3 KC Royals who shouldn't be on the roster after Winter Meetings

Plenty of holes remain on the KC Royals roster ahead of the 2023 Winter Meetings, and this team has not addressed any glaring problems. The bullpen and rotation for 2024 remain shaky at best, and the biggest free-agent grab to date is utilityman Garrett Hampson. However, there are some signs of hope, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers.

"And as baseball’s annual Winter Meetings approach next week in Nashville, the pitching market is starting to move," Rogers wrote. "Per sources, the Royals have been in on a few pitchers who have signed already with other teams and Kansas City remains in touch with several on the market who fit its profile."

The KC Royals need to complete moves to improve the 2024 roster.

There are various degrees to which Kansas City could be "in on" free-agent players, but hopefully, the Royals were more forward-leaning. They already surprised fans by trading former first-round pick Jackson Kowar for the injured Kyle Wright. The Royals need to make an impactful move in building the 2024 roster. The best way to do that on a budget is on the trade market.

There are plenty of players the Royals need to be shopping to other teams. Whether it is capitalizing on a player's peak value or changing personnel with the team's new approaches, trading with other teams has more pros than cons. The numbers show another terrible season for the Royals if the team stands pat, returning their 2023 roster next season. That cannot happen, for the fanbase's sake or for the star players on this team.

If Kansas City is serious about being more transactional and improving, they have players to move on from. Outfielder MJ Melendez is a prime candidate for a change of scenery, looking at his offensive profile and struggles in the outfield. But he is hardly the only player who should be playing for a different team come Opening Day 2024.

Edward Olivares

Wow, what a roller coaster 2023 was for Edward Olivares. His defensive struggles were known, but fans may forget he was one of Kansas City's hottest bats in the season's second half. But after ruining his prime developmental years, there is no better time for the Royals to trade Olivares.

Olivares played in a career-high 107 games last season, including 54 appearances in left field. He improved in several areas, with career-bests with a .769 OPS, .34 BB/K, 12 home runs, and 47 RBI. The first and second halves were very different for Olivares. Most of his plate appearances came in the first half, but he was a below-average batter with an 86 wRC+. Then he turned a corner in the season's second half. His workload was smaller, with a small stay on the IL. He served primarily as DH after the All-Star break, with great results. Across 44 games, he had a stellar .883 OPS and 138 wRC+.

Olivares' power in a platoon position is hard to dislike. However, retaining Olivares sends some distasteful messages. First, Olivares is as streaky of a batter as you will see. That, coupled with his atrocious ability in the outfield, does not inspire confidence. Secondly, it tells fans that the team is not trying to improve in a position of weakness. His bat is not much better than the league average, looking at his 105 wRC+ last season.

Olivares has had his time in Kansas City. The power at the plate was great to watch, but the majority of his moments induced headaches. If the Royals want to prioritize younger and more controllable players, they need to trade Olivares before the Winter Meetings end.

Max Castillo

The largest immediate improvement needed is in the pitching staff, so omitting any pitcher would be gross negligence. There are several pitchers the Royals should move on from. Frankly, most feel unrealistic. Reasons range from financial to the ability to notably improve, or a combination of the two. But the one player Kansas City could designate for assignment and retain feels like Max Castillo.

Castillo, along with Samad Taylor, came to Kansas City in the Whit Merrifield trade. Castillo made his Royals debut first between the two, pitching in five games in 2022. His appearances resulted in a 9.16 ERA and 1.768 WHIP, but the poor performance was forgivable as Castillo was green. How a year changes things.

Castillo appeared in seven MLB games, sprinkled across May, July, and August. He served only as a multi-inning reliever, averaging nearly three innings per appearance. His performance was all over the place, but he allowed at least one run in five of his seven starts. Whether serving as the bulk man or relieving a starter exiting early, Castillo was far from dominant. He ended the season with a 4.43 ERA and 5.32 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). A lack of strikeouts and a normal walk rate ballooned his FIP as he relied on pitching to contact.

I understand that Castillo is still young and controllable. The fact is, he does nothing remarkable at the MLB level, and his extended results at Triple-A Omaha offer little hope. Castillo ended this season with a -.1 fWAR, appropriate for what he brought to the MLB staff. The changeup and slider have some promise, but he has not done anything special so far. Trading Castillo is not the ultimate goal. Replacing him with a free-agent signing is.

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