Royals Double Down on 2027 After Quiet Deadline, Add Kimbrel

Overview

• On Tuesday, J.J. Picollo and owner John Sherman publicly said the Royals will push to compete in 2027 rather than sell off players after a quiet trade deadline.
• Sherman said the club expects to spend on the starting rotation in the offseason while attempting to patch a weak relief corps with lower-cost moves.
• The team signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel after he was designated for assignment by the Rays, cleared waivers, elected free agency, and then joined Kansas City as an experienced short-term bullpen arm.
• Coverage describes the bullpen as one of the season’s worst units and notes the rotation was badly hampered this year by multiple Tommy John surgeries to prospects such as Cole Ragans, Stephen Kolek, and Luinder Avila.
• Analysts and fans are skeptical and warn that missing the 2027 targets would bring major consequences, including front-office scrutiny, roster changes and difficult decisions about core players like Bobby Witt Jr.