KC Royals News: J.J. Picollo targets offense, Out on Alex Bregman, Michael Massey

Between re-signing Michael Wacha and trading Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer, the Kansas City Royals have been one of the more active teams in MLB this offseason. Still, there's plenty of work left to be done if the Royals want to back up their 2024 comeback season with another playoff campaign next year, and with the Winter Meetings slated to start in less than a week, more moves could be coming very soon.

From batting needs to clubhouse culture, here is a Kansas City news roundup for December 2.

KC Royals News: J.J. Picollo looking for bat for middle of the lineup

If there's one thing that was obvious after the Royals' playoff campaign in 2024, it was that the team's offense needed boosting. One issue was their lack of leadoff hitter, which has now been solved by the recent acquistion of Jonathan India in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. Still, the team needs to add power to the middle of their lineup, and according to The Kansas City Star's Jaylon Thompson, and Royals general manager J.J. Picollo knows it.

"I think we’ve still got to be on the lookout for something that continues to lengthen our lineup out," Picollo said this week. "If we are able to get something that helps out the middle of the lineup, we’d be really happy."

There are a number of hitters available in free agency who could potentially fit the Royals needs, including Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander, Tyler O'Neill, and Jurickson Profar. Should the team look to trade targets, the St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado and Arizona Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy are both options rumored to be available this winter.

KC Royals News: Royals "will not make an offer" on Alex Bregman

As mentioned above, the Royals are in the market for offensive power, but according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman is not a consideration.

"The Royals are not “in” on Bregman," Bowden wrote on November 29. "Their trade for Jonathan India solved their leadoff and infield need. They will not make an offer for Bregman, according to team sources."

While the Royals' infield is arguably overstocked right now — especially after the recent addition of India — Bregman would be an obvious offensive upgrade over Mikael Garcia at third base. A number of the team's current infielders have extensive injury histories to consider, as well, and with the Royals looking for reliable offense as they pursue another playoff berth, their decision not to consider Bregman is somewhat surprising.

With the Houston Astros in 2024, Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 581 at-bats.

KC Royals News: Michael Massey looks back on "close" clubhouse in 2024

Despite two unfortunate stints on the injured list, Royals second baseman Michael Massey had plenty of great moments during the 2024 season. In 332 regular-season at-bats, he posted a .259/.294/.449 line with 14 home runs and 45 RBI, putting up career-best numbers in runs (45), batting, slugging, and OPS (.743). Massey then appeared in all six of Kansas City's playoff games, batting .304 with 7 hits, including a game-tying RBI in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.

Looking back on 2024, Massey told Southwest Regional Publishing's The Reporter that the Royals' positive clubhouse culture was a big contributor to their historic comeback season, and noted that the team "did a really good job at coming back in games."

"Games that we were down, we were able to steal back a lot of them," Massey said. "It felt like we were never out of it. A lot of that goes toward how close we are on and off the field... It is a testament to our coaching staff, training staff, and organization as a whole. We are trying to keep that momentum heading into 2025."

Massey was the Royals' everyday second baseman this season, but with the recent acquisition of India, his role for next year is in question. India is slated to be the team's leadoff hitter in 2025 — a role the Royals unsuccessfully tried to fill with a number of batters, including Massey, during 2024 — so the new addition will almost certainly take preference when it comes to claiming second base. While the team's plans for Massey remain unclear for now, it's likely he will transition into a utility role.