KC Royals News: Alec Marsh poised for breakout, potential Michael Lorenzen reunion

The Kansas City Royals have fallen quiet over the last few weeks, but with spring training creeping closer, there's still plenty of work to do. The team is still apparently focused on acquiring a middle-of-the-order bat, but since there's been little movement on that front, rumors have continued to swirl about other potential upgrades for the roster.

From one starter poised for a breakout season to a top free agent target, here is a Royals news roundup for December 31.

KC Royals News: Alec Marsh listed as team's "breakout player to watch in 2025"

Going into spring training, Alec Marsh is a top contender to earn a spot in the Royals' starting rotation, despite a difficult season in 2024. Now, MLB.com's Anne Rogers has picked the 26-year-old as Kansas City's "breakout player to watch in 2025."

"Marsh will be the first to say he had some good stretches and bad ones in ‘24, but the Royals will be looking for him to take a step forward in ‘25," Rogers wrote on December 30. "They’re down a starter after trading Brady Singer to the Reds and will need their other homegrown pitchers to step up and help fill those innings. The 26-year-old Marsh should get every opportunity to do so."

Marsh started the 2024 season in the Royals' starting rotation, but after accumulating a disappointing 6.14 ERA in 11 appearances through June and July, he was optioned to Triple-A on July 31. Veteran Michael Lorenzen — who the Royals acquired at the trade deadline — took his place as the team's fifth starter, but when Lorenzen suffered a hamstring strain just a month later, Marsh was recalled for another chance. Unfortunately, he was only marginally more effective the second time around, and the right-hander finished the 2024 season with a 9-9 record, 4.53 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP in 129 innings.

All eyes are on Marsh to redeem himself in 2025, and with two spots available in the starting rotation behind Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha, there's never been a better time for him to have a breakout season.

KC Royals News: Could there be a reunion with Michael Lorenzen?

Although fans were less than impressed with the Royals trading away prospect Walter Pennington in July 2024, the team needed pitching reinforcements down the stretch, and they got exactly that in Lorenzen. Despite the veteran starter suffering a hamstring injury at the end of August that sidelined him for the end of the regular season, Lorenzen was a great addition to the Royals' rotation, and on December 28, MLB.com's Anne Rogers named him as the "realistic free-agent target" that best fits the Royals this winter.

"Offensive pursuits aside, the Royals would like to add depth to their pitching staff and find a versatile pitcher who can appear in the rotation or bullpen depending on the club’s needs," Rogers wrote. "What better fit, then, than Lorenzen, who did exactly that for the Royals last season after they acquired him from the Rangers a day before the Trade Deadline?"

"The Royals have two open rotation spots heading into Spring Training," Rogers continued. "Lorenzen would fit well into one of them while increasing the competition for others — and bringing his bullpen experience for versatility."

This offseason, Lorenzen's agent has been marketing him as a two-way player in a plan to circumvent the MLB-imposed roster limit on pitchers, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, despite the fact that the starter hasn't more than one plate appearance in a season since 2019. MLB limits the number of pitchers on each team's 26-man roster to 13, but two-way players don't count towards that total. For this plan to work, Lorenzen would sign with a non-contending team, get the required number of plate appearances during the first half of the season to qualify as a two-way player, and then be traded to a contending team (with an inflated value) as a 14th pitcher.

If that plan works, the Royals are unlikely to see Lorenzen back on their roster this season — but if it doesn't, he could be a solid target for the team in free agency. Kansas City is obviously prioritizing offensive needs now, with a particular focus on finding a middle-of-the-order power bat, but if the Royals decide to dip into free agency again, Lorenzen is a good choice to provide depth to both the rotation and bullpen.