DALLAS -- General manager J.J. Picollo categorized the Royals¡¯ day at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday as quiet and slow.

But seeing the free-agent market heat up after Juan Soto became a Met is a good thing for the Royals ¨C because it could trigger a move for them with other teams.

¡°As free agents sign, are there redundancies now?¡± Picollo said. ¡°Maybe it creates an opportunity. Maybe there are ideas of exchanging money that will help us finance another player somehow. So for us, it¡¯s just watching how things go.

¡°Free agency seems like the thing that¡¯s moving -- you watch how that impacts that team¡¯s roster and if there are opportunities for you to make a move, or at least make a call. And that¡¯s the stage we¡¯re in right now. It¡¯s just slow.¡±

The focus remains on deepening the lineup, but just as important to additions is relying on better seasons from outfielders Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez, who had OPS numbers of .689 and .673, respectively, in 2024. The Royals¡¯ outfield was tied for second worst in the Majors in wRC+ (79) this past season and is seen as the main spot for an offseason upgrade.

Kansas City could try to trade either player, but their names haven¡¯t come up a ton in any talks the Royals have had. If the club can find a true power threat for the middle of the lineup, it would push Renfroe and Melendez down and take the pressure off for both.

Still, both factor into the equation for 2025.

¡°Even with our goals, Melendez and Renfroe are still really important,¡± Picollo said. ¡°It¡¯s not about that one spot. It¡¯s about having nine guys in the order to create runs, lengthening the lineup. We need a deep lineup.

¡°We¡¯ve got to believe in a bounce-back year for Renfroe. We signed him for a reason, and we¡¯ve got to believe in that. And Melendez still has a high ceiling and is still growing.¡±

Left-handed depth
When the Royals added lefty reliever Evan Sisk to the 40-man roster in November, it was because they didn¡¯t want to lose him to Minor League free agency. They had plenty of open spots on the roster, and Sisk posted a 1.57 ERA with Triple-A Omaha in 2024. Offering a different sidearm look from the left side, Sisk could be an interesting piece in Kansas City¡¯s bullpen next season.

And the Royals were looking ahead.

The Royals¡¯ left-handed pitching depth now includes Sisk, Sam Long, Angel Zerpa, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch IV and No. 12 prospect Noah Cameron, with the latter three also vying for a rotation spot next spring. That surplus creates some flexibility when it comes to trade talks with other teams.

So far, it hasn¡¯t come of anything, although teams have inquired about Zerpa, who is only 25 years old and has settled into a high-leverage relief role (although there might still be an allure of starting for other teams).

Sasaki posted
Roki Sasaski, the 23-year-old Japanese right-hander, might be one of the most coveted free agents on the market right now, and his 45-day window to negotiate with teams began on Tuesday. Sasaki¡¯s agent, Joel Wolfe, outlined the process at the Winter Meetings and said he and Sasaki should start meeting with teams next week.

The usual big-market teams are the early favorites to land Sasaki, but an interesting quote from Wolfe made rounds Tuesday: ¡°There¡¯s an argument to be made that a small- or mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing for him coming from Japan.¡±

So ¡­ Kansas City?

The Royals have done their due diligence on Sasaki and have had conversations about what a deal would look like. Wolfe acknowledged that it¡¯s likely Sasaki prefers to sign once the 2025 international signing period opens. The ¡®25 window opens on Jan. 15, and every team¡¯s international bonus pool resets for the new period. Sasaki¡¯s negotiating window closes on Jan. 23.

The Royals -- along with Arizona, Baltimore, Cleveland, Colorado and Pittsburgh -- have the second-highest pool in the 2025 international signing period at $6,908,600. They¡¯re in the midst of figuring out that allotment puzzle, but they aren¡¯t likely to be in the mix for Sasaki.

Extension season?
The offseason isn¡¯t just about acquiring players externally; it¡¯s also a time when many teams look at signing their own players to short- or long-term extensions. The cherry on top of the Royals¡¯ busy offseason last year was finding a way to keep Bobby Witt Jr. in Kansas City on a 14-year mega contract extension.

This winter, the Royals remain open to discussing extensions, especially with their young position players like Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey. Maikel Garcia is part of that group, too, even though his name has been floated as a trade candidate.

¡°We¡¯re always examining those things,¡± Picollo said. ¡°You want to maintain payroll flexibility, but does it make sense to have fixed dollars? How willing are those players to sign? We¡¯re always having those discussions, especially about the right players to do it with and who we feel good about.¡±