Royals' rotation needs depend on Wacha's return

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals' rotation posted the second-best ERA in baseball this season at 3.55, and maintaining that success is atop the priority list for general manager J.J. Picollo and his staff heading into the offseason.

Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo are set to return as the top of the Royals' rotation in ‘25, with Ragans still a pre-arbitration player and Lugo entering the second year of his contract that includes an opt-out after this coming season.

But veteran starter Michael Wacha, who posted a 3.35 ERA in 29 starts and started Games 1 and 4 of the American League Division Series, holds a $16 million player option this offseason that will be a big decision for both him and the Royals. If Wacha rejects the option, he will become a free agent for the sixth consecutive year, and he will likely be looking for more security than the one-year deals he has signed in the past.

If Wacha exercises the option, he’ll return to the Royals as a staple of their rotation and leader in the clubhouse. He said Thursday he had not thought about the decision.

The Royals would love to welcome Wacha back. He was not only a crucial part of the rotation by throwing 166 2/3 regular-season innings, but also a key part of helping to establish a winning culture. The deadline for players to make option decisions comes five days after the conclusion of the World Series, so the Royals have a couple of weeks to discuss the situation internally and with Wacha and his representation.

“There’s no question we’d like to have him back,” Picollo said. “How we go about that, I’m not sure just yet. … There are reasons to be optimistic. But he pitched very well this year. And he’s going to have opportunities with other clubs. So we’ll work on that.”

How Wacha’s situation plays out will largely dictate the Royals’ pitching plans this offseason. If Wacha moves on, the Royals would be looking externally for rotation help.

Even if Wacha does return, the Royals will still be looking to add pitching depth. Picollo said Brady Singer will be part of the rotation in ‘25, although the Royals could always use Singer as a trade candidate. They also have Alec Marsh, who made 26 starts this season. Daniel Lynch IV, who flashed potential in the bullpen this September, and Kris Bubic, who emerged as a late-inning reliever this year coming off of Tommy John surgery, could also factor into the rotation. Kyle Wright, whom the Royals traded for last November but missed the entire season after shoulder surgery, is on track for a healthy Spring Training.

“We were remarkably healthy this year, and that’s not the norm,” Picollo said. “We have to go into the season seven, eight, nine starting pitchers deep. When you think about Kyle, Bubic, Lynch, Brady, and we have some Minor Leaguers we think are close to the Major Leagues, we do like the depth as we sit here today on Oct. 14. But May 14 can be very different. We have to be very cognizant of that and look to add in any way we can. Looking at what could be our returning rotation, we may not have to put as much finances as we did last year, but we still will look to add depth.”

Coaching staff returns

Manager Matt Quatraro said he expects his entire coaching staff to return in 2025, barring any coaching or staff member leaving for a promotion in another organization. If that’s the case, Quatraro said the Royals would be “happy to look into” it, but they expect everyone to return.

Given the Royals’ success with their pitching this year, pitching coach Brian Sweeney, assistant pitching coach Zach Bove and bullpen coach Mitch Stetter might see their names floating around open jobs. Bench coach Paul Hoover could be a managerial candidate at some point.

Last year, Quatraro added a third hitting coach, Joe Dillon, to his staff, but he doesn’t foresee another move like that unless anything is brought up in meetings in the coming weeks.

“We’ll do a full audit and ask guys in each department to see what they feel like -- either resources or staff -- they might need or want,” Quatraro said. “But I don’t see anything jumping off the page that we’re definitely going to add or anything like that.”

End-of-season injuries

• Infielder/outfielder Adam Frazier, who has an $8.5 million mutual option for ‘25 (with a $2.5 million buyout) is getting a procedure done on his right thumb this week, Picollo said. Frazier strained his thumb in June and received an injection during the recovery process, but he didn’t miss any more time the rest of the season.
• First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino’s right thumb will be re-evaluated next month as part of a routine checkup after the surgery he had in early September. Pasquantino was limited to just hitting in the postseason, although he said he would have begun to introduce fielding work to his rehab program this week had the season continued.
• Relievers Hunter Harvey (mid-back tightness), James McArthur (right elbow sprain) and Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor strain) are all expected to be healthy entering Spring Training after ending the season on the injured list. Stratton holds a $4.5 million player option for ‘25.