royals started moving through their young prospects in 2020, but if a free agent is available for the right price that could help push this team in the right direction, they could be buyers.

The Royals should be an interesting team to watch as the offseason progresses. They tend to be small spenders but with the desire to win in place, things could be a little different.

Either way, it’s nice for fans to know that the rebuild is ending and it’s time to win in Kansas City.

According to the Royals, the rebuild is over. It’s about time the Royals make it back to the postseason.