9 Royals Who Won't Return in 2024

Kansas City should field a very different club next season in hopes of contention
Salvador Perez drilled 23 home runs for the second consecutive year
Salvador Perez drilled 23 home runs for the second consecutive year / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Brad Keller - SP

I think we can all agree that the Keller experiment is over. He's shown promising flashes over his six seasons with the Royals, but inconsistent command always reared its ugly head.

The train completely flew off the tracks this season as Keller walked 45 batters in just 45.1 innings before spending time in the minors and injury rehab.

Keller is a free agent and given the Royals' need for pitching, I don't see the justification for signing him to another contract.

Consider this ugly truth: Keller appeared in only 11 games this season yet still issued the second-most walks on the entire team! Given the Royals' promising defense and litany of young pitchers the organization must evaluate, Keller doesn't serve much of a purpose on the 2024 team.

I'm hopeful he can turn things around with another club, but it's time for Kansas City to move on.