3 urgent moves the KC Royals must make after quiet winter meetings

Execute on evaluation results by moving on from more players.

The fanbase had the "evaluation year" idea drilled into their minds by Royals' leadership this past season. While I appreciate the leadership being transparent about their approach, the evaluation doesn't matter if they do not make changes based on that evaluation.

The Dylan Coleman trade feels like a great example. Coleman, who posted - .4fWAR in 2023, struggled with location all season. His 85 Location+ ranked dead last among Royals relievers and negated his 106 Stuff+. He only pitched in 18 1/3 MLB innings in 2023, being demoted twice after meltdown performances. It did not take years of MLB scouting experience to see that Coleman was not a contributor last season, with few positives for 2024 and beyond.

The Royals identified this and traded Coleman to the Houston Astros for an international prospect. Fans widely disapproved of the move and cited Coleman's 2022 stats as reasons to believe in his potential. The thing is, it is hypocritical to preach potential while wanting immediate improvements. The organization evaluated and deemed Coleman expendable. Since they moved him, they were able to pick Matt Sauer in the Rule 5 Draft.

There are plenty of players still on the 40-man roster that Kansas City should move on from, if at all possible. No organization has the 40-best players in the league on their roster, but the best have deep rosters at the very least. If the organization is out on a player, they need to move on. It is best for all parties and at least gives the Royals a chance to mold the team and give fans reasons for optimism.