3 players who are playing their way out of KC Royals' 2025 plans

Don’t blink now, KC Royals fans, but we’ve entered the final quarter of the 2024 MLB season. The past few months have been a rollercoaster at times, but the Royals have consistently surprised the baseball world by emerging as legitimate postseason contenders while building up young stars. With shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. locked up long-term, pitcher Cole Ragans coming into his own, and several free agency success stories, there’s plenty of excitement in Kansas City.

KC Royals roster changes aren't today, but these players have uncertain futures

As the season winds down, the reality is that tough roster decisions are looming. In previous years, these decisions were easier to make—when a team’s record is poor, it’s clear there are more underperforming players on the payroll than standouts. But when a roster is successful and competitive overall, that’s when the real work begins.

No matter how this final stretch of games unfolds, this period is crucial for players' individual stock to rise or fall. The clubhouse is rightly focused on the team’s performance, but let’s take a look at four players whose current play might see them wearing a different uniform in 2025.

All statistics are through Aug. 16, and provided by FanGraphs.

UTL Adam Frazier

When the Royals signed utilityman Adam Frazier to a two-year deal this offseason, the move was met with confusion across the board. Frazier was coming off a career year with the Baltimore Orioles, but he wasn’t seen as an immediate upgrade at any position for the Royals. Now, those who were skeptical of the move appear to have been on the right track.

Frazier has been a net negative in every facet of the game, also posting the first negative fWAR season of his nine-year career. There is still time to turn things around, but the lefty has dug himself a deep hole. His .211/.291/.296 slash line is a career-worst at each metric, while a 65 wRC+ only shows how far he is behind the average batter. He is not an everyday player, but appearing in 80 games with 239 plate appearances is still a hefty workload.

The Georgia native has single-handedly won two games for the Royals with his glove and his bat, demonstrating the talent and experience that can be valuable to Kansas City. However, his inconsistency in 2024 has been a major concern. This inconsistency alone should give the Royals pause when considering whether to pick up Frazier’s 2025 mutual option, worth $8.5 million. The $2.5 million buyout might be a small price to pay to avoid another season of struggles.

That said, Frazier’s performance at the plate has improved this month. He’s slashing .381/.435/.476 in nine August games through Aug. 16, marking his best monthly line of the season. While his overall 2024 campaign has been disappointing, a strong finish could make the decision to bring him back a bit more interesting.

LHP Angel Zerpa

Left-handed pitcher Angel Zerpa has spent his entire baseball career with the Royals, signing as an international free agent on July 26, 2016. Over the years, his role and outlook have shifted, but his 2024 season has been particularly tumultuous. Following a post-All-Star slump, Zerpa's future with the team is looking increasingly uncertain.

Zerpa made his debut as a starter on Sept. 30, 2021, becoming the youngest Royals starter since Zack Greinke in 2005. His shutout performance that day offered a glimmer of hope, but injuries and inconsistent outings have since dimmed that optimism. As he headed into his fourth season with the Royals, Zerpa needed a strong 2024 to solidify his place on the team.

The season began better than anyone expected, as the Venezuelan pitcher transitioned full-time to the bullpen. By the end of May, Zerpa had posted an impressive 1.54 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, quietly emerging as one of Kansas City's more dependable bullpen arms. However, after a brutal June, he quickly rebounded in July. Now, with August proving to be another challenging month, Zerpa's effectiveness is once again in question.

Zerpa has allowed eight hits and six earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work this month, while walking more batters than he strikes out. He’s struggling to locate anything other than his sinker, and opposing hitters have started to key in on that pitch. Zerpa is now facing a crucial moment of adversity—either he needs to trust his stuff and push through, or he must acknowledge that a major adjustment is necessary to become a reliable reliever.

How Zerpa handles this pivotal moment will determine his future with the Royals. He has the remaining games of the season to prove he can adapt and improve, or his inability to adjust could be his downfall. Either way, Kansas City needs him to regain his early-season form as they head into the final stretch.

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