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What to know about the Royals and the 2026-27 MLB offseason: Free agents, Rule 5 draft, non-tenders, arbitration deadlines

Congrats to the Milwaukee Brewers on winning their first championship! The offseason is officially upon us, and brother, the Royals have some work to do. They lost 93 games last year, making for a disappointing season despite another great performance…

By Max Rieper · Royals Review

Published: Thursday, 29 October 2026 at 2:00 PM

Key Things to Know

The Royals enter the 2026-27 offseason facing major roster decisions ahead of a looming December 1 collective bargaining deadline.
General manager J.J. Picollo highlighted the bullpen, starting pitching depth, and outfield bats as the team's top acquisition priorities.
Jonathan India, Craig Kimbrel, Luke Maile, and Josh Rojas became free agents after the season.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Following a 93-loss season, the Kansas City Royals face a crucial offseason that could be accelerated by an expiring collective bargaining agreement on December 1. General manager J.J. Picollo indicated the club aims to be aggressive in acquisitions, prioritizing bullpen reconstruction, starting rotation depth, and right-handed outfield hitting before a potential league-wide transaction freeze.

Key roster decisions are already underway as Jonathan India, Craig Kimbrel, Luke Maile, and Josh Rojas enter free agency. The Royals plan to exercise Tony Gonsolin's $2.5 million option while expecting to buy out Carlos Estévez for $2 million, with owner John Sherman noting roughly $30 million is coming off the payroll.

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