What Hunter Renfroe and the Royals must do if KC can't replace him this winter

In an ideal world, Hunter Renfroe would not be in right field when the Kansas City Royals open the 2025 season in March. Instead, the club would secure someone with a better bat and better glove than Renfroe displayed in 2024 to patrol right, and the 32-year-old would begin his second season in Kansas City on the bench or with another team.

But the Royals don't conduct their business, build their roster, or play their games in an ideal world. Renfroe, who the club signed last winter, wisely wasted no time exercising his $7.5 million player option for 2025, so he's all but a lock to be on the Opening Day roster.

And if general manager J.J. Picollo's winter efforts to improve his outfielders' production at the plate don't include replacing Renfroe, what must his returning right fielder and the Royals be prepared to do?

Hunter Renfroe must get better at the plate and in the field

It's a given that Renfroe — now a veteran of nine big league seasons and a professional since the San Diego Padres chose him in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft — must improve his overall game. Never a great hitter for average — the .259 he posted in 2021remains his career-best — he hit .229 last season, and his .297 OBP, .392 SLG, and 92 wRC+ weren't good. Those simply aren't the numbers the Royals need.

Renfroe's homers were also down. He hit 15, the second-lowest of his career save for 2016 when he played only 11 games for San Diego, and the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Mitigating his home run fall-off, though, were toe and hamstring injuries that cost him almost a month of playing time. But Renfroe still needs to get back to the 25-plus homers he averages in full seasons.

And avoiding the slow starts to which he's accustomed would help. He slashed .150/.218/.263 in March and April, and .208/.296/.361 in May, before warming up to .333/.412/.667 in June and .297/.384/.487 in July.

Renfroe's defense also requires improvement. Although his .991 field percentage looks nice and he tied the Yankees' Juan Soto and Boston's Wilyer Abreu for the major league lead in right field assists with nine, he had -4 Defensive Runs Saved and -7 Outs Above Average.

What the KC Royals must do if Hunter Renfroe doesn't measure up in right field

Assuming the less-than-ideal happens and Renfroe starts the 2025 campaign in right field but doesn't soon improve, the Royals need to move on without much delay. Yes, they should give him a fair shot, but not one that wears out its welcome.

Simply put, Kansas City can't wait long on Renfroe. With their first winning season and first playoff appearance since 2015 under their belts after a stirring 2024 turnaround, the Royals aspire to even higher places in 2025 and won't get there lacking offense from their right fielder. If Renfroe can't get it done at the plate, Picollo has to give manager Matt Quatraro someone who can, or at least try something different. Chances will come at the trade deadline, but a move may be necessary before then. The club can't wait until Renfroe's contract expires at the end of the season.

In an ideal world, Picollo would find a better option this winter and have him ready to step in when spring training opens in February. But again, the Royals' world isn't ideal, so Picollo needs to be ready and willing to make an in-season change instead, and maybe even eat Renfroe's remaining salary, if Renfroe doesn't measure up.