RRosternomics
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Royals KCR

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GM: J.J. Picollo

Overview

REBUILD ↗ rising
cheap & losing · year 3 in this regime · payroll 0.73× league · TAB -5.3
-5.3TAB — talent above budget22nd/30
-3.8WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)19th/30
6.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars15th/30
-6.4dead WAR — sub-replacement drag20th/30
33%dead money %15th/30
0.457win %22nd/30
25.1roster fWAR21st/30
-12surplus $M (value vs cost)16th/30
$92Mpayroll $M20th/30

Roster

CFMichael A. Taylor 139GKyle Isbel 9GEdward Olivares 4G
LFAndrew Benintendi 129GHunter Dozier 14GEdward Olivares 11G
RFHunter Dozier 60GJarrod Dyson 34GRyan O'Hearn 25G
SSNicky Lopez 148GHanser Alberto 17GAdalberto Mondesi 11G
2BWhit Merrifield 149GHanser Alberto 31GNicky Lopez 4G
3BHunter Dozier 57GHanser Alberto 49GEmmanuel Rivera 28G
1BCarlos Santana 136GRyan O'Hearn 20GHunter Dozier 19G
STARTERSMike Minor 2.3WARBrady Singer 2.1WARDanny Duffy 1.7WARBrad Keller 1.1WARCarlos Hernández 1.0WAR
CSalvador Perez 124GCam Gallagher 46GSebastián Rivero 17G
DHSalvador Perez 40GRyan O'Hearn 29GCarlos Santana 19G
BULLPEN★ Scott Barlow 16svJake Brentz 16hJosh Staumont 16hKyle Zimmer 10hGreg Holland 8hWade Davis 2hErvin Santana 1hJoel Payamps 0h
CSalvador Perez 124 · Cam Gallagher 46 · Sebastián Rivero 17
1BCarlos Santana 136 · Ryan O'Hearn 20 · Hunter Dozier 19
2BWhit Merrifield 149 · Hanser Alberto 31 · Nicky Lopez 4
3BHunter Dozier 57 · Hanser Alberto 49 · Emmanuel Rivera 28
SSNicky Lopez 148 · Hanser Alberto 17 · Adalberto Mondesi 11
LFAndrew Benintendi 129 · Hunter Dozier 14 · Edward Olivares 11
CFMichael A. Taylor 139 · Kyle Isbel 9 · Edward Olivares 4
RFHunter Dozier 60 · Jarrod Dyson 34 · Ryan O'Hearn 25
DHSalvador Perez 40 · Ryan O'Hearn 29 · Carlos Santana 19
SPMike Minor 2.3 · Brady Singer 2.1 · Danny Duffy 1.7 · Brad Keller 1.1 · Carlos Hernández 1.0
BP★ Scott Barlow 16 · Jake Brentz 16 · Josh Staumont 16 · Kyle Zimmer 10 · Greg Holland 8 · Wade Davis 2 · Ervin Santana 1 · Joel Payamps 0

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2021 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Nicky Lopez 26 pre-arb 1515.5 0.6 +17.2
Salvador Perez 31 FA-elig 1612.7 14.2 -5.4
Whit Merrifield 32 arb 1622.7 6.8 +1.9
Mike Minor 33 FA-elig 282.3 7.0 +0.3
Scott Barlow 28 pre-arb 712.2 0.7 +6.4
Brady Singer 24 pre-arb 272.1 0.6 +6.2
Michael A. Taylor 30 FA-elig 1422.0 1.8 +4.6
Danny Duffy 32 FA-elig 131.7 15.5 -10.1
Andrew Benintendi 26 arb 1341.4 6.6 -2.0
Brad Keller 25 arb 261.1 3.4 +0.2
Josh Staumont 27 pre-arb 641.0 0.6 +2.7
Carlos Hernández 24 pre-arb 241.0 0.4 +2.7
Adalberto Mondesi 25 arb 351.0 2.5 +0.6
Cam Gallagher 28 pre-arb 480.7 0.6 +1.8
Daniel Lynch IV 24 – 150.6 – –
Domingo Tapia↔ SEA 29 pre-arb 320.5 0.2 +1.5
Kyle Isbel 24 – 280.5 0.1 +1.5
Jakob Junis 28 arb 160.5 1.7 -0.1
Hanser Alberto 28 FA-elig 1030.4 1.6 -0.4
Jake Brentz 26 – 720.3 0.6 +0.5
Kris Bubic 23 pre-arb 290.3 0.5 +0.5
Joel Payamps↔ TOR 27 pre-arb 150.2 0.1 +0.6
Dylan Coleman 24 – 50.2 0.0 +0.6
Richard Lovelady 25 pre-arb 200.2 0.3 +0.3
Gabe Speier 26 pre-arb 70.2 0.1 +0.5
Angel Zerpa 21 – 10.2 0.0 +0.6
Ronald Bolaños 24 pre-arb 30.2 0.3 +0.2
Ervin Santana 38 FA-elig 380.1 1.5 -1.2
Ryan McBroom 29 pre-arb 7-0.0 0.1 -0.1
Scott Blewett 25 pre-arb 3-0.0 0.0 -0.0
Jonathan Heasley 24 – 3-0.0 – –
Emmanuel Rivera 25 – 29-0.0 0.2 -0.3
Edward Olivares 25 pre-arb 39-0.1 0.2 -0.5
Jarrod Dyson↔ TOR 36 FA-elig 77-0.1 1.1 -1.5
Anthony Swarzak↔ ARI 35 FA-elig 7-0.1 0.1 -0.5
Kyle Zimmer 29 pre-arb 52-0.1 0.6 -1.0
Greg Holland 35 FA-elig 57-0.2 2.8 -3.2
Jake Newberry 26 pre-arb 4-0.2 0.1 -0.6
Jackson Kowar 24 – 9-0.2 0.1 -1.0
Wade Davis 35 FA-elig 40-0.3 1.2 -2.1
Tyler Zuber 26 pre-arb 31-0.3 0.3 -1.3
Sebastián Rivero 22 – 17-0.3 0.2 -1.2
Jesse Hahn 31 FA-elig 5-0.3 1.8 -2.9
Ryan O'Hearn 27 pre-arb 84-0.6 0.4 -2.5
Kelvin Gutiérrez↔ BAL 26 – 38-0.7 0.1 -2.3
Carlos Santana 35 FA-elig 158-0.8 7.0 -9.5
Hunter Dozier 29 arb 144-0.9 2.5 -5.4
Jorge Soler↔ ATL 29 FA-elig 94-1.2 5.1 -8.8

Key additions (new vs 2020)

PlayerfWAR
Mike Minor2.3
Michael A. Taylor2.0
Andrew Benintendi1.4
Daniel Lynch IV0.6
Domingo Tapia0.5
Kyle Isbel0.5

Key subtractions (gone from 2020)

Player2020 fWAR
Maikel Franco1.1
Trevor Rosenthal0.2
Franchy Cordero0.1
Glenn Sparkman0.1
Alex Gordon0.1
Chance Adams0.1

Current & Historical Payroll

2021 payroll
$92.0M
2022 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2021, 2021–2027. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2021; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (10)

PlayerAgeSvc2021202220232024202520262027
Danny Duffy329.085$15.5MFREE AGENT
Salvador Perez319.050$14.2MFREE AGENT
Mike Minor339.138$7.0MFREE AGENT
Carlos Santana3510.115$7.0MFREE AGENT
Greg Holland358.163$2.8MFREE AGENT
Michael A. Taylor307.000$1.8MFREE AGENT
Ervin Santana3813.123$1.5MFREE AGENT
Wade Davis3511.029$1.2MFREE AGENT
Jarrod Dyson369.088$1.1MFREE AGENT
Anthony Swarzak3512.000$87kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2021202220232024202520262027
Whit Merrifield324.101$6.8MARB 3FREE AGENT
Andrew Benintendi264.062$6.6MARB 3FREE AGENT
Jorge Soler295.143$5.1MFREE AGENT
Brad Keller253.000$3.4MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adalberto Mondesi253.088$2.5MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Hunter Dozier293.060$2.5MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jesse Hahn315.031$1.8MFREE AGENT
Jakob Junis284.000$1.7MARB 3FREE AGENT
Hanser Alberto284.085$1.6MARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (29)

PlayerAgeSvc2021202220232024202520262027
Scott Barlow282.030$650kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Cam Gallagher282.106$604kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nicky Lopez261.139$598kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Brady Singer241.000$594kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Zimmer291.064$589kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Staumont271.072$589kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jake Brentz260.000$570kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kris Bubic230.164$475kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan O'Hearn272.034$426kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carlos Hernández240.081$405kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ronald Bolaños240.056$316kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Richard Lovelady251.000$297kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Zuber261.000$267kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Emmanuel Rivera250.000$227kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Domingo Tapia290.047$208kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Edward Olivares250.147$187kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Sebastián Rivero220.000$175kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jackson Kowar240.000$147kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kyle Isbel240.000$132kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Joel Payamps270.064$104kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jake Newberry261.146$83kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Kelvin Gutiérrez261.046$75kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan McBroom291.008$60kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gabe Speier260.105$55kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dylan Coleman240.000$40kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Scott Blewett250.031$34kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Zerpa210.000$9kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Lynch IV240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jonathan Heasley240.000—Pre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Royals 2021; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.