RRosternomics
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Royals KCR

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GM: J.J. Picollo

Overview

WINDOW ↗ rising
cheap & winning · year 2 in this regime · payroll 0.83× league · TAB +0.5
+0.5TAB — talent above budget19th/30
+2.5WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)16th/30
5.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars21st/30
-6.6dead WAR — sub-replacement drag24th/30
41%dead money %25th/30
0.506win %15th/30
32.4roster fWAR16th/30
+1surplus $M (value vs cost)12th/30
$128Mpayroll $M18th/30

Roster

CFKyle Isbel 135GTyler Tolbert 28GDrew Waters 22G
LFDrew Waters 41GNick Loftin 38GJohn Rave 32G
RFMike Yastrzemski 133GJac Caglianone 52GRandal Grichuk 40G
SSBobby Witt Jr. 154GMaikel Garcia 17GTyler Tolbert 5G
2BAdam Frazier 79GJonathan India 76GMichael Massey 60G
3BMaikel Garcia 136GJonathan India 20GNick Loftin 14G
1BVinnie Pasquantino 126GSalvador Perez 30GJac Caglianone 10G
STARTERSMichael Wacha 3.6WARKris Bubic 3.3WARCole Ragans 2.1WARNoah Cameron 1.8WARMichael Lorenzen 1.2WAR
CSalvador Perez 92GLuke Maile 23GCarter Jensen 10G
DHRandal Grichuk 45GSalvador Perez 38GVinnie Pasquantino 34G
BULLPEN★ Carlos Estévez 42svJohn Schreiber 23hLucas Erceg 22hAngel Zerpa 14hSteven Cruz 9hDaniel Lynch IV 7hTaylor Clarke 5hSam Long 1h
CSalvador Perez 92 · Luke Maile 23 · Carter Jensen 10
1BVinnie Pasquantino 126 · Salvador Perez 30 · Jac Caglianone 10
2BAdam Frazier 79 · Jonathan India 76 · Michael Massey 60
3BMaikel Garcia 136 · Jonathan India 20 · Nick Loftin 14
SSBobby Witt Jr. 154 · Maikel Garcia 17 · Tyler Tolbert 5
LFDrew Waters 41 · Nick Loftin 38 · John Rave 32
CFKyle Isbel 135 · Tyler Tolbert 28 · Drew Waters 22
RFMike Yastrzemski 133 · Jac Caglianone 52 · Randal Grichuk 40
DHRandal Grichuk 45 · Salvador Perez 38 · Vinnie Pasquantino 34
SPMichael Wacha 3.6 · Kris Bubic 3.3 · Cole Ragans 2.1 · Noah Cameron 1.8 · Michael Lorenzen 1.2
BP★ Carlos Estévez 42 · John Schreiber 23 · Lucas Erceg 22 · Angel Zerpa 14 · Steven Cruz 9 · Daniel Lynch IV 7 · Taylor Clarke 5 · Sam Long 1

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.

2025 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Bobby Witt Jr. 25 – 1578.0 8.2 +23.5
Maikel Garcia 25 pre-arb 1605.6 0.8 +21.5
Michael Wacha 33 FA-elig 313.6 18.0 -3.6
Kris Bubic 27 arb 203.3 3.0 +10.2
Cole Ragans 27 pre-arb 132.1 1.1 +7.2
Noah Cameron 25 – 241.8 0.6 +6.6
Vinnie Pasquantino 27 pre-arb 1601.5 0.8 +5.1
Mike Yastrzemski↔ SFG 34 arb 501.3 2.8 +2.4
Michael Lorenzen 33 FA-elig 271.2 6.5 -1.6
Kyle Isbel 28 arb 1351.1 1.8 +2.7
Carlos Estévez 32 FA-elig 671.1 10.1 -5.8
Stephen Kolek↔ SDP 28 pre-arb 50.9 0.1 +3.5
Lucas Erceg 30 pre-arb 610.9 0.8 +2.6
Carter Jensen 21 – 200.7 0.1 +2.6
Ryan Bergert↔ SDP 25 – 80.7 0.1 +2.6
Adam Frazier↔ PIT 33 FA-elig 560.6 0.4 +2.1
Salvador Perez 35 FA-elig 1550.5 20.0 -17.9
Seth Lugo 35 FA-elig 260.5 15.0 -13.0
Hunter Harvey 30 arb 120.5 3.7 -1.8
Freddy Fermin↔ SDP 30 – 670.4 0.3 +1.3
Tyler Tolbert 27 – 640.3 0.6 +0.8
Taylor Clarke 32 arb 510.3 0.8 +0.5
Angel Zerpa 25 pre-arb 690.3 0.8 +0.5
John Schreiber 31 arb 740.3 2.3 -1.1
Luke Maile 34 FA-elig 250.3 1.2 +0.0
Luinder Avila 23 – 130.2 0.1 +0.7
Jonathan Bowlan 28 pre-arb 340.2 0.4 +0.4
Steven Cruz 26 pre-arb 470.2 0.7 -0.1
John Rave 27 – 720.1 0.4 +0.1
Evan Sisk↔ PIT 28 – 50.1 0.0 +0.4
Nick Loftin 26 pre-arb 670.1 0.5 -0.3
Chris Stratton↔ LAD 34 – 120.0 3.6 -3.4
Bailey Falter↔ PIT 28 pre-arb 40.0 0.2 -0.2
Trevor Richards↔ ARI 32 – 30.0 0.1 -0.0
Thomas Hatch↔ MIN 30 – 1-0.1 0.0 -0.2
Dairon Blanco 32 pre-arb 9-0.1 0.3 -0.5
Andrew Hoffmann↔ ARI 25 – 3-0.1 – –
Daniel Lynch IV 28 – 57-0.2 – –
Rich Hill 45 FA-elig 2-0.2 0.1 -0.9
Cavan Biggio 30 – 37-0.2 2.0 -2.9
Jonathan India 28 arb 136-0.3 7.0 -8.1
Sam Long 29 pre-arb 39-0.4 0.9 -2.4
Randal Grichuk↔ ARI 33 FA-elig 43-0.4 0.6 -2.2
Michael Massey 27 pre-arb 77-0.4 0.8 -2.5
MJ Melendez 26 pre-arb 23-0.6 0.5 -2.8
Drew Waters 26 pre-arb 71-0.6 0.4 -2.8
Mark Canha 36 – 46-0.7 1.4 -4.0
Hunter Renfroe 33 – 35-0.9 7.6 -11.3
Jac Caglianone 22 – 62-1.6 0.5 -6.7

Key additions (new vs 2024)

PlayerfWAR
Noah Cameron1.8
Mike Yastrzemski1.3
Carlos Estévez1.1
Stephen Kolek0.9
Carter Jensen0.7
Ryan Bergert0.7

Key subtractions (gone from 2024)

Player2024 fWAR
Brady Singer2.5
Paul DeJong0.7
Garrett Hampson0.5
Carlos Hernández0.2
Will Klein0.1
Jordan Lyles0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

2025 payroll
$127.9M
2026 guaranteed
$32.7M

What the front office was committed to as of 2025, 2025–2031. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2025; 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 (14)

PlayerAgeSvc2025202620272028202920302031
Salvador Perez3513.050$20.0MFREE AGENT
Michael Wacha3311.062$18.0M$18.0M$14.0M$14.0MCLUBFREE AGENT
Seth Lugo358.082$15.0MFREE AGENT
Carlos Estévez328.022$10.1M$10.1M$13.0MCLUBFREE AGENT
Hunter Renfroe337.165$7.6MFREE AGENT
Michael Lorenzen339.159$6.5MFREE AGENT
Chris Stratton347.100$3.6MFREE AGENT
Mark Canha369.092$1.4MFREE AGENT
Luke Maile347.148$1.2MFREE AGENT
Cole Ragans272.029$1.1M$4.6M$7.6MARB 3FREE AGENT
Randal Grichuk3310.033$645kFREE AGENT
Adam Frazier338.075$384kFREE AGENT
Rich Hill4514.141$81kFREE AGENT
Trevor Richards326.070$53kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (10)

PlayerAgeSvc2025202620272028202920302031
Bobby Witt Jr.253.000$8.2MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jonathan India284.000$7.0MARB 3FREE AGENT
Hunter Harvey305.047$3.7MFREE AGENT
Kris Bubic274.135$3.0MARB 3FREE AGENT
Mike Yastrzemski345.128$2.8MFREE AGENT
John Schreiber314.027$2.3MARB 3FREE AGENT
Cavan Biggio305.129$2.0MFREE AGENT
Kyle Isbel283.043$1.8MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Taylor Clarke324.169$812kARB 3FREE AGENT
Daniel Lynch IV284.000—ARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (25)

PlayerAgeSvc2025202620272028202920302031
Sam Long292.121$950kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Vinnie Pasquantino272.101$793kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Michael Massey272.068$790kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Angel Zerpa252.082$779kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Lucas Erceg301.136$777kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Maikel Garcia251.168$775kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steven Cruz260.058$699kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Tolbert270.000$588kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Noah Cameron250.000$560kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Nick Loftin260.121$539kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
MJ Melendez262.153$484kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jac Caglianone220.000$482kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
John Rave27–$417k
Jonathan Bowlan280.017$405kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Drew Waters261.062$355kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Freddy Fermin301.165$328kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dairon Blanco321.132$278kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Bailey Falter282.138$233kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Luinder Avila230.000$135kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Carter Jensen210.000$114kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Stephen Kolek281.000$107kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Ryan Bergert25–$105k
Evan Sisk280.000$40kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Thomas Hatch302.032$19kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Andrew Hoffmann25–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Royals 2025; 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.