We could see the Royals’ off-season pick up a bit at the Winter Meetings as they look to improve a team that lost 106 games last year. Pitching is a top priority after the team finished with the third-worst ERA in baseball. The Royals are reportedly looking for a “No. 1 or No. 2 who can help solidify the rotation” but it seems unlikely they would pursue top-tier free agents like Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell. What is more likely is that they look for pitchers that have front-of-the-rotation-type potential, perhaps someone like Lucas Giolito.
Giolito was a first-round pick in the 2012 draft by the Nationals, but was traded early in his career in a blockbuster deal to the White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton.