3 KC Royals offseason mistakes that look more glaring everyday

How often are baseball fans reminded that the game is one of failure? Even the best hitters don’t bat 1.000, and the best pitchers don’t throw no-hitters every start. There will always be missteps—and how players respond to them defines their careers. The same holds true for franchises. How a team addresses its shortcomings separates the contenders from the pretenders. The Kansas City Royals investing heavily in their starting rotation from Opening Day 2023 to Opening Day 2024 was proof of a front office decisively and effectively correcting course.

Unfortunately, that same decisiveness didn’t carry over into this past offseason. The Royals made three notable offseason decisions—and through the early part of the season, they’re looking more like missteps than masterstrokes.

Not adding a more bat-first backup catcher

After Kansas City pulled off an improbable comeback against the White Sox on Tuesday, it almost feels tone-deaf to single out backup catcher Freddy Fermin. After all, he’s slashing .346/.370/.385 over his last seven games, and his two-hit performance on Tuesday played a pivotal role in the Royals’ win. But even with Fermin stepping up, the lack of MLB-ready catching depth remains glaring. Kansas City missed a chance this offseason to bring in a reliable role player behind the plate—a missed opportunity that could loom larger as the season wears on.

If Kansas City wasn’t willing to pony up for one of the premier outfield bats in free agency, why not at least take a low-risk gamble on a veteran catcher? Given Fermin’s limited track record, Salvador Perez’s age, and the sizable gap between the majors and the Royals’ catching prospects, adding a bridge option made sense.

In a perfect world, that player would be competent enough to handle designated hitter duties when needed and not be a total liability behind the plate—though, admittedly, those types usually come with a higher price tag. Still, there were better bats than Luke Maile available for next to nothing. Even if the upgrade would’ve been marginal, the Royals should be taking every positive they can get—hypothetical or not—when it comes to adding offense.