3 KC Royals players who should have a reduced role in 2025, if not traded first

The Kansas City Royals — the organization and fans alike — have given plenty of players second chances over the years.

Those second chances paid off more often than not in 2024. It's quite safe to say the team's comeback season wouldn't have happened if the Royals had cut bait with team captain Salvador Pérez after the first negative fWAR season, or if they'd listened to the noise (and some analytics) to move future Gold Glove-winning shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to third base. Pitcher Cole Ragans was widely regarded as a forgettable return for Aroldis Chapman in 2023, and now he is one of the league's top young pitchers.

Whether it be trusting the process or having grace, MLB teams largely give their players and executives a second chance, but these third and fourth chances are rare, provided there is a replacement available. There are so many moving parts in a MLB organization, and that human element is a volatile metric that no Baseball Savant slider or FanGraphs leaderboard can measure.

However, from this perspective, there are a few players in Kansas City who merit a second chance — but that needs to be in a smaller role with an opportunity to recapture the Royals' trust if they succeed. It can be as simple as moving to the bench, being a platoon option, or coming in lower-leverage spots. So who are some of the players that Kansas City should keep in smaller roles in 2025?

Chris Stratton, RHP

Chris Stratton’s 2024 performance was one of the clear blemishes on general manager J.J. Picollo’s free-agent class from last offseason. Coming off a World Series championship with the Texas Rangers, Stratton signed a two-year deal with the Royals, and the move made sense at the time, given Kansas City’s bullpen needs and Stratton’s long track record of MLB success.

Unfortunately, that track record came to a screeching halt in his first year with the Royals.

Stratton appeared in 57 games, primarily in single-inning relief, and his 5.55 ERA stands out for all the wrong reasons. Walks became an unexpected issue for the veteran, with his 5.09 BB/9 far exceeding his career mark of 3.71 BB/9. His strikeout rate also fell to a career-worst 6.79 K/9, and his inability to generate swings and misses left many of his outings on the verge of unraveling. This past campaign marked Stratton’s first negative fWAR in a full MLB season, a disappointing outcome for both player and team.

Stratton smartly exercised his $4.5 million player option for the 2025 season, keeping him under contract and on Kansas City's payroll. Few, if any, Royals fans celebrated the development.

Still, there are reasons to give Stratton a second chance rather than cut bait this winter. Stratton has been a positive contributor every full MLB season since 2017, outside of his 2024 showing. Kansas City's bullpen is far from a sure thing, and there will be plenty of opportunities for players to step in and make a name for themselves in middle-inning relief. Stratton has done best in that role across his career, and that continued in 2024. However, his work with the game on the line was so poor, it weighed down his overall Royals debut season.

Someone will need to face the right-handed batters in 2025. Someone will need to pitch in the fifth or sixth inning if a start goes short. He could find a way to help the team while rehabbing his MLB career. However, the leash shouldn’t be endless, and fans shouldn’t expect to see Stratton in save situations anytime soon.