This offseason, the Kansas City Royals wanted to compete in 2024. Not in the technical sense of the word; the 2023 Royals technically competed in every game by rote definition despite rarely being competitive. No, the Royals wanted to win games late in the year, to energize a fanbase, and to vie for the American League Central crown.
Coming off a 106-loss season, that sounded silly on its face. But the Royals banked on a few things. One, that they were getting Vinnie Pasquantino back (alongside Cole Ragans beginning the year in Kansas City as opposed to in Texas).