Kansas City Royals: 2019-2020 offseason schedule
By Cody Rickman
December 2 – Non-tender deadline
Players non-tendered from other MLB team rosters can be targeted to the address holes on the Royals roster. There should be plenty of players discarded by their current team the Royals can reach out a contract offer to this offseason.
December 9-12 – Winter Meetings (San Diego, CA)
If you are a baseball fanatic or looking for a job in the baseball industry, I highly recommend attending a Winter Meetings conference. I went a few years back on the invitation from a family member who works in the Minor League commissioner’s office and spent time around the media section. The hustle and bustle of the industry’s media during these meetings is intense to witness. Trades, free agency signings, and negotiations are taking place each hour.
The Royals have several players (Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy) and one major trade asset (Whit Merrifield) they could move at the Winter Meetings. Trading Duffy and/or Kennedy will likely require the Royals to retain a percentage of their remaining salaries, but the Royals may consider moving each player if the offer is right. Both Duffy and Kennedy finished the 2019 season strong and won’t be part of the next competitive Royals roster.
The Royals will have to consider trading away Whit Merrifield during the Winter Meetings. Merrifield is coming off another fantastic season and will be entering his age 31 season. He is under a very team friendly contract with a team option running thru 2023.
The Royals can bring back a substantial haul in return of a Merrifield trade. The asking price for Dayton Moore could be in the range of four prospects with three of those prospects being MLB ready. I detailed three potential Whit Merrifield trade partners in the Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies here.
December 12 – Rule 5 Draft
The Royals have had success in finding excellent players in the Rule 5 draft with Joakim Soria and Brad Keller being Rule 5 selections by the Royals in recent memory. The Rule 5 draft comes with roster restrictions as players selected must stay on the MLB roster for the entire season. With MLB rosters expanding to 26 players for the 2020 season, the Royals may be able to find a player or two to retain on the roster for the entire 2020 season.