KC Royals News: Praise for Bobby Witt Jr., Kris Bubic's mindset, Wil Myers retires

Aside from a few minor league deals, the last week has been relatively quiet for the Kansas City Royals — but that could change at any time. While the team has historically shied away from making any big deals over the Christmas period, the Royals still have work to do before Opening Day, and as the winter drags on, the list of suitable free agent and trade options is shrinking.

As fans wait for general manager J.J. Picollo to make his next move, here is a Royals news roundup for December 24.

KC Royals News: Bobby Witt Jr. is one of MLB.com's "10 signature players" of 2024

Witt may have had best single season in Royals history this year, and he has a seemingly endless list of awards and accolades to prove it. Now, MLB.com has recognized his incredible campaign by naming him a "signature player" of the 2024 season, listing him as No. 8 on the site's list of "10 players who made their mark on the sport more than any other."

"It took a moonshot year from Judge to keep Witt away from the AL MVP Award, but the 24-year-old phenom made it obvious in 2024 that he’s going to win one eventually," MLB.com's Will Leitch wrote on December 23. "Witt is just fantastic at everything on a baseball field, leading the Majors in both batting average (.332) and hits (211) while posting a 30-30 season and capturing AL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards."

Witt recorded a career-best .332/.389/.588 slashline this season, with 32 home runs and 109 RBI in 709 plate appearances. Along with earning his first All-Star selection, the star slugger became the first shortstop in history to achieve multiple seasons with 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and received the season's largest payout from the pre-arbitration bonus pool for his achievements.

KC Royals News: Kris Bubic says his "mentality was different" in the bullpen, will take "the aggressiveness" into 2025

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just over six weeks, and while the Royals have Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha locked in at the top of their rotation, the remaining two starters for 2025 are yet to be confirmed. One frontrunner is former-starter Bubic, who posted career-best stats out of the bullpen this season after returning from Tommy John surgery.

In a phone interview with MLB.com's Anne Rogers on December 20, Bubic said that he "can still be in a reliever mindset in a starter’s capacity."

"When I went into the bullpen, my stuff was different," he said, comparing his strong 2024 campaign to the subpar numbers he posted as part of the Royals' rotation. "My mentality was different. And just because you go back to being a starter doesn’t mean that stuff necessarily changes. For me, it’s going to be the same mindset. That’s what I can take from a bullpen experience like that: The aggressiveness. I’m excited to get to camp and build up and see what’s to come."

The Royals utilized Bubic as a starter from his MLB debut in 2020 until Tommy John surgery prematurely ended his 2023 season, but the results were a long way from anything they'd want to repeat. In 27 starts during 2022 — Bubic's last full season — the left-hander went 3-13 with a 5.58 ERA, recording the highest WHIP (1.70), worst OBP-against (.381), and highest percentage of line drives (25.8%) of all MLB pitchers that year. He only managed three starts in 2023 before landing on the IL, and only pitched out of the bullpen this season.

In 30.1 relief innings this year, Bubic accumulated a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and .261 OBP-against, with a walk rate of just 4.1%. If he can replicate those numbers in the rotation, Bubic will be a fierce fourth starter, but he'll need to prove he's up to the task at spring training.

KC Royals News: Former Royals prospect Wil Myers announces the end of his baseball career

Wil Myers hasn't appeared in a major league game since he was released by the Cincinnati Reds on June 23, 2023, and this week, the former Royals prospect told MLB.com's AJ Cassavell that he won't be back.

"I had a great career," Myers said on December 19. "I loved what I did. I made a lot of great friends. I have no regrets. If you had told me the day I was drafted that this would be your career, I would’ve taken it in a heartbeat. I loved what I did, and now it’s just kind of onto the next chapter of life."

Myers was selected by the Royals as a catcher in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft, and made his professional debut that same year with the organization's Rookie-league affiliates. After dominating at the plate between Class A and Class A-Advanced in 2010, he was promoted to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2011, where he transitioned to playing the outfield. In 2012 — his last season in the Royals' organization — Myers slashed .314/.387/.600 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI in 591 PA between Double-A and Triple-A, and was selected to appear in the All-Star Futures Game.

On December 9, 2012, the Royals traded Myers to the Tampa Bay Rays along with infielder Patrick Leonard and pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Mike Montgomery. KC received pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis, plus a player to be named later (utility man Elliot Johnson), in return.

Myers made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2013, winning Rookie of the Year for his campaign. He went on to play a total of 11 major league seasons, including eight for the San Diego Padres, before being released, and although he never officially retired — "And I never will officially retire," he told MLB.com — his last MLB appearance was on May 23, 2023.