KC Royals GM J.J. Picollo reveals surprising plans for 2025 starting rotation

The Kansas City Royals made their first big move of the offseason on November 3, re-signing veteran starter Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract with an option and incentives that could bring the deal's value up to $72 million over four seasons. The signing got an early jump on a major roster concern, seemingly locking in the team's starting pitching before the offseason market even got fully underway.

Now, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo has addressed the status of the team's starting rotation, speaking to MLB.com at the annual GM Meetings in San Antonio this week.

“We’re very comfortable with our starting pitching right now," Picollo said. "You’ve got Wacha, [Seth] Lugo, [Cole] Ragans, [Brady] Singer, [Alec] Marsh. Kris Bubic was in the bullpen this past year, but we believe he’s a starter. Daniel Lynch went to the bullpen and did a nice job, but he’s another one who could be a starter. We don’t expect to be in the market for a starter moving forward.”

In 2024, the Royals' starting rotation ranked second among all MLB teams with a combined 3.55 ERA, so the fact that the front office would want to recreate that magic in 2025 certainly isn't surprising. Lugo, Ragans, and Singer were already locked in to return next season, and Wacha is now secured on a new deal, keeping him in the rotation for the foreseeable future — but one name on Picollo's list was more surprising, and one name was notably absent.

Alec Marsh will get another shot as the KC Royals' fifth starter

While it was already locked in that Wacha, Lugo, Ragans, and Singer would be returning to the rotation in 2025, Marsh getting another chance was less certain.

Marsh started 2024 as the Royals' fifth starter, but was optioned to the minors on July 31 to make room on the 40-man roster for closer Lucas Erceg. The 26-year had accumulated an underwhelming 6.14 ERA in his 11 appearances through June and July, so it wasn't particularly surprising when he was sent down to Triple-A and newly-acquired veteran Michael Lorenzen took his place in the rotation.

In the minors, Marsh continued to work on the control and mechanical issues that had ailed him earlier in the season, and Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney told MLB.com that the right-hander would benefit from the step back.

“He needed to find a consistent delivery to put him in a good spot,” Sweeney said in July. “He needed to work on the sweeper. Let him go down, give him a [breather] so he can work on things. Not that he couldn’t do that up here, but I think it was really good for him to have another voice, take a breath and find some things that might have been missing.”

When Lorenzen landed on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring strain at the end of August, Marsh was recalled from Triple-A to rejoin the rotation — though he was only marginally more effective than he had been previously. He ended the 2024 season with a 9-9 record, 4.53 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP in 129 innings of work.

Admittedly, Marsh's 2024 stats showed a marked improvement from his rookie season in 2023, especially in his walk rate and home run rate. With continued development, he has a lot of potential — but time is running out for him to meet it. The Royals are chasing another playoff berth, and if Marsh can't be consistent on the mound, there's unlikely to be much lenience before he's once again replaced in the rotation.

Will the KC Royals use Kyle Wright as a starter in 2025?

One notably absent name from Picollo's list of 2025 starters was right-hander Kyle Wright.

The Royals acquired Wright in a trade with the Atlanta Braves on November 17, 2023, knowing that it would be at least a season before he'd throw a single pitch for them. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule just a month prior to the trade, and now almost a year later, Kansas City only recently reactivated him from the injured list.

Wright was able to make just nine appearances for the Braves in 2023, but prior to his shoulder injury, he was at the top of his game. In 2022, he posted a 21-5 record and 3.19 ERA, recording the most wins of any pitcher in MLB that year and helping Atlanta win the NL East Division for the sixth consecutive season.

Now ready to make his debut with the Royals, it remains to be seen whether Wright will be able to return to the form he showed off in 2022 — or if he'll even get the chance.

Perhaps the Royals are planning to start the season with Wright in the bullpen until they see how he handles being back post-surgery, or perhaps the front office is concerned that his pre-2022 stats — including a career-ERA of 6.56 — are more indicative of his true talent. Perhaps the team always intended to use Wright as a reliever and now see him as an option to bolster their underperforming bullpen before 2025.

Regardless of the reason, Picollo leaving Wright's name off the list of starting pitchers means he won't be in the rotation come Opening Day. Will he end up being needed throughout the season, especially if Marsh doesn't improve from his 2024 stats? Only time will tell.