KC Royals Report Card: Final offseason grades are in

What final grades do the KC Royals deserve for their aggressiveness this winter?

There was no flurry of trades, no key contract extensions, no Fernando Tatis-type blockbuster signings. But the KC Royals, usually boring in the winter, parlayed an uncharacteristic aggressiveness into moves that made them the surprise of this offseason.

Something was definitely different. Typically quiet at first, and as November faded, the Royals burst into action by bringing back pitcher Mike Minor and welcoming center fielder Michael A. Taylor, then cut popular third baseman Maikel Franco just days later. The rapid-fire moves, which would have equaled some previous winters’ entire efforts, signaled change.

Their attention caught by the sudden activity, fans didn’t have to wait long for General Manager Dayton Moore’s next bold move: within a week, he surprisingly signed Cleveland free agent first baseman Carlos Santana to a two-year deal that should finally end the long search for Eric Hosmer’s replacement.

Those deals immediately improved the Royals, but Moore wasn’t done. He re-signed closer Greg Holland, brought back pitchers Ervin Santana and Wade Davis, and grabbed up former Baltimore second baseman Hanser Alberto. And he finally found the lefthanded bat he so badly wanted by pulling the trigger on the big trade that brought Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City.

The Royals had already shown a new side when we gave them good mid-offseason grades a few weeks ago. Now that spring training has ended baseball’s winter, what kind of final marks does the franchise deserve?

For their surprising and refreshing assertiveness, the Royals merit an “A.”  Let’s see what their other winter grades look like.

The KC Royals clearly had a plan for this offseason, and stuck to it.

Opinions vary on Dayton Moore. Some will cite the two American League pennants and one World Series title the Royals have won on his watch as proof he’s successful; others will say three winning seasons in the 14 full years he’s run the team prove he’s failed.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle. But beyond dispute is Moore’s unwavering dedication to process and plan—despite harsh criticism for failing to deliver results sooner, refusal to alter his rebuild strategy led to those pennants and Fall Classic trips.

This winter’s Royal aggressiveness wasn’t spontaneous; spontaneity isn’t something the club does well. From the day the 2020 season ended, Moore, with the obvious blessing of principal owner John Sherman, set out to change the team for the best. And as fans grew restless when activity waned in January and Moore’s well-publicized search for an impact lefthanded bat appeared destined for failure, he clearly never deviated from the plan.

Proof of that came in the late-evening trade that brought lefty hitting Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City 10 days ago. His becoming a Royal had been suggested here before, but with the passage of time seemed as unlikely as Moore getting any lefthanded bat.

Moore and his staff quietly stuck to it, though, and late on a Wednesday night consummated the three-way trade that made Benintendi a Royal. Now, thanks to plan and perseverance, Kansas City has a new left fielder, and that bat the club wanted and needed.

For sticking to its plan to improve, the club deserves an “A.”

And give the Royals a final offseason grade of “A-.”

The KC Royals shed their conservative offseason approach this winter. They deserve good grades for it.