Rays' decision on Drew Rasmussen gives the Royals the perfect rotation upgrade for 2027

Pitching should be on the mind for all Kansas City Royals fans this offseason. Both sides of the pitching staff are going to need work this offseason if the Royals want to return to the postseason, and the front office is going to need to find creative ways to make the necessary upgrades to the rotation and the bullpen.

Kansas City is going to need to not only sign free agents but also utilize the trade market this offseason. Luckily, just days after losing the World Series, it seems like the Rays are making one of their star starting pitchers available.

Drew Rasmussen made himself a household name after his playoff performance for Tampa this October. He made five starts and pitched 28 innings with a 2.20 ERA. He struck out 31 batters while walking just five as well. That came off the back of a career-best regular season in which he pitched 172 innings with a 2.67 ERA while leading the AL in WHIP (0.913) and K/BB (5.44).

The 31-year-old righty had his $20 million club option exercised by the Rays, but according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, that is exactly why the Rays are likely trading him. Rasmussen's salary last season was $5.75 million, with an AAV of $4.25 million. Keeping him for next season would put the Rays' payroll higher than it was in 2026, before they make a single move this offseason.

Drew Rasmussen is the ace the Royals have needed since Cole Ragans hasn't been able to stay healthy

While that rise in payroll wouldn't bother most teams after a World Series appearance, it does for the Rays. Passan's report said that Rasmussen is "at the top of the list" when it comes to top trade candidates this offseason, and the Royals should strike early.

Even though Rasmussen has just one year remaining before he becomes a free agent, putting him in front of Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Noah Cameron would create an incredibly fearsome top four. In the last two years, those four all rank in the top 20 of AL starters with more than 300 innings in fWAR.

Rasmussen's 2.71 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and .205 BAA are the lowest in the AL among starters with 300+ innings over the last two seasons. He has the second lowest FIP and walk rate as well. While acquiring him would cost a haul, this is the type of aggressive move they need to be making in a pursuit of the playoffs in 2027.

Having Rasmussen at the top of the rotation would not only give the Royals their opening day starter, but a playoff game one starter they could trust implicitly. They would have one year to negotiate a contract extension with him to keep him around long-term, too. It feels like a no-brainer to at least see what the asking price is and start some negotiations.

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