Betting on Tony Gonsolin is the type of high-upside gamble the Royals need to take

The Kansas City Royals signed Tony Gonsolin to a one-year contract in mid-August, allowing him to finish his rehab and pitch in the major leagues for the first time since June 4, 2025. That contract also came with a team option for 2027 for just $2.5 million, which the Royals exercised earlier this week.

At that price, the decision to bring Gonsolin back was a no-brainer. The righty will turn 33 in May next season and has had extended stretches of brilliance on the mound despite injuries affecting every season of his career.

Gonsolin made his MLB debut in 2019 for the Dodgers and had a sub-3.00 ERA in 40 innings. In the shortened 2020 season, he looked just as good, pitching to a 2.31 ERA in 46 innings. Multiple injuries affected his 2021 season, but when he was on the mound, he had a 3.23 ERA in over 50 innings.

Picking up Tony Gonsolin's team-option was a no-brainer for the Royals

The season that everyone will point to when talking about what Gonsolin can do came back in 2022. He made 24 starts and logged 130 innings with a 2.14 ERA. He was an All-Star for the Dodgers, but missed all of September due to a right forearm strain. He held opponents to a .536 OPS and 5.46 hits per nine innings.

Gonsolin struggled in 2023 and again dealt with multiple injuries. He missed all of 2024 after undergoning Tommy John surgery. He then returned in 2025, but only covered 36 innings. The Dodgers DFA'd him at the end of the season.

While it will have been five years since Gonsolin's All-Star season, there have been shades of that pitcher in parts of different seasons since. A $2.5 million salary is not much to pay for the chance to get that caliber of pitcher. Even if he can provide 100 innings with an ERA in the threes, that's worth the salary.

The Royals need to flesh out the back end of their rotation for 2027. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Noah Cameron will all have spots on Opening Day, but the other two spots are currently wide open. Gonsolin could easily fill that spot and raise the ceiling of the entire rotation. If he can't find his form and struggles, the Royals have lost little more than the cost of a platoon bat.

This is the perfect low-risk, high-reward type of move the Royals should be making. They need to make improvements this offseason, but finding some innings for a low-cost player who could be an All-Star if everything goes right is a championship-winning move.

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