Kansas City Royals Q&A: Potential free-agent targets this offseason + the mustache men

The Kansas City Royals are headed toward a critical offseason. And general manager J.J. Picollo is eager to improve a roster that finished 56-106 this season.

The Royals have a few notable free agents. The group includes MLB veterans Zack Greinke, Brad Keller and Matt Duffy.

Their future here is uncertain. But the Royals’ young nucleus is expected to be back next season.

Picollo outlined three areas or ways in which the team hopes to improve between now and opening day 2024: starting pitching, bullpen depth and bolstering the lineup through the addition of an impact bat.

So what, exactly, will the Royals do this offseason? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, let’s dive into a Q&A about the club.

Hi Jaylon! I really appreciated your coverage this season. I was wondering who are some players you expect the Royals to target in free agency? — Derek W.

Hi Derek! Thank you for the kind words. I think the Royals will have a few options.

Picollo found success in the trade market with the additions of Cole Ragans, Nelson Velázquez and James McArthur. He could potentially swing another deal to acquire more talent.

Here is one thing to note: Picollo said the Royals have around $30 million coming off the books this offseason. That money presents an opportunity to chase a few solid free agents.

The Royals need to add pitching. I’ve mentioned this before, but I would like to see the Royals go after veteran pitcher Lucas Giolito and closer Will Smith.

Giolito posted a 4.88 ERA this season. He struggled down the stretch, with 14 runs allowed in his last three games. However, Giolito struck out 204 batters, including a 12-strikeout performance against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 15.

Smith posted 22 saves and is working in a setup role with the Rangers. He began his career with the Royals and could be open to a reunion. Both will be looking for a rebound season in 2024.

I also think the Royals could do well to pursue outfielder Adam Duvall. At age 35, he’s a proven veteran. He’s also a former All-Star, World Series champion and Gold Glove winner who hit 21 home runs with the Boston Red Sox last season.

Matt Quatraro really didn’t seem to get much out of these guys. Is he a long-term solution or do the Royal need to bring in another Ned Yost (development-emphasis) or Mike Matheny (performance-emphasis) manager to get to the next step? Because Q sure doesn’t seem to be either. — Caleb R.

Hi Caleb, and thank you for the question.

I think there are two ways to look at this situation. It’s easy to assess the Royals’ record this year and question whether Quatraro got the job done. It wasn’t a year that anyone in the Royals organization was expecting.

But I have to disagree with you. I think Quatraro got the best out of the roster he was provided. Were there mistakes? Yes, I’m sure there were a lot of decisions that Quatraro would make differently if given a do-over.

It’s important to remember that Quatraro was in his first year as a big-league manager. Just as any player must adjust to life in the majors, Quatraro has had to adjust to being the guy making all the on-field decisions.

I have heard from multiple sources that Quatraro is similar to his former boss, Terry Francona, in that it will take time for Quatraro to really hit his stride. But he’s already shown an ability to manage from both a developmental- and performance-based perspective.

I think it would be wise to wait and see what Quatraro does in his second year. He will have his entire staff back ... and quite possibly a more well-rounded roster.

If you want to gauge Quatraro’s influence thus far, look at the Royals’ second half of the season. They went 30-41 and scored 4.77 runs per game. In September, they won 12 games, with two series wins against the Houston Astros.

I can’t say whether the Royals view Quatraro as their long-term answer, but he has endeared himself to many within the organization.

I see players working with outside trainers, such as Driveline or whomever Snyder/Coleman are working with that previously worked with Ragans. What do these facilities offer that the Royals org either cannot, or will not, offer to their own players? — @McNeeeezy, via X

Several Royals players have their own routines as they get ready for a season. The Royals are plugged into these players’ offseason workouts and welcome those training sessions.

And KC isn’t alone here: Many players across the majors work with outside trainers and facilities.

I’ll give you an analogy. I write for the KC Star and get amazing help from my editors on a daily basis. However, I still use other platforms like Grammarly to fine-tune my stories and strengthen my work.

Outside trainers offer players another avenue for improvement while they’re away from team facilities. Keep in mind, not every player lives in Kansas City or Arizona and can be at a Royals field or training center every day.

The Royals offer a lot to their players, plenty of whom showed growth this season. I outlined how Royals infield coach Jose Alguacil taught infield defense and how KC became more proficient at baserunning.

In many cases, outside trainers are building on what the players have already learned. Ragans got stronger working with Driveline. He paired that experience with his work with the Royals’ pitching staff to execute at a high level.

Simply put, it all works together.

Who shaves their mustache first….John Sherman, Big Red (Andy Reid) or Trav (Travis Kelce)? — D Roll.

This is a fun question. Honestly, I don’t know if any of them will shave their mustaches because in each man’s case, it just works.

Look at the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid has led his team to a 5-1 record and is building a dynasty. The Chiefs just won another Super Bowl. Kelce is rumored to be dating one of the most famous singers in the world, in Taylor Swift (shout-out to the Swifties!!!).

Meanwhile, Sherman is about to decide on the location for a new stadium that will change the landscape of the city.

I think they all have reasons to keep their mustaches going and growing. People are digging them ... and “No Shave November” is on the way.

In fact, I encourage others to rock the mustache. It’s clearly working for everyone that has one in Kansas City.

Thank you all for the questions. If you want to submit a question for the next mailbag, send it to jathompson@kcstar.com or hit me up on X (aka Twitter) @jaylonthompson.