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

Maikel Garcia, 3B

At first glance, infielder Maikel Garcia’s 2024 season doesn’t seem too concerning. The 24-year-old Venezuelan followed up his first full MLB campaign with a solid 1.1 fWAR, holding down third base while spending much of the year leading off for Kansas City. Batting in front of one of baseball’s best players, Bobby Witt Jr., is an enviable position. Yet, it’s equally intriguing — and frustrating — to consider how much better the Royals could have been in 2024 if Garcia had merely been an average hitter.

Garcia entered 2024 with high hopes following a promising 2023 season, where he emerged as a valuable everyday third baseman. That year, while the Royals suffered through a 106-loss season, Garcia brought stability to a position that had previously been a revolving door of underperforming players. A natural shortstop, Garcia seamlessly transitioned to third base, surprising many with his defensive prowess. Offensively, he wasn’t stellar but managed a respectable on-base rate, swiped 23 bases, and posted an 83 wRC+. Not All-Star material, but his glove and speed were enough to spark optimism among Royals fans.

That optimism carried into the early months of 2024, bolstered by a power surge in April and a strong on-base approach as the team’s leadoff man in May. Garcia’s combination of speed, defense, and flashes of offensive potential hinted at a player on the verge of breaking out — if only he could sustain those adjustments over a full season.

Those shifts happened; they just didn't favor Garcia.

June was particularly brutal, with Garcia batting just .142 across 27 games, producing a mere 9 wRC+. While he continued to make solid contact, his groundball rate spiked as he attempted to hit more to the opposite field. This approach shift, while admirable in its intent to make him a more well-rounded hitter, backfired. Garcia’s struggles disrupted the top of Kansas City’s lineup, and he never regained his footing at the plate. Though he nearly doubled his home run total from 2023 and recorded a career-high 58 RBIs, his .231/.281/.332 slash line marked a significant step back offensively.

Steamer projections suggest a potential rebound for Garcia at the plate in 2025, but Kansas City can’t afford to bank on that improvement. While his elite defense alongside Witt Jr. makes his bat tolerable lower in the lineup, the Royals already have an abundance of glove-first players who fit that profile.

As the Royals actively pursue middle-of-the-order bats through trades or free agency, targeting third base as an upgrade spot makes sense. While adding a bat-first player to the outfield is logical, improving production at the hot corner could have an equally significant impact. For now, Garcia profiles best as a platoon or late-inning defensive substitution player — a role many teams would value off the bench. Until he proves he can contribute consistently as an everyday player, Kansas City would be wise to pair him with a more reliable, offense-focused option at third base.