At the end of the 2017 season, when it seemed likely the Royals would lose a number of players to free agency, there’s was talk that it was time for their minor-league prospects to play in the big leagues.
To help the prospects continue their development, the Royals would schedule extra “early work.” That’s the practice done by individuals and small groups early in the day before any team-wide activities.
It would probably mean a losing season, but the Royals would bite the bullet, give their prospects regular playing time and find out if those players could compete at the big league level.