The last season was an exception for many MLB teams. Multiple teams failed at expectations, losing the playoffs race and finishing the season at a new low. However, for the Kansas City Royals, it was nothing but a 2022 repeat. The 2015 World Series champions finished the season in the last position in the AL Central with 106 losses against their name. Given this happened for consecutive seasons, it brought the question: Are they serious about running the organization? Though many thought they were not, it seems they are.
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The competitive nature of professional sports demands spending, not always, but it does. The main thought behind it is having a squad of the best players on the squad. The Royals, who once excelled at it, lost the thread and went for low spending. This incidentally changed their squad’s resilience to stay at the top, and fall was visible. However, the team with a mascot named Sluggerrr finally understood this and has changed it this off-season.
A Changed Approach: Kansas City Royals Knows What Went Wrong in the Last Few Seasons
According to a post shared by the USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, “The Kansas City Royals, who had the 8th-lowest payroll in MLB last season at $92 million, have now spent $65 million in free-agent contracts this winter.” Spending more than seventy percent of the payroll in free agency is big. But is it worth the talk?
The Kansas City Royals, who had the 8th-lowest payroll in MLB last season at $92 million, have now spent $65 million in free-agent contracts this winter.
The Royals and Detroit Tigers have easily been the most aggressive teams in the AL Central this winter.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 15, 2023
The 2023 off-season has been very productive for the teams overall. The Kansas City Royals are not behind. They have signed free agent RHP Michael Wacha on a two-year contract worth $32 million. With this, Wacha, who finished the season with an impressive 14-4 win-loss record at an ERA of 3.22 and 124 strikeouts, joins the Royals for the upcoming season. This comes after they signed Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton, and Seth Lugo for the 2024 season.
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Given that Wacha and Lugo played for the San Diego Padres, last season, the Royals will benefit from this partnership. It will also increase the depth of the side that failed in 2023 on the defensive front. Notably, the central division team finished the season in the bottom half in pitching and batting and will improve upon both with these signings.
Michael Wacha and the Royals are in agreement on a 2-year, $32M contract, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/FXTreVDLth
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 15, 2023
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