Boys In Blue – The Experiment Continues…

[Biggp07]

Friday, November 1, 2024: The Off-Season Commences
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)

A Moment To Reflect

The ballpark lights are off, the bunting is down, and the standings page has finally stopped mocking me. The season is over, officially. No more lineup cards, no more matchup notes paper-clipped to my clipboard. Just a quiet office, a half-finished cup of coffee, and a very long list of decisions that will shape what the 2025 Royals look like. This is the part of the job that never makes the highlight reel, but it might be where you win or lose a season before a single pitch is thrown.

Today is the first real day of the off-season, and everything shifts. The dugout voice in my head takes a step back, and the front-office one gets louder. Arbitration numbers, expiring contracts, option decisions, medical reports, scouting meetings—each name on the screen represents a choice. Who do we believe in? Who do we let walk? Where can we afford to gamble, and where do we need certainty? The standings are frozen, the roster is anything but.

As November begins, the goal is simple: be brutally honest about who we are, and just as bold about who we want to become. The 2024 Royals showed flashes of who they could be; now it’s my job, wearing both hats, to turn flashes into a foundation. The off-season starts here.

[Biggp07]

November 1, 2024 — Where The Blueprint Begins
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)

The morning after our season officially closed, the clubhouse felt hollow in that familiar way — the faint echo of cleats on concrete, the smell of pine tar still hanging in the air, and the sense that another year had ended short of where we wanted to be.

I walked past the locker rows and paused by the whiteboard, still displaying the last lineup from Game 162. It wasn’t failure that hit me; it was unfinished business. The bones of a good team are here — fast legs, emerging arms, and a core that finally started to believe it could win together. But I also see the cracks more clearly than ever. Several important decisions need to be made from today through spring training if I want us to improve on our 2024 season. It began with getting some of our players into the development lab as soon as possible. The good thing is I increased the budget for it and, consequently, the number of guys we could work with during the off-season to eight, up from six. I felt that getting a couple of young prospects into the development lab sooner could better our growth and team cohesion overall. Time will tell.

As a manager, my instinct is to think about chemistry, accountability, and growth. But when I sit in my office and open the offseason budget spreadsheet, the GM in me starts to whisper: “Make the hard choices now, before they’re made for you.”



John’s decision to raise our ceiling to $178 million — that’s trust. It also means expectations. He shared his expectations for the upcoming season, and honestly, not much had changed from his goals last year, except for one item. He wants our Runs Against to drop, and that number, staring back from the league ranking sheet at twelfth in the AL, is more than a stat — it’s a reflection of our defensive inefficiency and rotation depth. I know exactly where we’re bleeding runs, and I know it’s not just one position or one arm.



I spent the better part of the morning in the analytics room comparing our Defensive Efficiency (10th) and Zone Rating (8th) against the league’s best. The conclusion was uncomfortable: we weren’t bad — just inconsistent. Our bullpen ERA of 4.04 put us tenth in the AL, and that inconsistency often erased the progress our starters made in the first six innings.
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�� Figure 1. Kansas City Royals Pitching & Defensive Leaderboard — 2024 AL Rankings


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From the dugout, I saw it every week — a promising start unraveling by the seventh, momentum slipping because we were one reliable setup man short. The GM in me circled that stat in red ink. That’s where our first acquisition will need to happen.

Offensively, our numbers tell a more complex story. We were 5th in batting average (.251) and 1st in stolen bases (264) — and yet, we often left runners stranded. That’s not a failure of effort; that’s a failure of rhythm. I pushed too hard. I can see it now, how my aggression on the basepaths turned potential rallies into empty innings. It’s humbling to admit that. When you're playing against catchers like Murphy, Rutschman, and Alvarez, you're going to get caught stealing more often than you’ll succeed.
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�� Figure 2. Kansas City Royals Offensive Leaderboard — 2024 AL Rankings


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But humility is a good teacher — maybe the best one baseball has.

This offseason, my goal is to sharpen our discipline — not just at the plate, but in our entire team identity. We’ve proven we can create chaos on the bases; now we need to learn how to control it.



I’ll spend the next few days meeting with the player development staff about off-season assignments — which hitters go to the discipline lab, which pitchers get pushed into the velocity program, and who’s ready for that next step up the minor-league ladder. The GM part of me wants to forecast numbers; the manager in me wants to build trust. Both will have their say.

For now, though, November 1st feels like the first clean page of a new chapter — a chance to plan with purpose, to correct mistakes, and to keep faith in what’s growing here in Kansas City.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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[Biggp07]

November 2, 2024 — Reinforcing the Development Framework
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)

The second morning of the offseason carried a different kind of weight — not the emotional weight of reflection like yesterday, but the structural weight of decisions that shape everything beneath the major-league surface. Today wasn’t about players. Today was about the people who help build them.

The first shift in the foundation arrived with the news I’d been expecting someday but not quite yet: Dane Johnson, our Triple-A Omaha pitching coach, announced his retirement. One year left on his contract, and I thought Mike Jirschele — Omaha’s longtime manager — would be the one to bow out first. But baseball never follows your expectations. Mike wants one more run, and I respect that—a steady hand matters.

But Dane’s departure opened a critical gap. Triple-A is the final forge before Kansas City. Whoever holds that pitching coach seat needs to develop more than arms — they need to build confidence, durability, and repeatable mechanics.

After scanning the waiver wire, I found a name that checked every box: Logan Chitwood. Young, sharp, mechanics-focused, and equipped with the kind of teaching temperament that turns raw velocity into actual pitching. I didn’t hesitate: five years at $155K per. If he can help clean the final stretch before a pitcher hits Kauffman, this could be one of the offseason's most important moves.
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Figure 1. AAA Omaha Coaching Change – Logan Chitwood Contract Offer


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While that was unfolding, I finally confronted two long-standing issues I’d been dragging behind me since last spring. The first was our major-league trainer, Kyle Turner.

Last year’s injury totals weren’t a coincidence. Four starting pitchers going down with arm injuries felt less like bad luck and more like bad maintenance. Rehab setbacks, unclear fatigue management — it all added up. I trust players to tell me when something feels wrong, but I expect the trainer to know before that.

So today, I made the call. His buyout is heavy, and the replacement I want isn’t cheap either — Pat Rose, with a five-year, $500K offer. But this is an investment in innings, availability, and the durability our rotation desperately lacked.
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Figure 2. MLB Staff Adjustment – Offer to Trainer Pat Rose


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The next issue pulled at me all season: hitting coach Alec Zumwalt. A brilliant baseball mind, but his inability to connect with pertinent players and staff created unnecessary friction. In a clubhouse still building its identity, we couldn’t afford that.

So, I made another correction today: a five-year, $700K offer to Doug Robbins, a 23-year veteran who believes in patience, discipline, and mental steadiness at the plate. Those qualities match exactly where our offense needs to evolve.
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Figure 3. MLB Hitting Coach Transition – Doug Robbins Contract Offer


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With those major decisions made, I shifted my focus toward the broader developmental chain. Strong organizations don’t just develop players — they develop systems. And while our High-A and Double-A clubs performed marginally last season, that stability is worth protecting. I thought...There’s no sense in tipping the apple cart completely over.

Derrick Lewis (A+) and Larry Carter (AA) will stay in place. They’ve earned that continuity, and although the performance metrics don't back it up, not every offseason move requires complete disruption. Besides, I may later decide to move on from either or both as the season progresses and more statistics become available. Sometimes the strategic move is recognizing what will have the greatest impact at the moment of the decision and waiting on those that have less impact.
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Figure 4. Minor League Development Structure – Coaching Stability


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When I zoom out from these moves, the pattern becomes clearer: We’re reinforcing the entire pipeline — from the bottom of the ladder to the trainers and coaches who touch every inning we play. This isn’t a splashy offseason. It’s a structural one. And structure, when built correctly, lasts longer than a single breakout year.

Today wasn’t glamorous, but days like this quietly determine whether an organization rises or stays stuck. For the first time in a while, it feels like we’re building upward — deliberately, piece by piece.
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Figure 5. Front Office & Coaching Staff Strategic Reorganization – Pending Offers


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The foundation is being rebuilt — one steady, deliberate step at a time.

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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[Biggp07]

November 3, 2024 — Refining the Player Blueprint
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — Manager’s Log)

With the major coaching shifts handled and the contract offers out in the wind, today shifted toward the less glamorous, more mental side of roster building: arbitration decisions and development priorities. The roster meeting this morning felt different — quieter, more businesslike. Maybe that’s because the offseason, for all its possibilities, always starts with subtraction before addition.

The first domino fell quickly: Amed Rosario declined to discuss any kind of extension and immediately entered free agency. No surprise. He was a rental player from the Zac Eflin trade, a stopgap more than a building block. Losing him simplifies things. One fewer decision. One less roster slot jammed with uncertainty. The manager in me feels relief; the GM in me checks a name off the list and moves on.

But not everyone is being shown the door. Caleb Ferguson, for example — he earned another look. His final weeks of the season were electric, enough so that I made him an extension offer for $13 million over three years. More than I initially planned, honestly. He asked for $14.4M, and I probably could’ve negotiated harder, but there’s a difference between money spent and money invested. Ferguson stabilized a bullpen that needed stability. Maybe it’s sentiment, maybe it’s pragmatism — the line is blurry these days — but rewarding performance feels like the right instinct.

Still, I can’t assign contracts with my heart. Not entirely. That’s where the GM in me has to retake the wheel. I pulled up the arbitration sheet — nine names staring back at me, all with decisions attached.
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Figure 1. Arbitration-Eligible Players — 2025 Salary Review


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Six of them, I knew instantly, belonged in Kansas City next year:

• Brady Singer
• Justin Topa
• John Schreiber
• MJ Melendez
• Sam Haggerty
• Kyle Isbel

The estimated combined cost for those six sits around $15.7M, but my target is closer to $12M. Arbitration is its own kind of courtroom theater — both sides pretending the truth lives somewhere between emotion and math. I’ll make reasonable offers; if the numbers get ugly, the system will decide for us.

The remaining three players? Their futures are hazier. Some might draw trade interest. Others might simply age out of our long-term blueprint. The toughest call will be Kyle Wright. If his spring shows even a glimmer of return, he could slot into the back of the rotation. If not, sentimentality won’t keep him here. Baseball rarely waits for late bloomers past 30 unless the stuff comes back sharp.
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Figure 2. Kyle Wright — Scouting Overview and Role Projection


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After arbitration reviews, the staff meeting turned toward one of my highest priorities: selecting our first wave for the development lab. With only five slots available for the 40-man roster, every choice mattered.

We settled on:

Brady Singer — pitch movement focus. He needs sharper life on his pitches, and if he wants to stay atop the rotation, he has to miss more bats.

Angel Zerpa — secondary pitch refinement. Right on the doorstep of a rotation spot, but just missing that one extra weapon.

Bobby Witt Jr. — plate discipline. His tools are elite. His ceiling is elite. But giving him more intentionality in the batter’s box could push him into MVP territory.

Cam Devanney — plate discipline. A steady hitter who becomes a dangerous hitter if he stops chasing.

Nick Pratto — plate discipline. He has power, but patience will unlock the rest.
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Beyond the 40-man group, we added three prospects who represent our future more than our present:

SP Felix Arronde — #91 prospect. Polished movement could fast-track him from AA into the long-term rotation conversation.
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Figure 3. Felix Arronde — AA Prospect Development Snapshot


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2B Ethan Bates — 2024 First-Round Pick. Bat speed and power are his developmental focus — investing early could accelerate his timeline.
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Figure 4. Ethan Bates — First-Round Pick Development Summary


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C Dillon Dingler — defensive upside with offensive fine-tuning. Strong framer and athlete. More discipline could make him a starting-caliber major-league catcher.
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Figure 5. Dillon Dingler — AAA Catching Prospect Evaluation


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When we wrapped the meeting, it struck me how much the lab has evolved in a year. Last season, we used it to patch holes. This season, we’re using it to build pillars. That’s the difference between a rebuild and a foundation — understanding who you’re building with before you choose who you build around.

Tomorrow, we start looking at the players who truly shape the future core.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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[Biggp07]

November 4, 2024 — Minor League System Overhaul
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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The fourth morning of the offseason felt like a continuation of the work I began yesterday — the kind of quiet, necessary roster maintenance that never shows up in headlines but defines an organization's long-term health.

Today’s focus was the minor league system, and specifically the players who just weren’t progressing. As much as I want to see everyone take a step forward, reality doesn’t work that way. You can push, mentor, and develop all you want, but some players simply stall. And when they stall at Triple-A, it becomes a logjam.

So, the first order of business was clearing space in Omaha. It’s never pleasant — these are players who’ve worked their whole lives to get where they are — but when someone shows no signs of future major-league contribution, they’re holding back prospects who do have that spark. Seven players were released from Omaha this morning, the first of several cuts across the organization.

Once I moved down the ladder, the pattern continued:

• 7 players from A-ball (Carolina League)
• 7 from the DSL clubs

Twenty-two releases in total. Necessary, but still heavy.

Balancing that were eight promotions, most of them deserved, especially the five who jumped from our ACL Rookie team into the Fireflies’ system. One player moved from A+ to AA — a small victory in a day full of tough decisions.

When the dust settled, our entire minor league system sat at 200 players, still about 30 shy of full organizational capacity. That’s room to grow — and we’ll need every inch of it. Depth isn’t just a luxury; with the way the majors grind arms into dust, depth becomes survival.

Figure 1. Full Organizational Depth & Ratings Overview


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International Scouting Report

Jason McLeod sent over his notes from the second international private practice this month. I’ve learned to trust Jason’s eye — he was one of my best hires last March, and the more time passes, the more that decision pays off.

Figure 2. International Private Training — November Invitee Group



Two names stood out immediately:

Victor Cruz, 16-year-old 2B (Dominican Republic) - Lean, athletic, raw power, and rare discipline for his age — a combination that’s hard to find. Jason believes he could develop into an elite second baseman. That word doesn’t get thrown around lightly.

Figure 3. Victor Cruz — International Prospect Profile



Mike Gago, 16-year-old CF (Venezuela) - The projection jumps off the page: a .290 potential hitter with above-average power and real stolen-base instincts. He’s explosive and efficient — the kind of player who could eventually scratch the mold left behind by elite CFs: a blend of speed, contact, and instinct.

Figure 4. Mike Gago — International Prospect Profile



Jason didn’t stop there:

• Santos Jaramillo (LF, Mexico) — tall, strong, smooth defender, plus power potential.
• Jose Higareda (1B, Venezuela) — power-first profile, likely .290 hitter, average discipline.
• Victor Torres (RHP, Venezuela) — raw but promising.
• Juan Garcia (RHP, DR) — steady, quick arm.
• Robert Garcia (RHP, DR) — another with upside.
• Humberto Jaime (RHP, DR)
• Diego Talavera (RF, Panama)
• Juan Gomez (C, DR)

It’s a legitimate cluster of talent — a wave that, if developed correctly, could become the backbone of our farm system over the next 4–6 years.
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Jason also updated me on our international complex — the holding grounds where our signees train until they’re old enough for DSL clubs.

Figure 5. Kansas City Royals — International Complex Roster Overview



Two names continue trending upward:

• 3B Emilio Rodriguez
• RF William Moncloua

Both are about a year away from the DSL, and both are progressing steadily. The surprise of the group is SP Mulroney Dumont, our first IAFA eligible to age into DSL action. He’s a wild card — volatility everywhere you look — but sometimes wild cards become aces.

Jason’s work continues to justify the investment. It’s clear he’s building something.
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Front-Office Notes

The day ended with two outcomes that lifted the weight off my shoulders:

• Pat Rose accepted the team trainer position
• Logan Chitwood signaled he favors his AAA pitching coach offer

I exhaled when I saw the notifications. Those two hires — a high-competence trainer and a young, mechanics-minded AAA pitching coach — are the glue pieces that stabilize the entire organizational framework.

A manager feels the difference immediately when the foundation is solid. A GM knows those decisions ripple for years.
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Today didn’t change the headlines. But it strengthened the beams beneath them.

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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[Biggp07]

November 5, 2024 — Negotiations and Noise
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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PC Logan Chitwood must have talked to someone overnight, because the man who was thrilled yesterday about a five-year, $155K/year offer woke up today asking for more than double the salary… for a shorter commitment. His new demand: $325K for two years.

I stared at the message longer than I probably needed to. Not because I was angry — but because I was trying to understand it.

It’s always discouraging when a young coach suddenly shifts tone. Did someone whisper in his ear? Did he see another offer? Or did he realize he had leverage and decide to cash it in before pitching coaches get scooped up across the league?

Either way, I wasn’t willing to throw away the relationship — or the evaluation. He’s talented; I still want him. So I countered:

$330K per year for five years. A clear signal of commitment and belief in his future.

If he buys into that, great. If not… then maybe he wasn’t who I thought he was.

Meanwhile, Doug Robbins, our hitting-coach target, continues to favor the offer we extended last week — five years at $700K. I’m praying he doesn't get curious and start comparing notes with Logan. I want Doug to be the voice that changes our hitters’ entire approach in 2025. A lesser coach in that spot makes the whole plan wobble.

My “vision board,” as I jokingly call it, is built with both of them in mind. Without them? Well… let’s just say the image gets fuzzy and a little too close to “junior varsity.”
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The Trade Noise Begins

Toronto rang this morning with the kind of trade proposal that makes you blink twice to see if you’ve misread something. My AGM, Picollo, practically lit up like a Christmas tree.

I… did not.

Their offer:

• 2B Rich Hernandez (rookie)
• RF Yunior Arias (rookie)

For:

• SP Brady Singer
• C Blake Mitchell

I declined immediately and made sure my tone left no ambiguity.

After that, I checked the league’s trade block. Nothing new. A few aging pieces from Chicago and New York, but no upgrades. No reason to pull the trigger.
Then came the one conversation that mattered.

I have been quietly working on moving Jonathan India, and today the market finally spoke. Philadelphia was the team that made sense — a need on their end, a need on ours — and the numbers lined up.
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Figure 1. Trade Agreement — Jonathan India for Weston Wilson


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The trade summary hit my screen: India to Philadelphia. Weston Wilson to Kansas City. Not a blockbuster. Not meant to be. But a corrective move — a roster alignment decision.

Then I opened Weston Wilson’s profile.
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Figure 2. Weston Wilson — Scouting & Ratings Overview


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A 30-year-old utility infielder with sneaky speed, better-than-average plate discipline, and real defensive versatility. Not a future star — but a professional. Someone Omaha can rely on. Someone who, if things break the right way, might give Kansas City something off the bench next year.

It’s the kind of move casual fans ignore, but the people in the clubhouse understand instantly. It clears the path forward. It resolves the uncertainty. It gets everyone on the same page.
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Looking Ahead

It’s been only five days of the offseason, but it already feels like we’ve crossed weeks’ worth of decisions:

• Staffing shifts
• Negotiations that twist overnight
• Trade offers that make you question your colleagues
• Internal churn through every layer of the system

All of it funnels toward the same point — spring training, where everything starts to reveal itself.

It’s early. But it’s already exciting.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey
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[Biggp07]

November 6-7, 2024 — Balancing Patience and Power - A Week of Measured Decisions
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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We closed out the first week of the offseason today, and for the first time since November 1, I finally felt the momentum shift from uncertainty to execution. The three decisions that mattered most all landed in our favor:

• Caleb Ferguson signed his contract extension.
• Doug Robbins agreed to become our new hitting coach.
• Logan Chitwood accepted the counteroffer and will join Omaha as pitching coach.

That last one feels especially timely, because the first wave of our development-lab players begins their programs today. Having Chitwood in place before those sessions start gives our pitchers a sharper set of eyes — someone who can help shape the habits that will define their 2025 season.

Ferguson’s message hit my inbox shortly after the paperwork cleared:

“I'm ready to sign with you. Your willingness to understand what I really wanted was a key factor in making this deal a go. Too many teams ignore their players, but you really engaged me and made me feel proud to be a member of the Royals. Thanks for stepping up again, and I look forward to playing out my contract with you!”
— Caleb Ferguson

That one hit differently. His tone — honest, appreciative — reminded me that this job isn’t just spreadsheets and arbitration numbers. It’s people. Relationships. Commitment. And when a player affirms that your approach matters, it’s grounding.

Toronto, meanwhile, refuses to take a hint.

Their first trade proposal for Singer was laughable. Their second attempt was even more desperate:

Blue Jays offer:

• 2B Rich Hernandez (16)
• LF Yhoangel Aponte (20)
• 3B Miguel Hiraldo (24)

They want:

• RHP Brady Singer (28)
• 3B Austin Charles (20)

Picollo insists the “pros outweigh the cons,” but what he sees as a win, I see as surrendering control.

If I’m not the one initiating the deal, I’m reacting — and that means the other team is dictating terms. I’m not interested in that. Not now. Not this early in my tenure. The return looks good on paper, but good doesn’t solve anything. Good doesn’t stabilize our rotation. And trading Singer before we even see how he develops under our new staff? That’s not prudence — that’s panic.

I’ve already learned that lesson the hard way.

The Jonathan India–Seth Lugo trade from last season still hangs over me. Everything felt rushed, emotional, reactive. India never clicked here. Lugo hasn’t performed for Cincinnati either. And regardless, it taught me the rule I’m holding fast to now:

Never trade for the sake of movement. Trade only when the structure demands it.

If I dealt another pitcher from our active roster right now — before the development lab, before free agency, before spring training — I’d deserve whatever consequences followed. This job requires patience, timing, and long-term clarity. Not noise.

The league’s award voting wraps in a few days. I submitted ballots for Bobby Witt Jr. — MVP, Platinum Stick, Gold Glove. He’s our anchor, our identity, and our clearest path to national recognition this year.

After that comes the arbitration hearings and the first wave of free-agent filings, and that will close out November.

But looking back on these first seven days, I’m reminded why this stretch is so demanding. It’s a rush of decisions that shape everything ahead — player development, roster structure, staffing stability, organizational direction.

It is — without question — the busiest period in baseball.

And now we'll find out whether I navigated it well enough to set the tone for 2025.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (November 2024)
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[Biggp07]

November 8–15, 2024 — Structural Adjustments
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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Week 2 in the offseason has a different rhythm — less frantic, more watchful. This wasn’t a week of major moves so much as monitoring the consequences of the decisions from Week 1 and making sure nothing drifted off-course.

The big administrative item was simple and overdue: we needed to get Weston Wilson formally signed to his minor league contract after acquiring him in the trade for Jonathan India. That deal needed to be buttoned up, and now it is. He’ll report to Omaha shortly.

On the same day — November 13th — my phone buzzed again with a new trade offer, this time from an unexpected source: White Sox GM Chris Getz.

Chicago finished 80–82, second in our division behind Minnesota. Respectable. Enough to deserve at least a moment’s consideration, so I gave it that. My AGM, Picollo, didn’t have a strong opinion either way — something that surprised me a little, but maybe it shouldn’t. Sometimes, the best support a GM can give is to step back and let the manager think.

The offer centered around reliever Caleb Ferguson, which instantly raised a red flag. We just extended him. We just stabilized that part of our staff. The fact that another club is already sniffing around him does tell me something, though:

The extension was the right move. Teams don’t chase players they don’t value.

Here’s the proposal as it hit my screen:
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Figure 1. Trade Proposal — White Sox Request Ferguson & Roccaforte


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The Sox dangled Jose Rodriguez, a second baseman. He’s fine — good defender, decent bat speed, a viable leadoff profile someday. But that “someday” line matters. I don’t need another infielder in Omaha. We already have Cam Devanney, Nick Loftin, and Michael Massey crowding that space, and their skillsets practically mirror his. Adding Rodriguez would create a three-way bottleneck and solve nothing.
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Figure 2. Jose Rodriguez — Scouting & Ratings Overview


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Worse, Chicago wanted one of our relievers in return — someone who’s been trending up.

And here’s the young center fielder they wanted from my side:
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Figure 3. Carson Roccaforte — Player Development Snapshot


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The Sox wanted two players (Ferguson + Roccaforte) in exchange for one redundant infielder. So in the end, it wasn’t an offer. It was a problem disguised as an opportunity.

I declined.

And I didn’t lose sleep over it.

But even a poor trade proposal has value. It tells me how the league sees us right now:

• A bullpen arm worth pursuing
• A GM they think might be persuadable
• A club still defining itself

I’m logging these insights away — not to react today, but to use later when the timing favors us.
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Evaluating the System’s Trajectory

The league released its offseason center WAR rankings through November 15th. Here’s what the sheet showed:
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Figure 4. Teams Sorted by WAR Gained — Offseason Center


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We’re sitting at 23rd of 30 teams with a –0.9 WAR gained.

Honestly? That’s acceptable. Not great, not concerning — just early.

We have players on our own ladder who can make up that difference without chasing numbers on the open market. And chasing WAR in November is a fool’s game. That number becomes obsolete the minute spring training starts and hit balls turn into real outcomes.

So, instead, my focus this week has narrowed to one priority:

Arbitration.

And doing it responsibly.

We’ve set aside $16.5 million in arbitration offers, which is $2.8 million under our initial projection. I wanted to hit $3.0M under, but we’re nowhere near cash-poor — not right now. This is what the arbitration screen looked like as of the 15th:
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Figure 5. Salary Arbitration — 2024–2025 Eligible Players & Estimates


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We have:

• $43 million in available cash,
• $53 million in projected extension money for 2026,
• Outstanding flexibility in future budgets…

…but we still haven’t allocated:

• Development budget for 2025
• Scouting budget
• International Amateur Free Agent funds (January)

Those are the next decisions — the kind that shape organizational identity, not just roster structure.
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A Shift in Hats

This is where the lines blur in my dual role — and where the GM hat starts sliding over the manager’s. The next two weeks are less about clubhouse feel and more about financial architecture:

• Arbitration
• Budget allocation
• Preparing for free agency
• Positioning for the IAFA period
• Understanding leverage before other clubs realize they have it

It’s uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. This is the part of the job I’m still learning to breathe through.

The offseason isn’t a sprint, but these weeks are the closest thing to a dead run.

And soon, we’ll see how much the discipline of these quiet decisions will matter when March rolls around.
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Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (November 8–15)
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[Biggp07]

November 15-21, 2024 — The Quiet Before the Bid
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
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The third week of the offseason brought a quieter tone, but not a lesser one. This was the week of small discoveries, missed chances, and the first real survey of the coming free-agent landscape. The big moves of Week 1 are behind us; the chessboard is finally settling into shape.
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November 17 — A New Arm in the Distance

Jason McLeod returned from the Dominican Republic with the kind of find you don’t plan for — the kind that always seems to show up only when a scout’s eyes are open and his expectations are low.

16-year-old SP Felipe Romero

• 6’7”, long-limbed, intimidating silhouette
• Excellent splitter potential
• Secondary changeup with some future shape
• Tendency to nibble rather than attack
• Walks may limit his ceiling
• Projected better as a late-inning reliever than a starter

Figure 1. Felipe Romero — Scouting Discovery Report



Jason didn’t oversell him. Good scouts never do. But there was enough raw ability — enough of the “what if” — to bring him into our international complex for monitoring.

He’s not a future ace. He’s a wild card. And sometimes wild cards turn into something real.

Romero will grow with the others. We’ll see what he becomes.
________________________________________

November 20 — The One That Got Away

The news broke out of nowhere:

Cleveland trades LHP Logan Allen to the St. Louis Cardinals for C Iván Herrera.

It hit a nerve I didn’t expect.

Logan Allen was on my shortlist months ago — a quiet target I’d kept in my back pocket. A mid-rotation stabilizer. Young enough to grow, experienced enough to trust. But the offseason noise swallowed that list whole these past two weeks. Trade offers, contract counter-offers, arbitration prep — all of it buried that mental note under the avalanche. And by the time I thought to revisit it…

He was gone.

And not just gone — gone to the reigning champions. Out of reach for a long while.

Figure 2. Logan Allen — Player Profile (Post-Trade)



That’s on me. Lesson learned:

Check the shortlist. Always.

Still, the reminder worked in my favor. It pushed me to examine the upcoming free-agent class with more intention — not browsing, but hunting.
________________________________________

November 21 — Scanning the Market

With free agency set to open any day, I sat down to structure targets into tiers:

Tier 1: Elite / Above Average (55+ Overall)

Only 18 players. Mostly out of our price range.

But one name caught my eye:

Figure 3. 2024–25 Free Agents (55+ OVR Tier)



SP Jordan Montgomery

• Declined his option with Texas
• Asking $17.5M, down from $25M
• Legitimate mid-rotation anchor
• Short-term contract possible

He’s the only ace-level target whose demand aligns with reality. We can afford him.

The question is whether we should.
________________________________________

Tier 2: League Average Starters (50 Overall)

These are the real value plays — arms that don’t break budgets but move the needle in Runs Against.

Figure 4. 2024–25 Free Agents (50 OVR Tier)



Two names stand out:

Jalen Beeks — Texas Rangers

• Affordable
• Strong swingman profile
• Likely <$3M

Spencer Turnbull — Milwaukee Brewers

• Groundball machine
• One- or two-year flyer
• Same low cost range

Neither is flashy. Both raise our floor. Either one makes us harder to score against.
________________________________________

Checking Our Own Books

Before any offer goes out, the numbers matter.

• $91M current payroll entering arbitration
• Could drop below $90M depending on hearings
• 24th highest payroll in MLB
• $178M budget ceiling
• That leaves ~$30M available for free agency and extensions

We have room. We also have decisions to make.

Figure 5. Royals Team Salary Structure — 2024 to 2033



Brady Singer and Zac Eflin top the internal conversation list. If we lock one of them in long-term, I’d prefer it be Singer.

Eflin is workable, but not transformational. Singer could be.

Then there’s Salvy — 22 million this season, team option after. A franchise pillar.

When his playing days end, the coaching question answers itself.

He stays in Kansas City.

Bobby Witt Jr. is the real financial mountain—his contract balloons to $30M in 2028 and $35M in 2029.

But that's tomorrow's storm. Today's job is keeping him healthy enough to earn that future.
________________________________________

Where the Week Lands Us

This wasn’t a week of action. It was a week of orientation:

• We found a long-term project arm.
• We missed on a pitcher we shouldn’t have forgotten.
• We mapped the free-agent market.
• We double-checked the books.
• We prepared the organization for the arbitration hearings that will shape the next phase.

No fires. Just preparation. Sometimes, that’s precisely what an offseason week needs to be.

These are the quiet weeks that determine how loud the winter becomes.

And soon, the bidding begins.
________________________________________

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (November 15–21)
________________________________________

[Biggp07]

November 22-28, 2024 — Balancing the Scales - Steady Hands, Subtle Moves
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
________________________________________

The fourth week of the offseason always feels like stepping into a room where half the lights are on. Arbitration hearings, free-agency filings, roster decisions, minor trades — they all stack up in a way that makes the days blur together. But this is where the quiet groundwork gets laid, the kind no fan notices until April.
________________________________________

November 23 — Arbitration Results

The rulings came in one after another, like a line of dominoes falling in slow motion. Some went our way. Some didn’t. None were surprising.

• Kyle Wright won his hearing:
$4,053,600 vs our offer of $2.8M
A bit of a sting, but expected.
• MJ Melendez landed at $1,000,000, a rare victory for the team.
• Sam Haggerty, Kyle Isbel, Justin Topa — each won their cases, nudging our payroll upward.
• John Schreiber went our way.
• Brady Singer landed at $5.7M, a fair number well below his demand.

When the dust settled, the ledger was honest. We undervalued a few players, we beat expectations with others — that’s arbitration. It shaved the edges off our projections but didn’t knock anything off course.

These rulings officially returned Kyle Wright from the IL to the active roster. We'll see soon enough how recovered his shoulder really is.
________________________________________

November 24 — Free Agency Opens

This is when the offseason truly wakes up.

International Free Agents Filed

A wave of new IAFA names appeared, ranging from low-value wildcards to one or two legitimate prospects.
The standout was RHP Sergio Nunez — projected 3.5-star potential by OSA.

Figure 1. Sergio Nunez — IAFA Pitching Profile



I got Jason McLeod on the phone.
“Three weeks,” he said. “I’ll have a real report then.”
That’s fine. IAFA moves are long games.
________________________________________

Major League Free Agency Opens at Midnight

And with it, the fireworks:

Willy Adames.
Matt Chapman.
Cody Bellinger.
Juan Soto.
Charlie Morton.
Marcell Ozuna.
Pete Alonso.
Shane Bieber.
Blake Snell.

The marketplace for stars is overflowing, and predictably, the media is already churning through rumors like a meat grinder.

We have the money to make a splash — but not the need to chase names.

Instead, I went back to my notes from earlier in the week. Three names circled in red:

• SP Jordan Montgomery
• RP Jalen Beeks
• SP Spencer Turnbull

Not flashy. Not headline material. But they help with one thing:

Runs Against — John Sherman’s number-one priority.

Tomorrow, I’ll place the bids.
________________________________________

Trade Winds, Again

Two more teams kicked the tires on Brady Singer:

• Padres offering four rookies
• Red Sox offering three minor leaguers plus cash

All quantity, no quality.
It told me one thing:
Singer’s value is high — but so is the league’s assumption that we’re ready to bail on him.

That alone makes him more valuable to us than anyone else. I’m not repeating the Lugo-India mistake of last season. Not this early in my career.

Singer stays.
________________________________________

The Deal I Did Make

One trade, intentional, measured, and mine:

KC acquires LF Mark Payton
CWS acquires RF Nelson Velázquez

A simple, quiet one-for-one. Velázquez is out of options; Payton is older but a more polished, versatile outfielder. Our outfield depth sharpens a bit.

Figure 2. Mark Payton — Player Profile



________________________________________

November 27 — Waiver Claim Completed

A small but satisfying win:

Figure 3. Johnathan Rodriguez — Roster Addition



We grabbed RF Johnathan Rodriguez off waivers from Cleveland — a controllable, defensively strong right fielder, and we stole him from a division rival — the best kind of steal.

The kind you smile about twice. Once now, once in July.
________________________________________

Post-Arbitration Salary Picture

With every case resolved and every contract accounted for, the numbers reshuffled:

Figure 4. Royals Salary Table — Updated Through Nov 27



We sit cleanly at:

• $25M available cash
• $38M available for 2026 extensions
• A payroll sitting just over $88M heading into December

Plenty of space for the bids and real work ahead:

• Set development budget
• Set scouting budget
• Allocate IAFA funds for the January draft
• Decide whether to extend Singer or Eflin
• Prep for Winter Meetings on December 11

This is where the dual-role job becomes real.

The roster is stable.
The books are clean.
The bidding phase begins tomorrow.
And every move from here forward will echo into Opening Day.

The offseason has stretched out long enough — now, it finally starts to sharpen.
________________________________________

WAR Rankings After Arbitration

A final note:

Despite a slight dip to –1.2 WAR, our offseason ranking jumped to 7th in MLB.

We’re positioned well heading into December.

Figure 5. Offseason Center — WAR Gained (Nov 27)



It’s noise for now. But it’s good noise. I’ll take another deliberate look around pre-season, just after IAFA signings in January. By then, it will provide a much clearer picture of who won the trade “war” and who had a fire sale.
________________________________________

Where the Week Lands Us

The final week of November didn’t bring fireworks — it brought structure:

• Arbitration finalized
• One targeted trade completed
• A smart waiver pickup
• Free agency scouted and tiered
• Budget picture clarified
• IAFA monitoring underway

December will be louder. But November ended exactly how it needed to:

clear, steady, and prepared.
________________________________________

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (November 22–28)
________________________________________

[Biggp07]

November 29-December 05, 2024 — Winter Lines and Leverage
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
________________________________________

December 1 — Adjusting the Levers

The first morning of December always feels like pulling back the curtain on a new stage. The roster is quiet, the department leads are synced, and Jason McLeod’s final private-practice report lands like the opening note of the month.

Two names continue to rise above the rest — Mike Gago and Victor Cruz — but the entire group is progressing in ways that reinforce the value of steady development investment.

Figure 1. International Private Training — December



With confidence in our developmental direction, I locked in the 2025 internal budgets — a balancing act between ambition and restraint:

• Scouting: $16M
• Player Development: $20M
• Draft Budget: $11M
• IAFA Budget: $4.75M

The broader financial snapshot confirms what I’ve felt for weeks:

We’re not rich, but we’re stable — and stability is a competitive advantage in December.

Figure 2. Front Office Financial Summary — December 1



The inbox is quiet on the free-agent front. That silence used to bother me.

Now I know it just means the market hasn’t blinked yet. Expected. Irritating - but expected.

December 1 is always the most patient day of the month.
________________________________________

December 2 — A Name from Santo Domingo

Out of nowhere, scouting discovery hands us a surprise:

Sergio Rodriguez, switch-hitting shortstop from Santo Domingo, 16 years old and mostly untamed.

He’s an ink sketch, not a finished drawing — but sometimes those are the players who take shape the fastest once structure and expectation hit them.

Figure 3. Sergio Rodriguez Player Profile



Later in the afternoon, we added Carter Aldrete on a minor-league deal. Frontier League success brought him onto our radar, but Jason’s glowing notes about leadership and adaptability sealed it. There’s value in baseball IQ and maturity — especially in AA.

Figure 4. Carter Aldrete Player Profile



December always introduces one or two names you didn’t expect to care about. Rodriguez and Aldrete both qualify.

Small moves on paper. Meaningful moves in context.
________________________________________

December 3–4 — Signals in the Water

By midweek, the quiet finally broke.

Jordan Montgomery signaled he intends to sign with us.

It’s not official yet, but the message was clear:

He sees Kansas City as a place he can anchor a rotation — and maybe anchor a culture.

Turnbull and Beeks are still hovering, but the arrows point in the right direction.

Figure 5. Pending Offers — December 5 Status



I rewrote our final offer structures but held them back. Experience has taught me that the first week of December is where bad contracts are born.

Let someone else blink first.
________________________________________

December 5 — Quiet, but Productive

The week ends not with fireworks, but with alignment.

• Montgomery: nearly over the line
• Turnbull: leaning toward KC
• Relief market: beginning to constrict
• Position players: ballooning in cost
• IAFA: stable footing for January
• Budgets: locked, clean, and future-proofed

The first five days of December don’t shape the offseason — they shape your posture entering the Winter Meetings. Week One of December is never about headlines. It’s about posture.

And posture matters.

The December WAR modeling didn’t change much, and our roster remained in a holding pattern — neither overreacting nor drifting.

Dallas is a week away. The conversations, pressure, and inevitable curveballs are coming.

But for the first time in a long time, it feels like we’re walking toward that storm with clarity, not guesswork.

The organization feels aligned — financially, strategically, and developmentally — for what comes next in Dallas.
________________________________________

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (December 1-5)
________________________________________

[Biggp07]

December 06-14, 2024 — Angles, Offers, and the Art of Holding Firm
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
________________________________________

December 6-7 — Trade Sparks from San Francisco

The first real tremor of December rolled in from the West Coast.

Pete Putila of the Giants called with a proposal:

19-year-old catcher Axiel Plaz, 22-year-old RHP Manuel Mercedes, and 23-year-old LHP Jack Choate
for
30-year-old RHP John Schreiber and 18-year-old RF Tony Ruiz.

J.J. Picollo stayed neutral on it, which surprised me. Normally, he’ll lean one way or another when young prospects are involved. But in the quiet space between my own instinct and the AGM’s indifference, I saw something I could accept.

The prospect profiles were young, raw, and imperfect — but the return aligned with our long-term strategy. And after last month’s system purge, we have room in the lower minors for bodies, arms, and lottery tickets. We needed to reseed the lower levels after November’s system cuts.

This trade felt like a direct injection of depth. The deal also returned $2.0 million in cash, which never hurts.

Figure 1: Trade Proposal — SF Giants Deal



Schreiber had been the quiet backbone of our bullpen — serviceable, reliable, professional — but he doesn’t swing our trajectory anymore. For his career, Schreiber posted an 8-8 record with 16 saves in 169 games. The 30-year-old ran up 195 strikeouts and compiled a 3.94 ERA. Ruiz, meanwhile, is talented but far from polished.

It feels strange to say goodbye to a guy who’s been here for so long, but building a contender isn’t a sentimental endeavor. It’s a blueprint — and sometimes a demolition.

I made the call before lunch and pulled the trigger by noon.

If this one comes back to bite me, I’ll take the blame. But I doubt it will.
________________________________________

December 8 — Hall of Fame Ballots Released

The ballot arrived this morning — a reminder that baseball’s memory lasts far longer than its news cycles.

My vote goes to Carlos Beltrán, as it always will. I remember watching him play in Kansas City — fluid, instinctive, and electric. Whatever controversies followed him, he remains a KC legend in my eyes. His stats are facts, well-established before all the other stuff. Pete Rose, too.

Figure 2: 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot



Some players are statistics. Some are stories. Beltrán was both and became a reference point.
________________________________________

December 9 — Two Quiet Minor League Additions

While preparing for Dallas, we inked a pair of minor league deals:

LF Yorvis Torrealba. A natural leader — a captain — who will stabilize the AA clubhouse in Arkansas. Depth piece? Yes. But also, glue.

Figure 3: Yorvis Torrealba Player Profile



RHP Ricardo Velez. A four-pitch flyball guy with developmental upside. Assigned to High-A Quad Cities. Could climb if his command holds.

Figure 4: Ricardo Velez Player Profile



Not headline moves — but meaningful ones. The kind of additions that prevent holes in August.

We also released another pair of fringe prospects as roster balancing continues ahead of finalizing Rule 5 protection. Necessary trims. Necessary discomforts.
________________________________________

December 10 — Scouting Report: Sergio Nunez

Jason McLeod submitted his complete assessment of IAFA pitcher Sergio Nunez, and it echoed OSA almost exactly:

• 60 overall
• 80 potential
• Command-forward
• Mid-rotation upside
• Low volatility

Nothing groundbreaking — but consistency across evaluators matters. And the timing couldn’t have been better as I boarded a flight to Dallas.

This trip had a different tone than last season. I walked into the Winter Meetings not as a newcomer but as someone who understands the machine now — where it squeaks, where it grinds, and where it lies.
________________________________________

December 11 — Winter Meetings, Day One: The Big Domino Falls

I woke up in the Hilton Anatole with a fresh scouting email from McLeod — a new discovery: 16-year-old SS José Corona out of Venezuela.

Raw, flawed, undeveloped — and McLeod openly admitted as much. For the first time, I questioned his read. But even questionable prospects get a folder in the IAFA room. The long game is about volume as much as talent.

But before I could dwell on that, the noise started.

Jordan Montgomery accepted our offer.

BNN got it minutes before the official announcement:

6 years, $16,666,666 per year. $100 million total.

It is the biggest contract I’ve handed out in two seasons — and the most confident I’ve ever been in one.

Montgomery is precisely what we need:

A stabilizer.
A tone-setter.
A pitcher who raises the floor and the ceiling.

This wasn’t just a signing. It was a statement. A franchise-defining move.

This signing changed the entire tone of KC’s presence at the Winter Meetings — suddenly, teams viewed us differently.

And their phone calls revealed it.

Beeks, Turnbull, and Thompson all signaled they’re leaning our way. The pitching core for 2025 is beginning to take shape.
________________________________________

December 12 — Winter Meetings, Day Two: System Check

I called home early and told the staff to comb through the minors again — look for weak spots, redundancies, anyone we can’t keep, anyone we can’t afford to lose.

Rule 5 is around the corner. Surprises happen every year, and I want none of them.
________________________________________

December 13 — Winter Meetings, Day Three: Cubs Come Calling

Once word spread about Montgomery…

…Brady Singer’s phone started ringing through mine.

Carter Hawkins of the Cubs came in with the most aggressive Singer offer yet:

INF Jefferson Rojas (19)
LF Ezequiel Pagan (24)
RHP Manuel Espinoza (24)
for Brady Singer and LHP Hunter Owen

Figure 5: Trade Proposal — Chicago Cubs Deal



It wasn’t a bad package. Honestly, it was the most tempting Singer offer I’ve seen this offseason. And it gave me pause.

But when my AGM flatly said, “Not a deal I would do,” I felt the weight shift.

Singer is still our hinge. Maybe not our ace — but our pivot.

I told Hawkins I’d think about it.

Sometimes leadership is about knowing when your lieutenant is right.

Singer stays — unless a true needle-mover comes through.
________________________________________

December 14 — Winter Meetings Close

The last day always feels like watching someone unplug an entire convention center. The buzz fades. The deals slow. Everyone heads home with half-scribbled notes, unfinished ideas, and a plan to pick up again next week.

Before leaving Dallas, I reviewed our Rule 5 protections with the staff. We’re exposed in a couple of spots, but not vulnerable. We should be safe — should being the operative word.

I flew back to Kansas City that evening, sat at my desk, stared at my notes, and let it all settle. The truth of our Winter Meetings week?

We didn’t make any headline-chasing trades.

We didn’t cave to pressure.

We didn’t sacrifice depth for noise.

Instead, we:

• Added a frontline starter
• Secured pitching depth
• Held firm on Singer
• Rebalanced the lower minors
• Strengthened IAFA scouting
• Positioned ourselves cleanly for Rule 5 and January

For a week known for chaos, ours was controlled.

And in the long arc of this rebuild — the real kind, the patient kind — control is everything. It is the rarest resource in a contender's architecture.
________________________________________

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (December 6-14)

Winter Meetings Complete • Montgomery Signed • Depth Reforged • Vision Sharpened
________________________________________

[Biggp07]

December 15-31, 2024 — Closing the Books on 2024
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
________________________________________

December 15 — A pause before the final push

I gave myself the rare luxury of sleeping in. Ten days from Christmas, a Sunday morning, and the final stretch of the off-season ahead — my best excuse in months to simply… breathe. No laptop. No phone. No scouting notes. No trade proposals. Just time with family before the calendar turns and the grind resets.

Tomorrow, I will return to the office. I knew there would be follow-ups from the Winter Meetings, documents to sign, and questions to answer — but for one more day, I stayed blissfully disconnected.
________________________________________

December 16 — A’s on Line One

Barely an hour into my return to Kauffman Stadium, the phone rang.

Oakland.

Ikeda Takumi opened with a trade offer — and not the Singer deal I braced for.

The Athletics offered:
• 1B Brent Rooker (30)

They wanted:
• 1B Nick Pratto (26)
• 1B José Cerice (19)

J.J. Picollo liked it more than I expected. “This trade would make our team better for sure.” he said.

But I wasn’t ready. Not after Chicago’s proposal two days ago — not without letting that one fully marinate. Rooker wasn’t what we needed, and I wasn’t going to make a reactive move.

I declined, respectfully.

Later that afternoon, the three prospects we acquired from San Francisco made their way to their new homes:

• C Axiel Plaz & LHP Jack Choate → A+ Quad Cities
• RHP Manuel Mercedes → A Columbia

The Rule 5 Draft passed quietly. No picks, no losses — precisely the kind of stability I prefer this time of year.
________________________________________

December 17 — Déjà vu in Oakland

Ikeda called again.

Same player. Bigger ask.

Oakland offered:
• 1B Brent Rooker

They wanted:
• RF MJ Melendez
• 1B Carter Jensen
• CF Carson Roccaforte

J.J. stayed neutral this time. “It’s your call.”

Still a pass.

If anything, it confirmed my suspicion — several GMs were circling, hoping to catch me in indecision. Rooker was a target, not a fit.
________________________________________

December 18 — And the revolving door spins

San Francisco wasted no time flipping Tony Ruiz — a player we had traded them barely two weeks earlier. Ruiz was packaged with prospects for Cleveland reliever Nick Sandlin.

It shouldn’t matter. But it did.

It reminded me that value is in the eye of the beholder — and that some GMs treat their prospects like currency. Others, like me, are trying to build something more deliberate.

With three outstanding free-agent offers still pending, I decided that I was done entertaining trades until January. The system needed stability more than impulsive churn.
________________________________________

December 19–25 — Christmas comes early

Silence — the productive kind.

Then the notifications arrived:

Signed:
• RHP Spencer Turnbull
• RHP Riley Thompson
• LHP Jalen Beeks

Three arms. Three roster stabilizers. Three decisions that made Christmas morning feel a little sweeter.

Next week, the staff and I will meet to restructure our minor league alignments and prepare for the influx of young talent entering Columbia and our Rookie League.
________________________________________

December 26 — Watching from afar

The Cardinals introduced Sergio Nunez as their newest starter — 3 years, $25.8 million. A good pitcher, a risky contract, and well outside our post-Montgomery budget.

I’m glad we scouted him early, but St. Louis can afford high-variance arms. They’re loading up for a title defense, and Nunez fits their gamble.

We’ll compete differently.
________________________________________

December 31 — One last find before the year closes

Jason McLeod wrapped his year in the Dominican Republic with an intriguing discovery:

RHP Rubén Garcia, age 16 —

• Slow fastball, barely brushing 88 MPH
• Above-average control
• Average stuff and movement
• Projects as a potential back-end starter

Figure 1. Rubén Garcia — Scouting Discovery Report



He’s now assigned to our international complex. Another lottery ticket for a future we’re trying to build deliberately.

I sat alone in my office as the daylight faded, reflecting on the past year — the trades we made, the ones we didn’t, the budgets we balanced, the signings we chased, and the culture we’re trying to reestablish.

For the first time in a long time, it felt like the plan was working. Like the blueprint was holding. Like 2025 could be different.

I poured a generous glass of Macallan 30-year — a fitting farewell to a turbulent but transformative 2024 — and allowed myself a rare, hopeful thought:

Maybe this is the year we step into the race.
Maybe this is the year everything starts to click.

Tomorrow begins the new calendar. Spring training is coming.

And the Royals are finally starting to look like a team built for the crown.

________________________________________

Built for the Crown — OOTP25 Royals Journey (December 15-31)

Foundation Established • Sustained Discipline • Transformed Landscape • Stabilization
________________________________________

[Biggp07]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — 2024 OFFSEASON WRAP-UP

“Blueprints, Breakthroughs & The Quiet Rebuild”

(OOTP25 Royals Journey – Manager’s Log)
________________________________________

On a cold, wind-bitten New Year’s morning in Missouri, I sat alone at my desk in the Kauffman Stadium offices, a cup of coffee cooling at my side, and drafted a message to John Sherman and the Royals organization. Most of the staff were still coming down from holiday travel and New Year’s celebrations. Before they left for Christmas break, I’d told them to spend this week with their families—and to come back over the weekend, ready to start again on Monday.

After a couple of reviews, I pressed send.
________________________________________

�� A Message from the Manager/GM Office

The 2024 offseason has come to a close, and for the first time in several years, the Royals enter January with actual direction — not noise. Not desperation.

A plan.

What began as a November postmortem evolved into a December realignment of philosophy, roster construction, and culture. With every move — the deliberate pushes, the selective passes, the international discoveries — the front office and coaching staff walked in lockstep, shaping a blueprint built for sustainability, not shortcuts.

The process wasn’t loud, but it was intentional.

And that alone marks progress for Kansas City.
________________________________________

�� OFFSEASON TIMELINE SNAPSHOT

NOVEMBER — Establishing the Foundation

Themes: Arbitration clarity, internal evaluations, scouting resets

• Arbitration cases processed, budgets modeled, and core contributors re-aligned.
• Key organizational findings on MiLB depth (AA/AAA), including updates on Witt Jr., Singer, Lynch, and the injured Kyle Wright.
• International complex triage highlighted the need for increased investment in scouting accuracy.

Major Moves:

• Multiple minor-league signings and internal promotions
• Early trade exploration begins with teams like the Toronto, Boston, and Padres
• Phillies Deal — acquiring 2B Weston Wilson for 2B Jonathan India
• White Sox Deal — acquiring LF Mark Payton for RF Nelson Velezquez
• Waiver claim — acquiring RF Johnathan Rodriguez
• First wave of private international workouts (Cruz, Gago, Torres rising fast)
________________________________________

EARLY DECEMBER — Market Pressure & Budget Discipline

Themes: Adjusting the financial levers, strategic restraint

• Scouting budget increased, player development elevated to $20M, draft budget optimized for 2025 class.
• Financial summary confirmed limited flexibility but strong allocation control.
• International private training delivered early breakout indicators — especially for Cruz and Gago.

Major Moves:

• Free agent offers submitted to Turnbull, Montgomery, Beeks, Thompson
• Multiple trade discussions entertained but declined (Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, A's)
________________________________________

WINTER MEETINGS — A Turning Point

Themes: Youth acquisition, targeted trades, patient aggression

• Kansas City completes two notable actions:
1. Major FA Signing — SP Jordan Montgomery
2. Giants Deal — acquiring C Axiel Plaz, SP Manuel Mercedes, SP Jack Choate
• No Rule 5 activity; organizational stability prioritized.
• Internal evaluations set the tone for which prospects rise to AA, A+, and Rookie to start 2025.
________________________________________

LATE DECEMBER — Closing Deals & Closing Books

Themes: Final roster stabilization before January

• Free-agent signings finalized:
✔️ Spencer Turnbull
✔️ Riley Thompson
✔️ Jalen Beeks

• Prospect movement formally scheduled for early January (Choate → A+, Plaz → A+, Mercedes → A).

• Final scouting discovery of 2024:
RHP Rubén Garcia, a low-velo, high-control 16-year-old projection starter with strong developmental upside.

• Oakland submits two late pushes for Brent Rooker; both rejected as KC holds firm to plan.
________________________________________

�� KEY ACQUISITIONS — 2024 OFFSEASON

Via Trade

• Weston Wilson (2B, Phillies) — Plate discipline, defensive versatility
• Mark Payton (LF, White Sox) — Polished, versatile outfielder
• Axiel Plaz (C, Giants) — Elite arm strength; raw offensive upside
• Manuel Mercedes (SP, Giants) — Heavy fastball; breakout candidate
• Jack Choate (SP, Giants) — High-K profile; fits KC's pitching lab well

Via Waiver

• Johnathan Rodriguez (RF, Guardians) — Controllable, defensively strong RF

Via Free Agency

• Jordan Montgomery (SP) — Our Ace
• Spencer Turnbull (SP) — Veteran stabilizer
• Riley Thompson (RP/SP swing) — Versatile depth
• Jalen Beeks (LHRP) — Matchup specialist; upside in KC’s new bullpen model

International & Minor League

• Felipe Romero (SP) — November scouting discovery
• Sergio Rodriguez (SS) — December scouting discovery
• Carter Aldrete (2B/3B, AAA/AA depth)
• Ricardo Velez (RP, A+)
• Yorvis Torrealba (LF/CF, AA)
• Rubén Garcia (SP, INT Complex)
________________________________________

�� ORGANIZATIONAL THEMES ENTERING 2025

1. Players with High Baseball IQ & Adaptability
Leadership, coachability, and cognitive traits were prioritized over tool-heavy projects.

2. Pitching Control & Development Focus
KC invested heavily in pitchers with strong command foundations — easier to scale velocity than fix wildness.

3. International Pipeline Reboot
Private workouts, relationships, and scouting accuracy took center stage; 2025 class preparation already underway.

4. Avoiding Bad Contracts (Strategic Frugality)
No long-term anchors; no panic overpays despite pressure from other clubs.

5. Layered Depth Instead of Flashy Moves
KC wants 2025 to be competitive — but intelligently competitive.
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�� LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025 — “The Threshold Year”

The Royals will enter Spring Training with:

• A more modern pitching infrastructure

• A sharper analytics-to-scouting integration

• A deeper farm system at AA and below

• An MLB roster built not around one star, but a functioning ecosystem

2024 was a year of dismantling and designing.

2025 will be the year of testing the blueprint.
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�� FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS

Kansas City Royals 2025 Season Preview | December 2024

⚾ Prepared by: Manager & General Manager — Kansas City Royals Organization
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[Biggp07]

January 2025 — A New Blueprint for a New Year
(OOTP25 Royals Journey – GM/Manager’s Dual Log)
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January 1, 2025

There’s something different about this winter.

Maybe it’s the bourbon-smooth quiet of a clear calendar. Maybe it’s the fact that, for once, the Royals aren’t starting a new year with a rebuild as their default plan. Or maybe it’s just the feeling that the hours we spent in November and December have finally begun to matter.

Whatever it is, the 2025 season doesn’t feel like just another chapter. It feels like a whole new book.

The front office whiteboard still sits where I left it before Christmas: names, arrows, circles, question marks. But today, it seems less like a puzzle and more like a plan finally falling into place.
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The Rotation: Built on a New Foundation

Jordan Montgomery is the key to this new season, whether he realizes it yet or not. He is the anchor, the stability point, the foundation around which everything else can come together. Securing his commitment early was a quiet win that the league might not fully recognize until midsummer.

Behind him, the rest of the rotation looks… competitive.

• Zach Eflin, healthy and trending upward.
• Kyle Wright, returning from injury but with a chance to rediscover the form Atlanta once banked on.
• Brady Singer, entering what will be the most crucial season of his career, whether he stays with us or becomes trade capital.
• Cole Ragans, the ceiling that still makes scouts smirk when they think no one is watching.

It’s not a perfect five — but it’s five directions we didn’t have a year ago.

And with Spencer Turnbull, Riley Thompson, and Jalen Beeks now officially signed, our depth no longer feels like paper-mache waiting to collapse in April.
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The Lineup: Quiet Upgrades, Louder Intentions

This isn’t a lineup built on a blockbuster, and it never was going to be.

It’s built on:

• A maturing Bobby Witt Jr., who feels poised to take the step from star to centerpiece.
• Pasquantino returning healthy, ready to anchor the heart of the order again.
• MJ Melendez holding RF, until the trade talks inevitably circle back this summer.
• Maikel Garcia stabilizing third, giving me the defensive reliability that buys wins in the margins.
• Salvador Pérez transitioning roles, as Dingler begins nudging into starter territory.

It’s not a thunderous lineup, but it’s structured. Purposeful. And with our minor-league reinforcements from late December acquisitions, the pressure on fringe players has turned into something sharper: competition.
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The Bullpen: Quietly Becoming a Strength

Last season, our bullpen lacked identity. This year, it finally has a personality.

• Caleb Ferguson, a needed lefty presence with swing-and-miss potential.
• Will Klein and Anthony Veneziano, who continue to develop power profiles.
• Turnbull, who might bounce between rotation depth and late-inning work depending on usage.

There’s no superstar in this group. But there’s no liability either — and that’s something we haven’t been able to say in a while.
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The Farm System: A Year of Reckoning

The minor league structure is about to go through a healthy shake.

We have:

• A deep 2024 draft class entering A-ball
• Several international discoveries are assigned to the Complex
• New minor-league additions (Aldrete, Torrealba, Velez)
• Development momentum across the board

This season, more than any other, will force us to separate long-term assets from organizational filler. The Rule 5 draft confirmed one thing: we’re officially a system too crowded for easy decisions.

And that’s a very, very good problem to have heading into 2025.
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Organizational Focus: The Philosophy of This Season

The mission for 2025 is simple:

Compete honestly. Improve deliberately. And refuse to waste a year of development or opportunity.

We don’t need to win 95 games to call the year a success. But we do need:

• Meaningful progress from the rotation
• A top 15 offense
• Stabilization of the bullpen
• Breakout candidates in the high minors
• The emergence of at least one homegrown future regular

If all of that happens — or even most of it — we’ll be entering 2026 not as a rebuilding club, but as one entering contention.

And if things go well?

Maybe much sooner.
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Personal Reflection: The Quiet Before the Sprint

This dual-role life is strange. The GM in me wants to run projections, analyze budgets, and hold firm on trade value. The manager in me wants to get onto the grass, look a player in the eyes, and decide the lineup with my gut.

The truth lives in the middle.

As I sit here finalizing the roster boards and the spring invite lists, I realize how rare it is to feel optimism this early.

This year, we’ve given ourselves a real chance.

Not a dream. Not a rebuild. A chance.

And for now — that is enough.
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Closing Note

2025 is no longer in the distance.

It’s here.

And for the first time in this journey, I don’t feel like we’re chasing the league.

I feel like we’re catching up.

And if the baseball gods are kind — maybe even passing a few teams along the way.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS

Kansas City Royals 2025 Season Preview | January 2025

⚾ Prepared by: Manager & General Manager — Kansas City Royals Organization
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