KC Royals Hot Stove News: Trades, signings, more

Welcome back to Kings of Kauffman's offseason update series. Like many other Fansided baseball sites, we'll be using this format regularly to keep fans up to date on what the KC Royals are, and aren't, doing to improve the team. So, keep a close eye on this space.

How well, or how badly, Dayton Moore performed during the almost 17 seasons he ran the baseball operations side of the KC Royals will always be debated. But the way he successfully navigated at least one part of his job may be unparalleled

While arbitration was an annual war for some baseball executives, Moore was a master of the process: only twice during his Kansas City tenure were the Royals unable to resolve arbitration cases without hearings. His knack for settling cases is legendary.

Time will tell whether J.J. Picollo, who assumed first-line control of the club's baseball operations when principal owner John Sherman let Moore go in late September, is as good in arbitration as Moore. But with Friday's deadline looming for players and teams who haven't resolved the 2023 salaries of arbitration-eligible players to exchange proposed compensation figures, Picollo has a lot of work to do: Brady Singer, Brad Keller, Scott Barlow, Nicky Lopez, Amir Garrett, Kris Bubic, Taylor Clarke and Josh Staumont all remain unsigned.

The KC Royals finally traded Ryan O'Hearn, but he's already been DFA'd.

It's been less than a week since Kansas City found a trade partner and shipped infielder-outfielder Ryan O'Hearn to Baltimore, a deal that undoubtedly pleased many a Royals fan.

The Orioles, though, have already made a move with O'Hearn: they designated him for assignment Thursday to clear roster space for Lewin Diaz, who they acquired from Atlanta on a waiver claim.

Baltimore has seven days from the move to trade O'Hearn. If they can't and he squeezes through waivers, the O's can assign him to the minors, but only with O'Hearn's consent. He'd certainly give it considering that, if he doesn't, he loses the $1.4 million he's due from the contract he signed with the Royals in November and Baltimore assumed.

Three former KC Royals have found new major league homes with other clubs.

A trio of popular ex-Royals recently signed with new teams.

Andrew Benintendi, who came to Kansas City in a three-team deal with Boston and the Mets before the 2021 season and won his first Gold Glove with the Royals, signed with American League Central Division rival Chicago, where he'll reunite with former KC bench coach and new White Sox manager Pedro Grifol.

In a story appearing on the team's official website, MLB.com's Jordan Bastain reports the Cubs reached a deal with former Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer last week. Hosmer won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger in his seven seasons in Kansas City. He signed a $144 million free agent contract with San Diego after the 2017 campaign, and although the Padres traded Hosmer to Boston last summer, they remain on the hook for all but the major league minimum salary portion of the deal.

And Kansas City may see catcher Cam Gallagher, Salvador Perez's primary backup for several years until the Royals dealt him to the Padres at last summer's trade deadline, next season Cleveland recently signed him to a minor league contract.

We'll be back soon with more Royals offseason news.