The Kansas City Royals finished their 2026 campaign with a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. The Royals are now officially in offseason mode. With the new year on the horizon, that means a handful of players are set to hit the free agent market.
Kansas City currently has six players who are facing potential free agency , with four unrestricted free agents and two who have club options in their contracts.
Of those six players, here is one the Royals can't afford to lose and one they can.
Of the potential free agents the Royals are set to have, pitching is one position they cannot afford to lose. Among the group, Tony Gonsolin is at the top of the list of pitchers who could make an impact next season, as the Royals have a club option for 2027 on his contract.
While the entire Royals roster dealt with injuries, the pitching staff took the biggest hit. With injuries throughout the rotation, there will be spots up for grabs as the 2027 season approaches.
Gonsolin is among the arms who will look to secure a spot in the rotation next season. After signing with Kansas City in mid-August following a lengthy recovery from injuries, Gonsolin was able to make one appearance this season.
We didn't see the right-hander at his best during his late-season outing, as he allowed five earned runs over 2 2/3 innings. But that should not be the deciding factor in his future with Kansas City.
With the outlook for the Royals' rotation uncertain, it would be worth seeing what Gonsolin could bring to the table.
Second baseman Jonathan India had a season he would like to forget. In his first 48 at-bats, he slashed .167/.310/.313 with eight RBIs before his season was cut short in late April after he underwent successful labral repair surgery on his left shoulder.
With India out for the year, this opened up more opportunities for Michael Massey , who posted a career-best season. The 28-year-old slashed .272/.303/.428 with 13 home runs in a career-high 423 at-bats. Not only did Massey produce at the plate, but he was also a web gem at second base, recording 11 outs above average.
With Massey expected to take on a bigger role next season, paired with India's underwhelming stint in Kansas City, the Royals could afford to let India walk.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/royals/onsi as One Royals Free Agent They Can't Afford to Lose (and One They Can) .
