KANSAS CITY -- The holidays are here, so here’s a great gift for you: A Royals Inbox.

Let’s jump right into what’s on your mind as we reflect on 2022 and think about what’s to come for 2023. Thanks to everyone who followed along this year -- here’s to much more to come in the new year. Spring Training will be here before we know it.

What does the rotation look like if today was Opening Day? -- @IRockThis

There will be several pitchers who come to Spring Training ready to earn a rotation spot. That includes the Royals’ free agent signings, Ryan Yarbrough and Jordan Lyles, both of whom I expect to get a chance to start. That also includes Brady Singer, who had a breakout 2022 season with his 3.23 ERA -- putting him in contention for an Opening Day start.

I would also expect Daniel Lynch to earn a rotation spot. The lefty had an up and down 2022, but the organization remains committed to him as a starter. Lynch also could be one to benefit from the new coaching staff.

Brad Keller, Jonathan Heasley, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar, Max Castillo, Angel Zerpa and Carlos Hernández will all be competing for a spot. Keller and Hernández finished out the season in the bullpen, and the Royals liked what they saw out of Hernández in relief. But teams can never have too much starting depth, so the pair will likely both come to spring as starters. So will Alec Marsh and Jonathan Bowlan, who are on the 40-man roster but will likely need more time in the Minors before their debuts.

What is [Nick] Pratto’s standing going into Spring Training? -- @AJClipp

He’ll have to earn the Opening Day job through his performance in the spring. In a fairly small sample size (182 Major League plate appearances), Pratto struck out 36.3% and he posted an 82 wRC+. This shouldn’t (and won’t) write Pratto out of the equation, but it does show there are things to improve.

Pratto’s glove is Gold Glove-caliber, and the Royals will have a better infield with him manning first base. Working with Alec Zumwalt and the hitting team in spring should help Pratto’s bat tap into that upside.

What does the team think of Maikel Garcia? Why not let him play short and move Bobby Witt [Jr.] to third? --J.T., @kctaylor35

The Royals think highly of Garcia, a 22-year-old contact-oriented shortstop. But they aren’t ready to commit to Garcia as an everyday Major League player yet after he spent most of the season in Double-A.

It seems fair to not rush Garcia when the Royals want to see what Witt can give them as their everyday shortstop. Garcia could always hit his way into a roster spot by mid-season.

You think [Michael A.] Taylor, [Hunter] Dozier or [Nicky] Lopez will be traded? -- @Royals_Daily_

The Royals wouldn’t shy away from trade talks about any of players. Taylor, an elite defensive center fielder, is entering the final year of his contract and would seem to be the most attractive to other teams. Dozier, 31, posted a -3.8 WAR the past two seasons and has over $16 million guaranteed left on his contract, so there might not be a suitor unless the Royals eat most of the money.

Lopez would be an interesting decision. He’s an elite defender but posted a 58 OPS+ last year. He’s projected to make $3.55 million, per Cot's Contracts, in his second year of arbitration, but he might not be an everyday player. There are other teams interested in Lopez, yet given their youth in the infield the Royals might want to hold onto him. Lopez could also play third base if the Royals don’t upgrade there this offseason.

The Royals have invested a lot of their future into their young pitching staff. How confident should Royals fans be that this new coaching staff can be the difference between what was in 2022, and what could be in 2023? -- @RoyalsFarm

This is the question of the year, isn’t it? Was what occurred in 2022 an indictment on the talent the Royals have or the leaders they had in place? How much will change in ‘23 with new voices guiding the young pitchers and the information they use on a daily basis?

I don’t think we can answer any of those questions right now. But the course of the season should offer some clues.

The Royals laid the foundation of their rebuild when they built their 2018 Draft around college pitchers. They’ve acknowledged they may have pushed them too fast, especially in the pandemic year, and that some processes haven’t worked -- which is why they’ve made changes this offseason. But they also see Singer’s breakout in 2022 as a victory. They believe many of the pitchers they drafted, from Lynch to Heasley to Bowlan, have the talent to follow Singer’s lead. At some point, the rest of those young starters will have to turn the corner. Or the Royals will be re-evaluating what went wrong and where they go next.