Boys In Blue – The Experiment Continues…

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👑 Thursday, December 18 – Wednesday, December 31 • New Year’s Eve / Winter Ledger Close 👑

Kansas City closes December with ownership raising the long-term expectation from postseason progress to dynasty-building.

Kansas City Royals Front Office
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Front Office Desk

The Winter Meetings ended with me feeling better than when I arrived. Chris Paddack was signed. The San Diego trade added system texture. We had avoided Hongwu Fan's ballooning demand. Several free agent offers were still alive.

I did not get much time to enjoy Orlando during the Winter Meetings, so I gave myself breathing room the morning after. Nothing extravagant. A quiet hotel morning. A few local shops. A little sunlight that did not come with Kansas City wind chill attached. Enough time to remind myself that I was not just a man moving salaries across a screen and trying to keep a bullpen from catching fire before it existed.

Then I got on the plane and came back to Kansas City.

Back to Kauffman.

Back to the board.
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Rule 5 Desk — Finding a Catcher in the Overlooked Aisle

The Rule 5 Draft was waiting the next day, forcing one more roster decision. Even though we had protected the players we wanted to protect, I wanted one more look at the pool. Specifically, I wanted catchers, but not just any catcher. A high-framing defensive catcher who could slot behind Dillon Dingler or Salvador Perez to start the year.

Preserving Salvy's knees, legs, and overall health was a concern throughout 2025, and it will be a concern again in 2026 because time does not ask permission before it takes another step. Salvy can still matter to this team, but he cannot be asked to carry the same catching load forever. If we can move him toward more first-base and designated-hitter work while leaning more on Dingler and a strong defensive option behind the plate, we should.

Right now, we have Carter Jensen and Omar Hernandez in Triple-A/Double-A. Neither is ready for a major-league debut in April. Omar would get the call first if we needed someone, but both need to cook longer in Omaha before we commit to either as part of the long-term catching plan.

Below them, in High-A, are Blake Mitchell and Axiel Plaz. Both are highly rated in our system, and Mitchell is the bigger name, ranked No. 88 in the league. Both have above-average framing, but Mitchell holds the better overall toolkit with the bat and glove. Realistically, we are looking at 2028 for him, maybe 2027 if the development gods decide to throw us a fastball down the middle.

That still leaves 2026, so the Rule 5 pool mattered if the right player was there. And one name kept coming back to the top.

Connor Pavolony, a 26-year-old catcher from the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

The defensive profile caught me first. All of his defensive ratings sat above 65, and that is exactly the kind of catcher I was hoping might fall to us. The bat was not empty either. His Jacksonville line showed .295/.409/.896, and he looks like he'll draw plenty of walks. With some work, Pavolony can be a pivotal bench player behind Salvy or Dingler.

That is the kind of role that does not make the winter highlight reel but helps protect a roster across six months. A catcher who frames well, receives cleanly, buys strikes for the staff, and gives Salvy more DH or first-base days has value beyond the box score.

We held the 22nd pick. If Pavolony came around to us, we would take him.

If we got him, he would take the final 40-man roster spot, and we would deal with the crowding later. That is part of this stage. The closer we get to Opening Day, the more we have to decide who gets to stay, who gets the invite, and who gets caught in the numbers game. With Teoscar, Estévez, Bautista, and Escalera still holding out on their contracts, I would need to clear the 40-man, so they felt they had room in our organization. That's likely why they have been sitting on their contracts rather than signing. We waived/DFA'd 3 secondary roster slots to make room for them. Hopefully that will provide them with resolution, and we get them here by New Year's Eve.

That is baseball housekeeping. Unpleasant, necessary, and usually more important than it looks.

Figure 1. Connor Pavolony Rule 5 Profile — Defensive Catching Target Behind Salvy and Dingler



Perspective: The December Rule 5 review identifies Connor Pavolony as Kansas City's preferred catcher target. His defensive ratings sit above 65 across the board, and his Jacksonville line of .295/.409/.896 shows enough offensive patience to make him more than a glove-only addition. For the Royals, Pavolony fits the 2026 catching plan: protect Salvador Perez's workload, support Dillon Dingler, and add high-framing depth while Carter Jensen, Omar Hernandez, Blake Mitchell, and Axiel Plaz continue to develop.
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December 19 — Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft arrived on December 19.

Clubs across the league eyed the pool for undervalued talent. It is one of the most overlooked parts of the offseason, but it can shape a roster in strange ways. A player with four or more years in an organization after signing at 19 or older becomes eligible if he is not protected on the secondary roster. Players signed at 18 or younger get one additional year. The selected player must stay on the major-league roster all year or be offered back.

It is a draft built for second chances. It is also a draft that punishes clubs that misread their own depth. I watched the catcher board first.

Jake Rogers was the first catcher selected, going 9th overall to Oakland. I had looked at him as an alternate if Connor went early, so that one made me sit a little straighter.

Chris Cauley went 12th to Philadelphia.

Edison Duran went 20th to Texas.

Then pick 21 passed.

Connor Pavolony was still there.

At pick 22, we took him.

And then we were done for the day. No need to get greedy.

The full Rule 5 Draft went four rounds, with 48 players selected across the league. The Mets seemed to take a bulk of the draftees, and we will see how that works out for them. Sometimes volume works. Sometimes it clogs the roster before camp even begins.

For us, the day was simple.

We targeted the catcher. We got the catcher. We went home.
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Catching Desk — Protecting Salvy Without Pushing the Kids

Pavolony's selection fits a larger catching plan.

Salvy stays, but Salvy needs protection. Dingler needs room to carry more of the job. Jensen and Omar Hernandez need Omaha. Mitchell and Plaz need their development timelines respected. The mistake would be rushing one of the kids because the major-league bench needed a defensive catcher in April.

That is how organizations turn a depth problem into a development problem.

Pavolony gives us a bridge.

If he sticks, he gives the staff another receiver and gives the manager more flexibility. I can rest Salvy without feeling like I have punted the running game, the strike zone, or the pitcher's comfort. That matters in a season where the bullpen is being rebuilt, and the rotation is trying to re-form without Eflin.

Sometimes the catcher does not need to be the story. He just needs to keep the story from getting messy.
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Christmas Desk — Bautista Walks Himself Out of the Plan

After the Rule 5 Draft, things went quiet again. Too quiet.

The contract offers still sat in the inbox waiting for signatures, and the silence left me unsettled through Christmas Eve. I tried to enjoy the holiday, but I would be lying if I said the open business did not follow me around.

Then Christmas Day added unwanted weight, impatience from Angel Bautista's camp. He wanted another increase in his contract terms.

At that point, I was done. I guess I was not in the mood, especially today, and the games I played did not need to be contract renegotiations. So, Bautista can play with another team.

We had already claimed Gage Workman off waivers earlier in the month, and he was sitting in Omaha ready to help if we needed him. Bautista had appeal as a contact-and-speed piece, but not enough for me to keep chasing the number upward after we had already made a reasonable push. Maybe we will catch up with him another time after he demonstrates his worth in the majors.

Christmas needed to be celebrated. The roster was not perfect, but I was comfortable enough with where we were heading into the 2026 preseason and spring training. The rest of the year would be about waiting for the remaining offers to come back signed.

Baseball does not stop for the holidays, but sometimes you must make yourself put the phone down anyway.
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December 28 — Eflin Lands in Cleveland

December 28 delivered the worst news of the month to the fanbase; it was a gut punch:

Zack Eflin signed with Cleveland.

The fan reaction was terrible. Overall fan interest dropped significantly, with the estimated loss showing a four-point decline from 61 after the news broke. I cannot say it made my Christmas holiday any better, especially with Bautista's withdrawal 3 days ago.

The Guardians and Eflin appeared before the Cleveland media after marathon contract talks, with Eflin set to make $183 million over six years. His career record is 73–73 with a 4.22 ERA, but that does not capture what he was for us in 2025 or what Cleveland just took off the board.

Seeing him in the division hurts more than seeing him leave.

If he had gone to the National League, the sting would have been cleaner. If he had gone somewhere we saw occasionally, maybe it would have been easier to bury the regret.

Cleveland is the club that ended our postseason.

Cleveland is the club we have to chase inside the division picture.

Cleveland now gets the pitcher we failed to secure when the number was lower, and the relationship still felt manageable.

That one will sit with me; no use pretending otherwise. We had our chance in September, and we missed it. Now the fans know it too.

This is where Paddack's signing must matter. This is where Arronde's development must matter. This is where the bullpen rebuilding must matter. If Eflin wins in Cleveland and we wobble, every headline will write itself.

The only answer is to build a team that makes the regret less useful.
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Free-Agent Desk — Estévez and Escalera Finally Say Yes

By December 31, two of the offers finally came back signed.

Carlos Estévez is coming to Kansas City.

Luis Escalera is coming into our system.

That means we can begin the year with the bullpen revamped and with fresh arms to try. I am not going to pretend that signing Estévez and Escalera solves everything. It does not. But combined with Robert Garcia, Adrián Martínez, Walter Pennington, Quinton Low, and the internal competition already in place, the late-inning picture finally looks less like an emergency and more like a camp competition.

Estévez wrote that after discussing it with his family, he would sign our offer and play for Kansas City.

Good. I want players who have actually chosen this place.

Escalera thanked us for letting him play in our minor-league system and said he hoped to help in the big leagues soon.

Good again. That is the right tone. He is not being handed a job. He is being handed a path.

The rest is on him.

Figure 2. Carlos Estévez Signing Profile — Veteran Relief Arm Joins the Bullpen Reset



Perspective: The December 31 signing screen confirms Carlos Estévez as a Kansas City addition, giving the Royals another experienced bullpen option after a winter focused heavily on late-inning reconstruction. Estévez joins a group that now includes Robert Garcia, Adrián Martínez, Walter Pennington, Quinton Low, Mason Thompson, Ryan Walker, Anderson Paulino, and other internal arms competing to stabilize the innings that repeatedly strained the 2025 club.
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Teoscar Watch — One Contract Short

We reached New Year's Eve one contract short of the intended goal.

Teoscar Hernández still had not signed.

I am honestly not sure what the delay is or what his camp does not like. It is not as if he lacks a position on this team and there is a spot waiting for him on the 40-man. The corner-outfield need is real, and the lineup still needs the thump after Meadows slipped into free agency. Maybe it is just the holiday pause, or maybe we hear from him soon.

If not, there is still time to look at the free-agent board and find another bat. We can also press Ariel Almonte or Jose Rodriguez sooner than planned, though I would rather not force that if the club can avoid it.

Sometimes your timing is right. Sometimes it is not.

That is part of baseball, and it happens to every team if they are playing it honestly.

For now, Teoscar remains the open tab.

I do not like open tabs, but I can live with one on New Year's Eve.
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Financial Desk — Build a Dynasty

By New Year's Eve, Estévez and Escalera had signed; Teoscar was still unsigned; and the books looked good.

Really good.

But one item in the financial summary had changed since just a few weeks ago, and there it was staring back at me:

Build a Dynasty.

The financial summary showed a new ownership mandate, and that is not a small sentence.

Two years ago, this organization was trying to find its footing. I guess John Sherman was happy with where I have been managing and leading this club, so he decided to raise the bar for 2026. The calendar has turned from survival to expectation.

I took a long drink of Macallan and a deep drag off the Oliva, then sat with the satisfaction of where this team has come in two years. Now ownership is talking dynasty.

Congratulations to me, I guess. I can actually do this job under two hats.

Build a Dynasty.

That is exciting.

Those words are also dangerous.

Dynasty is not a goal you casually place on a desk. It raises expectations. It changes how every move is evaluated. A good signing becomes a step. A missed signing becomes a flaw. A playoff berth becomes the beginning, not the reward.

But I would be lying if I said it did not make me smile.

I am having fun.

Figure 3. Kansas City Financial Summary — Ownership Raises the Bar to "Build a Dynasty"



Perspective: The New Year's Eve financial summary shows Kansas City entering 2026 with improved books and a changed ownership expectation: "Build a Dynasty." After an 85-win postseason season and a winter of calculated additions, John Sherman's new mandate signals that the Royals are no longer being measured only by progress, but by sustained contention.
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Manager's Desk — The Roster Feels Closer, Not Finished

From the dugout view, the end of December feels better than the middle of it.

Yes, we lost Eflin, and that still hurts.

But Paddack is here. Estévez is here. Escalera is in the system. Pavolony gives us a catcher-defense option. The bullpen has more depth and variety than it did a month ago. The farm has Arronde, Almonte, Owen, Mitchell, Plaz, Jensen, Omar Hernandez, and enough names to suggest the 2026 roster does not have to be filled entirely from outside.

That is the encouraging part. The unfinished part is the bat.

Figure 4. 2024/2025 Season Batting Comparison Summary — Offensive Growth with a Baserunning Warning



Perspective: The side-by-side batting leaderboard shows how far Kansas City's offense moved from 2024 to 2025. The board highlights the offseason correction point: despite remaining fourth in stolen bases, Kansas City's baserunning value dropped to -8.3, last in the AL, making smarter reads and cleaner aggression a key emphasis for the manager in 2026.

The batting comparison board gives me one more reason to feel better about where the 2026 roster is headed, even with Teoscar Hernández still unsigned. If Teoscar signs, the lineup feels cleaner. If he does not, we must decide whether to chase another corner outfielder, move faster on Almonte, or trust a mix of internal depth and smaller free-agent options.

The 2025 offense was not just a little better than the 2024 group. It changed tiers. Batting average moved from 5th in the AL to 3rd, hits climbed from 7th to 3rd, extra-base hits jumped from 7th to tie for 3rd, and slugging percentage rose from 11th all the way to 4th. That is not cosmetic progress. That is a lineup learning how to square the baseball, use the gaps, and turn contact into damage.

The power followed too. Home runs improved from 128 in 2024 to 187 in 2025, and WAR nearly doubled from 9.9 to 18.2. That tells me the club was not just getting more hits; it was getting more meaningful production from the batting order.

The warning label is still there. We stole fewer bases, fell from 1st in the AL in 2024 to 4th in 2025, and the baserunning value crashed from +7.7 to -8.3, dead last in the league. That fits what I felt from the dugout. We still had speed, but we did not always use it cleanly. Too many outs on the bases. Too many reads that felt a half-step late. Too much pressure turned back on ourselves.

As I look toward January 27 and the start of preseason, the offensive message is clear: keep the 2025 damage and clean up the running game. Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvy, and the next layer of bats give us enough foundation to believe the lineup can hold. But if we want to build the kind of roster John Sherman is now asking for — not just a playoff team, but a dynasty — the 2026 Royals cannot afford to give up outs while trying to play fast.

The bats took a real step. Now the legs must catch up.
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Front Office Offseason Notes

December did not fix everything, but it provided structure and closed the first major chapter of the 2026 offseason. But it reminded me that structure is not the same thing as certainty.

The financial summary now says, "Build a Dynasty," which changes the feel of everything heading into January. That is dangerous, but that is the job.

As we head into 2026, the next checkpoints are clear:

January 15 — International Signing Day. Now matters for the long-term board.

International Signing Day is where we try to find the next future arm, the next Blanco, the next Jose Hernandez, the next player who might show up three years from now and make us look smarter than we were.

January 27 — Preseason begins. Matters for the immediate one.

Preseason is where the winter stops being theory.

The calendar is turning. The 2026 Royals are not complete, but they are closer. Camp is getting closer. International signings. Preseason. Spring Training.

The road to Opening Day is no longer a general idea; it is on the calendar.

And for the first time this winter, I can feel the excitement starting to outrun the anxiety.
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Around the League

December was busy with lots of moves across the league. The Cubs and Rangers made a trade involving Nico Hoerner and some cash, while Washington signed Daniel Vogelbach. The Dodgers brought in Hunter Harvey, and St. Louis added Tyler Rogers. Arizona picked up Trevor Megill, Toronto signed Ryan Brasier, and the Mets landed Walker Buehler. Pittsburgh signed Ranger Suárez, and Seattle made a deal with Tyler O'Neill.

The rest of the league kept moving, and so did we. The difference now is that December is over, and the new year belongs to the next layer.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | 2026 Offseason — December 18–31, 2025
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)

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👑 Thursday, January 1 – Wednesday, January 14 • International Signing Eve 👑

Kansas City opens 2026 with Teoscar Hernández finally signed, and the front office preparing for January 15 with one eye on the future and the other on a preseason that now sits less than two weeks away.

Kansas City Royals Front Office
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Front Office Desk

The new year opened with the kind of answer I had been waiting to hear before the calendar flipped.

Teoscar Hernández signed.

One year. $11.0 million.

That was the final 26-man roster option I wanted for the corner outfield before we turned fully toward January. After weeks of waiting, negotiating, second-guessing, and wondering whether we were going to have to circle back through the free-agent board for another bat, Teoscar put his name on the contract and gave the lineup a different shape.

That matters.

He can play both outfield corners. He has the arm to throw home from right field or any corner. He brings power. The fans love him. And after losing Austin Meadows to the market, we needed a veteran bat who could step into the corner-outfield picture without forcing Ariel Almonte into Kansas City before the development plan says he is ready.

Royals' officials presented Hernández to the local media as the new left fielder, and the deal gives the 33-year-old a home in Kansas City for the 2026 season. The line is not empty, either. Over 1,060 career games, Hernández has hit .256, with 207 home runs and 988 hits. He brings a 2021 and 2024 All-Star résumé, plus the 2020 and 2021 AL Silver Slugger background.

That is the kind of short-term thump we needed.

His message sealed the mood:

“I'm very impressed by your willingness to negotiate. You put together a bold offer I can accept, and you will be very pleased to hear that I'm going to sign with Kansas City as a result. Let's gear up for a title run!"

That last line sticks.

A title run.

The words feel different when a player outside the organization says them back to you. Now we must make them real.

Figure 1. Teoscar Hernández Signing Profile — One-Year Corner-Outfield Power Fit



Perspective: The January 1 player profile confirms Teoscar Hernández's one-year, $11.0 million agreement with Kansas City. Hernández brings a veteran power résumé, 207 career home runs, 988 career hits, two All-Star selections, and two AL Silver Slugger awards to a lineup that needed corner-outfield thump after Austin Meadows reached free agency. His ability to play both outfield corners gives the Royals immediate roster flexibility while Ariel Almonte continues preparing in Omaha.
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Corner Outfield Desk — Teoscar Changes the Lineup Conversation

Teoscar Hernández does not have to be the whole offense. That is not the assignment.

The 2025 batting comparison already showed that Kansas City's offense had taken a major step forward from 2024. The batting average, hits, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, home runs, and WAR all moved in the right direction. The bats were better. The damage was real.

The weakness was not whether the lineup could produce. The weakness was whether the lineup could withstand injuries and pressure and avoid thinning when the regulars needed help. That is where Teoscar fits.

He gives us one year of power without clogging the path for Almonte. He gives the manager another run-production bat without demanding a long-term promise. He gives the front office a cleaner Opening Day projection while still leaving room for the farm system to speak during the season.

That is the right kind of veteran signing for this roster. Short-term, useful, and clear. If he plays to his potential, the lineup has a louder middle than it did on New Year's Eve.
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International Complex Desk — Felix Baez Becomes a Follow Name

Jason McLeod returned home earlier in the month with news of a previously unknown ballplayer from Argentina.

Felix Baez, a 16-year-old left fielder from Buenos Aires, convinced Jason that he was worth watching and possibly acquiring someday.

The report is measured, which I appreciate. Baez's ceiling is described as an average power hitter. He is eager to take a hack, and that does not always work in his favor. The current outlook leans more toward journeyman than stardom. That is not a reason to ignore him, but it is a reason to be honest.

Baez has been assigned to the international complex. For now, he becomes a follow-up name. He gets watched. He gets evaluated. He gets time to show whether the swing decisions can improve enough to let the power matter.

Not every player in the international complex is a future centerpiece, but every useful organization needs more than centerpieces. That is why we keep looking.

Figure 2. Felix Baez International Complex Profile — Argentine Left-Field Follow



Perspective: The January scouting update assigns 16-year-old left fielder Felix Baez to Kansas City's international complex. Born in Buenos Aires, Baez shows enough average power potential to remain worth tracking, though the current report warns that his aggressive swing decisions may point more toward a journeyman path than star development.
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Jason McLeod's Private Practice Report — The January Board Sharpens

Jason's monthly private practice report arrived at exactly the right time. International Signing Day sits one day away, and this is the moment when the scouting board needs to narrow from "interesting names" to actual targets.

The report opened the same way these usually do, with Jason explaining that he had completed another monthly private practice with young international amateur free agents we hope can help the club in the coming years. The value was not just seeing the tools. It was meeting the players, watching their bodies move, seeing how they handled instruction, and improving the scouting assessment of every invitee. That matters at this age.

A 16-year-old prospect is not a finished player. He is an argument between projection and uncertainty. The more times we see him in person, the more we can decide which part of that argument is stronger.
This month, Jason said the practice went well. More importantly, none of the invitees disappointed in showcasing their talent. That is the kind of sentence a general manager likes to read one day before the signing window opens.

Figure 3. International Private Practice Board — Final IAFA Shortlist Before January 15



Perspective: The January private-practice board captures Kansas City's final international amateur review before signing day. Jason McLeod's updated assessments help prioritize the club's IAFA shortlist, with Florante Blanco, Juan Bucsit, Jose Hernandez, Manny Gomez, Carlos Guariento, and Jaya Sumual among the highlighted names entering January 15.
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IAFA Target Desk — Florante Blanco Holds the Top Pitching Lane

Florante Blanco remains one of the most important names on the international board.

The 16-year-old left-hander from the Philippines impressed Jason again, and the report sharpened the profile. Blanco is described as a long, lean, athletic starting pitcher born in Kidapawan. At his peak, his repertoire should include a quality slider, a tough changeup, a plus fastball, and a plus sinker. That is the kind of arsenal that makes a scouting director sit up.

The report emphasizes bat-missing stuff and advanced control, both of which should limit walks. That combination is why Blanco should rank among the best starting-pitcher prospects in any organization. That is strong language, maybe too strong if we let ourselves get carried away.

But the Royals have already seen what a successful international pitching path can become. Felix Arronde is the proof sitting one level from Kansas City. He was not created overnight. He was signed, developed, stretched, refined, and allowed to become something valuable. Blanco is not Arronde. Not yet. But he fits the kind of long-range pitching bet that can make a small-market system stronger than its payroll. That is why he sits near the top of the January 15 plan.

We do not need every international pitcher to become an ace, but we need to take enough good shots that one of them eventually does.
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IAFA Target Desk — Juan Bucsit Adds a New Position-Player Prize

The second name that jumped from Jason's report was Juan Bucsit, a 17-year-old second baseman from the Philippines. This is the kind of profile that changes the board's texture.

Bucsit is long, lean, and athletic. He has plus contact potential. He displays enough raw power to grow into a true home-run threat. He runs the bases with speed and intelligence. Jason's report went even further, calling him an elite big-league second baseman projection, and that is not a minor note.

Kansas City's system has been built through several channels over the past two years: international signings, deadline acquisitions, draft picks, and development lab bets. Bucsit fits the long-range position-player lane. He is not a 2026 answer. He is not even a 2027 answer. But he may become the kind of player who makes future Winters less desperate.

The major-league club just added Teoscar because it needed power now. The farm needs Bucsit because it will need affordable impact later. That is how the two timelines must work together.
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IAFA Shortlist — The Wider Board

Beyond Blanco and Bucsit, Jason further assessed several players who remain in the January 15 picture:

Alex Fernandez, 16-year-old catcher from Curaçao.
Manny Gomez, 16-year-old shortstop from Panama.
Carlos Guariento, 16-year-old shortstop from Venezuela.
Jose Hernandez, 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Puerto Rico.
Leo Orozco, 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Chile.
Nick Rosario, 16-year-old second baseman from Venezuela.
Tony Sabedra, 17-year-old center fielder from Guatemala.
Jaya Sumual, 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Papua New Guinea.

The shortlist tells me the board has balance: catchers, middle infield, center field, and several arms. That fits what we need long-term. The system is healthier now than it was when I took this chair, but the best way to keep it healthy is to avoid one-dimensional signing classes. I highlighted the players we want in the final signing-day preparation.

One more meeting with Jason. One more pass through the relationships, bonus demands, league interest, and positional needs.

Then January 15 arrives.
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Front Office Philosophy — Quantity, Quality, and the Easter Egg Hunt

My philosophy for the upcoming IAFA signing period is simple, at least in broad strokes.

Quantity over quality.

But that phrase needs context, because quality is still heavily weighted.

I am not saying we should scatter money blindly. I am saying that at this age, the developmental path is too uncertain to spend the whole class trying to find a single golden egg. The better approach is closer to an Easter egg hunt. More good targets. More chances. More relationships. More paths into the system. Some will fail. Hell, most probably will fail. But that is not pessimism; it is international amateur baseball.

The job is to improve the ratio by improving scouting, understanding long-term system needs, and resisting the temptation to let one loud profile consume the entire board. And if some players remain unsigned this year, they may still be around as free agents next season. That gives us another look, another year of development, and another chance to decide whether the player we saw at 16 is becoming something different at 17.

The key is not falling in love with the idea of being right on signing day; the key is to build enough pathways so the organization can be right later.
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Manager's Desk — The 2026 Lineup Feels More Real

From the dugout side, Teoscar's signing changes how I picture the first lineup card.

Bobby Witt Jr. still drives the identity. Vinnie Pasquantino still gives us gap power as an anchor. Salvador Perez remains the clubhouse pillar and situational run producer. Maikel Garcia still gives the lineup a second speed element. Kyle Isbel still saves runs in center. Teoscar now brings the kind of corner-outfield power that keeps pitchers from settling into the middle of the order.

That is a better picture than the one I had on New Year's Eve.

It still needs health. It still needs cleaner baserunning. It still needs the bench to carry real value, not just emergency coverage. But the lineup has more shape now.

The bullpen also has more competition after the December work. Estévez, Escalera, Garcia, Low, Martínez, Pennington, Thompson, Walker, Paulino — that is finally enough volume to let roles be earned instead of assigned out of desperation.

The rotation still must prove itself without Eflin. Paddack helps. Montgomery helps. Turnbull helps. Arronde is coming. Avila needs to keep pushing. Singer remains part of the board until he is not.

January 27 is close enough now that I can start hearing cleats in the hallway, not literally, not yet, but close enough.
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Front Office Offseason Notes

December ended with the bullpen feeling more stable, the rotation partially repaired, and the front office one bat short. January opened with that bat signed.

That does not mean the offseason is finished. It means the major-league board finally has enough structure to let the front office shift more attention to the next layer: international amateur signings, preseason readiness, and ensuring the 2026 roster is not just a collection of good winter ideas.

The next two checkpoints are clear.

January 15 — International Signing Day.
January 27 — Preseason begins.

Those dates are close enough now that the work feels more immediate. International Signing Day is the long game, and preseason is the short one. The trick is giving both the attention they deserve without letting one steal from the other.

The major-league club needs to compete now. John Sherman's new mandate, "Build a Dynasty," leaves little room for a slow, soft reset. But a dynasty cannot be bought one January at a time. It must be fed.

That is why Jason McLeod's IAFA reports matter as much as Teoscar's signing. One solves part of the 2026 lineup. The other may solve something we cannot even name yet.

The major-league club is closer now. The long-range board is ready. Preseason starts on January 27. International Signing Day is tomorrow.

The 2026 Royals are no longer just an offseason idea; they are starting to take shape.
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Around the League

The first half of January kept the market active, especially around pitching. The Mets added Aaron Civale on a two-year, $13.0 million deal, while the Cubs acquired Luis Ortiz from Philadelphia for minor-league catcher Ryan Stafford. Texas also suffered a major setback when Alejandro Rosario's torn flexor tendon recovery worsened, pushing him toward surgery and a new absence of at least 14–15 months. Tampa Bay continued to build from a position of strength, acquiring Felix Bautista from Baltimore for Colton Ledbetter and Nick Bitsko, while rumors tied the Rays to Hongwu Fan at a possible $80.8 million price. Arizona made its own veteran statement by signing 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw for three years and $61.6 million, and the Yankees added Ryan Helsley for one year at $18.8 million. The Cubs added Mike Yastrzemski for three years and $57.6 million, while Chih Joo's superstar market ended where markets like that often end: New York, on an eight-year, $297.6 million agreement.

The trade market stayed active underneath the major signings. Baltimore acquired Josh Bell and cash from Milwaukee for Luke Delongchamp. Cleveland and Milwaukee were rumored to be deep in talks. Atlanta traded two minor-league infielders to Houston for Lance McCullers Jr. and cash, while Miami and Milwaukee reportedly worked through a deal centered on Brewer Hicklen. Away from the roster-building noise, Giants closer Robert Stephenson hosted a charity softball game that drew teammates, local celebrities, and players from around the league, with Stephenson's MLB All-Stars beating the Celebrity All-Stars 7–5.

The league is moving quickly now, but for Kansas City, the most important date is next: January 15.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | 2026 Offseason — January 1–14, 2026
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)

[Biggp07]

👑 Thursday, January 15–Monday, January 26 • International Signing Window / Preseason Eve 👑

Kansas City spends the final stretch before preseason balancing international ambition against bonus-pool reality and turning toward January 27 with the dynasty mandate now sitting directly on the desk.

Kansas City Royals Front Office
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Front Office Desk

January 1–14 closed with Teoscar Hernández signed, and the international amateur board sharpened. Jason and I worked late into the evening on January 14 because the international amateur signing period does not care whether a front office is tired.

This is the part of the calendar where the future walks into the room. Not the immediate future. Not April's future or the first lineup card. This is the deeper future, the kind that might not arrive until 2029 or 2030 if everything goes right. But it still matters now.

Because every organization that wants to build something lasting must keep taking swings before the need becomes obvious.

We had our IAFA target list ready. By the morning of January 15, the board was live.



Normally, I would let J.J. Picollo handle more of the signing table. I wanted more direct insight into this year's international class because the pool was too interesting to keep in the background. This year, I felt the need to sit in. That did not suit J.J. at first.

When I took on this dual-hatted job two years ago, I told him he would need to handle several parts of my front-office workload while I got my feet wet. I think he heard that as permanent. I heard it as survival. That created a simple misunderstanding, and the last thing I wanted was to turn a signing-table process into a front-office tug-of-war, so we worked it out.

I would make initial offers to the players I wanted, and once the first responses came in, I would let the offers marinate and hand the table back to J.J. and the assisting staff. All with one reminder:

Do not burn the whole bonus pool on one golden egg.

We had $5.7 million to work with, and I did not want to use all of it on one player, even if the scouting room believed he might become a superstar. That is not how I want to build the international side of this organization.

More good shots, more development paths, more chances for one to pop.

That was the philosophy, and we would have to live with the consequences.
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IAFA Signing Desk — Three Initial Targets, Full Budget Pressure



The first offers went to three players:

Manny Gomez, a 16-year-old shortstop from Panama.
Jose Hernandez, a 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Puerto Rico.
Leo Orozco, a 16-year-old right-handed pitcher from Chile.

We met their initial demands, and that maxed the IAFA budget at 100 percent. Then we waited.

Manny responded right away. The offer was fair, and unless someone else gave him a better deal, he would sign with us. Leo Orozco responded the next day in almost the same tone. Fair offer. Better deal elsewhere could change things. Otherwise, Kansas City was in a position.

That was the first reminder that "yes" in this market does not always mean yes. It often means, "You are currently the best offer I am willing to admit out loud." Still, I took the early responses as a good sign. The board was alive. The players were engaged. The money was working.

Then January 17 arrived.
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Manny Gomez and Jose Hernandez — The Leverage Starts Early

Manny Gomez shifted first.

He said this was his first major deal and that he needed time to think through it. He acknowledged that our offer was generous, but San Diego’s was too. If we wanted to make the decision easier, we could get creative and shoot for the moon — or stop pursuing him. That is a lot of leverage language from a player closer to childhood than the major leagues.

Jose Hernandez followed with his own pressure. He was leaning toward Seattle. The Mariners had put together a better package for him and his family. If we wanted to work things out, now was the time.

That is exactly why I do not like shooting at a single target. They get greedy before they even know what life is.

I do not mean that cruelly. It is just the reality of this market. The player, the family, the trainer, the agent, the buscones, the other clubs — everyone is pushing the number, and everyone knows teams hate walking away once they have said a player is a priority.

We needed to decide where the future value actually sat.

I suggested Manny Gomez might be the better pursuit because shortstops with his defensive profile are hard to find. But I also wanted to let the counters sit for a couple of days to see what came back from Orozco. Sometimes the best thing a general manager can do is not answer the first emotional email.
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Leo Orozco Signs — First IAFA Win of the Window

On January 20, we got the first true signing win.

Leo Orozco signed with Kansas City.

His message was simple and exactly what I wanted to read:

"Thank you for giving me a future in your organization! I am looking forward to spending the next couple of years in your international complex. Hopefully you will promote me to a minor league team soon."

Figure 1. Leo Orozco Signing Profile — First International Arm Secured



Perspective: The January 20 profile confirms Leo Orozco as Kansas City’s first major IAFA signing of the 2026 window. The 16-year-old right-hander from Chile gives the Royals another long-range pitching prospect for the international complex, fitting the organization’s strategy of building multiple development paths rather than committing the entire bonus pool to one target.

That left us with $4.0 million remaining in the IAFA pool, and it also changed the board.

Manny Gomez was now out of reach. San Diego and Colorado had already pushed harder, and after Orozco signed, we no longer had enough bonus money to beat them. Jose Hernandez still sat in the discussion, but the shape of the strategy had changed; we had secured an arm. Now we had to decide how badly we wanted to chase a shortstop.
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Shortstop Pivot — Carlos Guariento Becomes the Next Target

With Manny Gomez moving beyond our reach, we went back to the board.

The next shortstop target was Carlos Guariento, whose initial demand sat at $1.460 million. That left us room to negotiate even after Orozco's signing. Guariento liked the first offer. Fair deal. A better deal elsewhere could change it. Same dance.

Then by January 23, he came back with pressure from Boston. He had worked hard for every organization he had played for, he said, and now he had a chance to consider multiple offers. Boston's proposal was financially rewarding. He was not calling it done, but he was closer to signing with them than with us. At that point, I knew we had to choose.

I wanted at least one shortstop from Jason's scouted IAFA pool in the organization. We had already secured Orozco, so I was comfortable withdrawing from Jose Hernandez and using the bonus money to strengthen the pursuit of Guariento. I was not thrilled about it, but that is the table.

You cannot sign everyone. You cannot protect every preference. At some point, the strategy has to stop being a wish list and become a decision.
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IAFA Table — Handing the Reins Back to J.J.

As we moved closer to preseason, I stepped back from the IAFA table and handed the remaining decisions to J.J. Picollo and the assisting staff. That was not easy, but it was necessary.

Things were not moving the way I wanted, and the more I sat in the middle of it, the more the process felt like a mix of chance, emotion, and baseball gods. That is not the right headspace for every decision. So, I returned to the larger preseason board.

Scouting budgets.
Development budgets.
Roster review.
Invite lists.
Spring structure.

The international offers would continue to move, and I would track them from my office until the pool was exhausted. J.J. could carry the rest of the table. That was the compromise from the start, and on this one, I needed to respect it.
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Additional IAFA Movement — Ando Lands, Chipo Pushes, Juan Gonzalez Likes the Offer

On January 21, with room still available, we made offers to two more players. Taketoshi Ando, a closer and holdover from last year's IAFA draft, was one I remembered shortlisting. He liked the offer immediately. Colm Chipo, a center fielder, also liked his offer. By January 25, SS Juan Gonzalez also liked the offer we made to him.

Then January 26 brought the next pushback.

Colm Chipo said he was young, on the upswing, and wanted to test the market. Milwaukee had already made him a juicy offer, and if we wanted to match it, we needed to hurry. That is the same story with different wrapping paper.

The good news came from Ando.

Taketoshi Ando signed.

I was happy about that one. We had identified him last season as a potential IA target, and now we finally got him into the organization. Sometimes the player you do not land the first time becomes the player you get when the board cycles back. That is another reason not to treat every international signing day like a one-shot miracle.

Figure 2. Taketoshi Ando Signing Profile — Holdover IAFA Target Joins the System



Perspective: Taketoshi Ando's January 26 signing gives Kansas City a long-tracked international relief prospect who had remained on the club's shortlist from the previous IAFA cycle. His addition reflects the front office's broader international philosophy: maintain relationships, revisit holdover targets, and keep adding pitching lottery tickets to the complex pipeline.
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International Complex Desk — Jason Adds Two More Follow Arms

While we were working through IAFA offers, Jason was still doing his real job.

He spent the past couple of weeks flying across the globe, looking for international talent hidden in the corners of the map. Before preseason even opened, he brought home two more arms for the international complex. The first came from Venezuela.

Jason returned on January 23 with news of Dario de la Crus, a 16-year-old starting pitcher from San Cristóbal. He believes De La Crus could benefit the club in the long term and wants us to track his development.

The report itself is not glowing. De La Crus projects to have a mediocre splitter in a five-pitch repertoire. His stuff is poor right now and not expected to improve much. The expectation says he will likely never develop into a big-league starter. Fine. Put him in the international complex and get to work.

Ruben Garcia was the second.

The 16-year-old left-hander from Santo Domingo. Garcia is lanky and long-armed. At his peak, the arsenal should include a good changeup, fringe cutter, fringe fastball, and well below-average slider. He has average stuff but may run up high pitch counts. The report sees him as an emergency call-up or, at best, an occasional spot-starter.

That is not a future headline, but it is still depth and flexibility if developed correctly. The complex gets more crowded, and that is not a bad thing.

Figure 3. Dario de la Crus and Ruben Garcia International Complex Profiles — Two Long-Range Follow Arms



Perspective: The January scouting screen shows two new international complex assignments: Venezuelan right-hander Dario de la Crus and Dominican left-hander Ruben Garcia. Neither profile projects as a near-term major-league impact arm, but both give Kansas City additional development depth as Jason McLeod continues to widen the organization's international scouting reach before the preseason.
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Free-Agent Wire Desk — Meadows and Badoo Revisited

While the IAFA table was still unsettled, I looked back at the free-agent wire on January 19.

There was Austin Meadows, still available, which caught my attention.

After spending so much of the winter regretting that we had not secured him earlier, seeing him still out there gave me a chance to reopen the door. So, I decided to take a shot and bring him back for another season in Kansas City. While scanning the same board, I also spotted Akil Baddoo still available. Both players had at least one option left for some team control, so we made offers to both.

The IAFA responses were still pending, but I wanted one more day to let the international counters marinate before giving final input on who to pursue. In the meantime, the major-league bench and outfield picture still deserved attention.

This is what late January becomes. Half the desk is teenagers and bonus pools, the other half is major-league depth and whether a familiar bat can still help you win April games.
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Front Office Offseason Notes

January 15 through January 26 was the international signing-table chapter of the offseason. January 26 this year is also the night before preseason. That sentence alone changes the way the building feels.

For months, everything has been in the future tense. If we sign him. If the market comes back. If the prospect develops. If the offer holds. If the bullpen arms settle. If the rotation survives losing Eflin. If Teoscar produces. If Paddack stabilizes us. If Arronde is ready. Tomorrow, the language starts to change, and now it becomes preparation.

Who gets the invite? Who needs the extra reps? Who is built up? Who reports in shape? Who needs a quiet meeting before camp? Who thinks he has a job he has not actually won?

That is the manager's world coming back into focus. Preseason starts tomorrow. The offseason is not over, but the manager's chair is about to get louder again.

I hope we have done our due diligence this offseason to lay the foundation for the dynasty mandate John dropped on the desk. I was not expecting that for another two years or more, but it is here now, and preseason will start testing whether the winter actually built something.

Tomorrow, I will set the increased development and scouting budgets and review the development pool's progress. Another minor-league review is due before camp. We need to decide who gets five weeks in Surprise, Arizona, and who continues working elsewhere.

The 2026 season is almost here, and I can almost smell the hot dogs now.
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Around the League

The second half of January remained active, with free-agent and trade activity continuing while clubs prepared for the preseason. The Mets added Andrew Wantz from the Angels in a deal involving minor-league shortstop Raymel Ortiz, while the Yankees signed Kyle Schwarber to add left-handed power. Cincinnati brought in Freddy Peralta on a three-year deal; Cleveland added Dylan Moore and then Daulton Varsho; Seattle signed Yandy Díaz; and Atlanta acquired Lance McCullers Jr. from Houston. Tampa Bay made the loudest trade move by acquiring Sandy Alcantara and cash from Miami, while the Hongwu Fan rumor mill kept spinning through Texas, Detroit, and the Rangers' orbit without a final destination. I still caught myself thinking Cleveland may be building something too close for comfort, especially after they added Varsho on a short deal I probably should have explored.

The Hall of Fame results were the emotional league note of the period. Ichiro Suzuki was the lone inductee at 79.3 percent, a result that is deserved and easy to respect. But Carlos Beltrán falling short at 70.4 percent in his fourth year irritated me more than I expected. CC Sabathia, Andruw Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and the rest of the ballot remained behind him, with Manny dropping off after his 10th year. Ichiro's induction speech centered on contributing to the team and playing to win, and I respect every bit of that. Still, as a Kansas City native and someone who remembers what Beltrán meant when he wore our colors, seeing him sit just short of Cooperstown again was a hard pill. He has six years left on the ballot. He should not need all six.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | 2026 Offseason — January 15–26, 2026
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)

[Biggp07]

👑 Tuesday, January 27–Saturday, January 31 • Preseason Opens / January Close 👑

Kansas City begins the 2026 preseason with the schedule released, the budget set, and the development lab offering its first honest winter warnings.

Kansas City Royals Front Office
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Front Office Desk

January 27 ended the baseball drought. The offseason opened with the board; preseason opens with accountability.

Major League Baseball released the 2026 schedule, preseason officially opened, and clubs across the league began turning their winter plans toward spring training and exhibition play. The inbox reminder was simple enough: do not forget to set scouting and player development budgets during preseason.

That was the first real signal that the offseason had changed shape.
For months, everything had been market, protection, arbitration, expansion, free agency, and international signings. Now the calendar started pulling us back toward the field. Not fully yet. Not with rosters still unsettled and reports still coming in. But enough that the manager's chair started making noise again.

The first thing waiting for me was a note from John Sherman.

He reminded me that the club had $198.0 million available for total team expenses this season and wished me good luck. Nothing earth-shattering. No surprise increase. No late ownership bonus. Just the number, the responsibility, and the reminder that whatever we build from here has to fit within the already given frame.

So we worked with what John provided.

I increased both the scouting and player development budgets by $2.0 million and $5.5 million, respectively, and reduced the draft budget by $2.0 million from the 2025 amount, reallocating that money toward Jason McLeod's scouting allotment.

Maybe that balance is real, or maybe it is front-office superstition.

But I believe better draft-day results start before draft day. They start with the work Jason and the scouting department do months earlier, the eyes they put on players, the follow-up looks, the private workouts, and the difference between drafting a name and drafting a conviction.

The dynasty mandate does not mean we spend blindly. That is the danger.

The goal is to build something sustainable, not to put the club in the poor house because the word "dynasty" made everyone in the room feel invincible.
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Financial Desk — Budget Discipline Under a Bigger Mandate

The preseason financial reset gives us a clearer view of the organization's working posture.

The total expense budget remains at $198.0 million, indicating the money is not unlimited, even as expectations rise. The increased scouting and development allocations are deliberate. The draft budget reduction is a tradeoff, but not a surrender. The way I see it, scouting and development are the two areas most tied to the kind of organization John is asking us to become. A dynasty cannot rely only on free-agent patches. A dynasty must develop players, identify value early, and turn scouting confidence into controllable major-league production.

We have already seen flashes of that with Felix Arronde, Ariel Almonte, Hunter Owen, and the growing international complex. Now the budgets need to support the philosophy rather than simply admire it from a meeting table.

Figure 1. 2026 Preseason Financial Summary — Budget Set, Dynasty Standard Remains



Perspective: The January 27 financial screen confirms Kansas City's $198.0 million total team expense budget heading into the preseason. The front office increases scouting and player development by $2.0 million each while reducing the draft budget by $2.0 million, shifting resources toward talent identification and internal growth as the organization begins operating under John Sherman's “Build a Dynasty" mandate.

And then there is Salvy. For most players, a contract extension is business first and sentiment second. For Salvador Perez, it is both.

We entered the preseason with nearly $32.0 million available for extensions and sufficient short-term cash to cover urgent needs. That gave me room to act on something I had been thinking about all offseason: locking in Salvador Perez for the rest of his playing career in Kansas City.

I had considered it back in November when we exercised his option. The thought never really left. Now felt like the right time.

The roster is slowly transitioning to the next catching wave, but that transition does not need to be cold. Salvy has earned better than that. He has earned clarity. He has earned respect. He has earned the right to know that if this is the final chapter, it is still written in Kansas City.

And someday, if he wants it, maybe there is a coaching chair waiting too.
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Franchise Desk — Salvador Perez Gets the Contract He Deserved

With the extension money available, I pulled the trigger.

Salvador Perez will remain a Royal.



I agreed to lock him in through what is most likely the rest of his playing career.

His request was not unreasonable. More than that, the decision felt right. There are plenty of places in this job where sentiment can get a general manager in trouble. This did not feel like one of them. This felt like honoring the right player at the right time while still managing the roster transition responsibly.

Salvy is not just another veteran.

He is one of the most adored players this franchise has ever had, the kind of name that belongs in the same breath as George Brett, Frank White, Alex Gordon, and Mike Sweeney when fans talk about players who felt like Kansas City. He has caught the big innings, taken the foul tips, carried the clubhouse, lifted the ball when a run needed to score, and stayed tied to the club's identity through more than one version of the team.

When he retires, his number belongs on the facade above left field at Kauffman soon enough.

Because this is what you do for a guy like Salvador Perez.

On January 31, he accepted the extension with the kind of note that was easy to expect and still hard to read:

"As a veteran of the game, I'm very pleased to accept your offer. I know this is most likely my last contract and my last chance to make a mark on the game, but you really stepped up and made it happen."

Those words carried weight, but not sadness exactly. More like the sound of a chapter recognizing that it is closer to the end than the beginning.

I will truly miss him when he is gone. The fans will too. That is why I hope he stays in Kansas City as a catching coach when the playing days finally run out. If he chooses something else, I will respect it. He has earned that too.

For now, he is still a Royal for three more years, and I look forward to managing him in every single one of them.
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Free-Agent Desk — Meadows Comes Back, Baddoo Adds Omaha Depth

The next welcome development came from the free-agent wire. We finally heard from Akil Baddoo and Austin Meadows.

Baddoo's response was favorable. Fair offer, unless someone else topped it, he would sign.

Meadows was not ready to commit immediately, but the tone was encouraging. We had made his decision easier; he had crossed other deals off his list, and Kansas City was clearly still in the picture. On January 28, the deal became official.

Austin Meadows signed a one-year, $4.8 million contract to return to Kansas City.

Royals officials presented him to the local media as the new left fielder, and the deal gives the 30-year-old another home in Kansas City for the 2026 season. Over his career, Meadows is hitting .258 with 121 doubles, 23 triples, 98 home runs, and 336 RBIs in 665 games.

His message had the kind of blunt professionalism I can appreciate:

"I look forward to working with Kansas City to win a championship. I don't buy into this notion that guys can play only in one city or another, that you need an 'atmosphere' surrounding you, or that the fans get you up for a game. I mean, at 30 years of age you ought to be able to get out of bed in the morning and show up. And that's what I'm going to do."

That is fine by me. Show up. Hit. Help us win.

Baddoo also signed, but his path starts differently. He will cook in Omaha for the first few weeks of the season and remain an option for a call-up when we need him. That gives the outfield board more breathing room. Teoscar gives us power. Meadows gives us familiarity and another usable bat. Baddoo gives Omaha a left-handed depth option. Ornelas gives us another layer. Almonte gets to develop rather than be forced.

That is what depth is supposed to do.

Figure 2. Akil Baddoo Signing Profile — Omaha Depth with Call-Up Flexibility



Perspective: Akil Baddoo joins Kansas City’s system as an optionable outfield piece who will begin in Omaha. His profile gives the Royals another depth layer for the first few weeks of the season, allowing the major-league club to avoid rushing younger outfielders while preserving a possible call-up option if injuries or performance force a roster move.
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International Signing Desk — Guariento Gone, New Offers Moving

The international signing table remained active in the background as the preseason opened. Two more international amateurs gave favorable responses to their offers:

CF Junichi Yama****a said the offer was fair and he would sign unless someone else topped it.

RF Madjy Bin Afif gave the same response.

On January 30, Carlos Guariento signed with Detroit.

That closed the shortstop pursuit and opened bonus-pool money for another target. We moved quickly toward a catcher from China:

Cai-Fei Xu.

He liked the offer.

That does not guarantee anything, as this IAFA period has repeatedly reminded me. But with Guariento gone, I was glad to pivot toward catching depth. Salvy is extended. Dingler is part of the current picture. Pavolony is a Rule 5 experiment. Jensen, Omar Hernandez, Blake Mitchell, and Axiel Plaz are still developing. Adding another international catcher to the complex fits the long-range plan.

Catching depth ages slowly. You cannot buy it all in March, and you have to start stacking it early.
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Development Lab Desk — First Reports Bring More Caution Than Celebration

I spent the last day of January reviewing the development lab reports that had started drifting up before Jason's first monthly report arrived.

I was not encouraged by the first group.

The four players from the 2025 lineup group that I had directed into the lab at the start of the offseason — Bobby Witt Jr., Luinder Avila, Drew Waters, and Dillon Dingler — were all frustrated with their programs. According to the reports, that frustration had carried through much of the offseason.

That is not ideal.

Bobby was in strength and conditioning. Avila was working on control. Waters was working on quality of contact. Dingler was working on a two-strike approach. Each one made sense when we put it on paper. But development is not a button you press. It is a process players either connect with or fight through.

Anderson Paulino was the encouraging name in that first half. His program to add a pitch to his arsenal appears to be on track, and that is one of the harder programs to complete. If the pitch continues developing and is good enough to use this season, Paulino may become another back-end starter option.

That would matter.

A bullpen arm who can stretch into starting depth gives the manager a different kind of flexibility.

Figure 3. Development Lab Report, Group One — Frustration at the Top, Paulino on Track



Perspective: The January development lab screen shows several key Royals frustrated with their offseason programs, including Bobby Witt Jr., Luinder Avila, Drew Waters, and Dillon Dingler. Anderson Paulino stands out as the positive note, remaining on track in his effort to add another pitch — a difficult program that could expand his 2026 role if the new offering becomes usable.

The next group was not much cleaner.

Felix Arronde and Ethan Bates were both struggling with their programs, and Arronde concerns me more than anyone else in this report. The hope was to increase his velocity by a couple of points. If that does not happen, then at minimum I want one or more of his pitches to improve enough to raise his stuff. But with Arronde so close to a major-league debut, I do not want to mess him up before he even gets there.

Bates is in a similar category, though with a little less immediate major-league pressure. If the movement does not improve, maybe the stuff does. We still need some kind of gain to justify the time.

The best news from the development lab came from the last half of the group. Only two players were excelling:

Frank Mozzicato, working to increase velocity.

Hiro Wyatt, working to increase pitch movement.

Mozzicato is currently in Double-A after spending the last three years in High-A. We promoted him late last season, and his lone Double-A appearance was not a good showing. He will stay there, and we will watch him closely until midseason. His progress gives me optimism because left-handed pitching depth is never something I want to ignore.

Wyatt is currently in Single-A after splitting last year between Columbia and the ACL Rookie club. He will get the same midseason look. The hope is that Mozzicato and Wyatt become early proof that the farm-system growth is real and not just something we say in meetings.

The remaining lab players are frustrated, too. They are young enough that I am not panicked, but the note needs to be tagged. Maybe spring training gives the programs a different energy. Maybe continued work unlocks something later. Maybe some of these players become trade capital when we need the last piece of a deal.

Development is rarely clean, and January made sure I remembered that.

Figure 4. Development Lab Report, Group Two — Mozzicato and Wyatt Carry the Bright Spots



Perspective: The second January development lab screen shows Felix Arronde and Ethan Bates struggling, while Frank Mozzicato and Hiro Wyatt are excelling in their programs. Mozzicato's velocity work and Wyatt's pitch-movement gains give Kansas City two encouraging lower-minors development notes, even as Arronde's struggles raise caution before his expected 2026 major-league push.
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Manager's Desk — The Preseason Board Has a Pulse Again

From the dugout side, the end of January feels like the team is finally becoming something I can manage.

The schedule is out. The budget is set. Salvy is staying. Meadows is back. Baddoo is in Omaha. Teoscar is already here. Paddack is in the rotation picture. Estévez is part of the bullpen. Pavolony is a catching experiment. The IAFA table is still moving, but it is no longer the only thing on the desk. Now we start tightening lanes.

Who is competing for the bench?
Who is safe in the bullpen?
Who needs a clean spring just to stay in the conversation?
Who gets the five weeks in Surprise, Arizona?
Who is being protected for development, and who is being pushed because the big club needs help?

This is where the manager and general manager finally stop living in separate rooms. Every front-office move becomes a spring-training question. Every spring-training question becomes a roster move. Every roster move becomes a game I must manage in April.

January ends with work still unfinished. That is fine. Preseason does not require everything to be solved.

It requires the right questions to be ready.
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Front Office Offseason Notes

The biggest emotional move was Salvador Perez accepting a three-year extension to stay in Kansas City. It is likely his final playing contract, and it gives the franchise a chance to let one of its most beloved players finish the right way. That matters to the clubhouse. It matters to the fans. It matters to me.

The preseason has started.

The dynasty mandate is no longer a motivational line.

It is the standard we are now carrying into camp.
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Around the League

The final week of January brought several major leaguewide notes. Jose Hernandez signed with the Angels, while Boston landed Edwin Díaz on a two-year, $53.6 million deal and New York added Devin Williams, reinforcing just how expensive and aggressive the reliever market became this winter. Toronto kept Bo Bichette on a three-year deal, and New York also signed veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.

The biggest structural news came from the Athletics, as John Fisher moved the franchise out of Oakland to San Antonio. The new San Antonio Gryphons will play in a 46,700-seat stadium, giving Texas another major-league club and reshaping the AL West map.

The month closed with the Hongwu Fan chase finally ending. Fan signed with Philadelphia for three years at $33.0 million per year, confirming the front office's decision not to keep escalating past the comfort line. The scouting report said closer, but the market priced him like a franchise bet, and that was never the direction I wanted to take Kansas City after already reshaping the bullpen through volume, shorter commitments, and controllable arms.

Around the league, January ended loud. In Kansas City, it ended with preseason beginning, Salvy staying, and the next roster test finally moving from screen to field.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | 2026 Preseason — January 27–31, 2026
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)