ORLANDO, Fla. -- The biggest takeaway on the Royals front from the Winter Meetings this week was simply the fact that they are involved in a lot of areas of the market.
Whether that turns into a transaction, we’ll see. Sometimes, that’s just how it shakes out. But the offseason is far from over.
“It’s a lot of communications with teams, a lot of communication with agents,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “That’s what we’re here for. There’s progress. You have a better idea of where people stand, what might be happening, ideas that you once had going away. It just keeps rolling down the street, really.”
Here’s where the Royals stand after three days in Orlando:
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1) Outfield bats: It hasn’t happened yet, but the Royals’ main focus this offseason is improving their outfield. The bulk of the run production comes from the infield, but the Royals still need to raise the floor of the bottom of their lineup and find upgrades in the outfield. They have discussed a number of free agents, including a reunion with Adam Frazier, as well as Harrison Bader, Austin Hays and Adolis García. There was interest in re-signing Mike Yastrzemski before he headed to Atlanta on a two-year, $23 million deal.
A trade remains likely, too, with the Royals talking to teams that have outfielders to spare and that need pitching, an area of depth in Kansas City. And here’s one interesting note: Picollo mentioned that the avenue for a trade might get “a little complicated.”
He was talking about the potential for a multi-team trade and said if that were to happen, it would take some time.
“It may not be one team involved,” Picollo said. “It may be multiple teams involved. It’s hard enough to think for yourself, let alone other teams and how they value players. You’re not just going to get one team to see equal value, you’re trying to get three teams to agree on equal value. And that can be challenging. But there are some good ideas. There are some things worth pursuing and continuing discussions on.”
2) Bullpen help: Although secondary to their outfield search, the Royals are keeping an eye on the relief market. They feel great about the back end of their bullpen, with Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez, but teams can never have too many options for the end of games. A left-handed specialist who can handle high leverage is of particular interest.
HE SAID IT
“We think we have a team that can win, currently. We saw the benefits of putting Yastrzemski, [Randal] Grichuk, Frazier in the mix there [last season]. It’s not because the other guys can’t do it. It’s because there’s going to be days where it might be better to have a day off or get a better matchup. You’ve got to produce. You have to give yourself that cushion, that protection, against ups and downs of young players.” -- manager Matt Quatraro, on blending experience and youth
DRAFT LOTTERY
The Royals finally benefited here, jumping all the way from pick No. 16 to No. 6 and grabbing the last lottery spot. Not only does that mean, presumably, a better player available on July 11 next year. But it also means a significant jump in bonus slot money for their first-round pick.
After a couple of years of frustration with the lottery, the Royals were elated this time.
RULE 5 DRAFT
The Royals did not make a selection nor lose any player in any round of the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.
MORE FROM THIS WEEK
• Trade Cole Ragans? Picollo says it’s highly unlikely (although you never say never).
• The Royals are interested in Astros center fielder Jake Meyers. MLB.com Astros reporter Brian McTaggart wrote about Houston’s pitching needs. The teams could match up on paper.
• Two Royals officials were honored as part of the Scout of the Year program. Royals vice president/assistant general manager Rene Francisco was recognized as the International Scout of the Year, and special assistant Tom McNamara was recognized as the East Coast Scout of the Year.
GM’S BOTTOM LINE
“So much of it comes down to, whoever you’re trying to acquire: What’s the competition for it [and] are you willing to beat the competition? [With] free agents, do you feel like it's a fair asking pricing right now and does it fit our payroll? You got to weigh all those things. … I’ll say we’re in a good spot in the sense that we haven’t lost out on anybody we have a great interest in. It’s a matter of just hanging in, especially on the free agent side. On the trade side, the avenue we get to where we want to go via trade is a little complicated. That’s just going to take time if it’s going to happen.” -- Picollo on the waiting game for offseason acquisitions (said before Yastrzemski's signing with the Braves)