The offseason is upon us, but it could soon come to a screeching halt. In less than three weeks, the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires, and barring an agreement between owners and players by then, owners will impose a lockout. That will mean a freeze of transactions after December 1, an end to communications between players and teams, heck, even team websites will have all images and videos of players scrubbed.
Teams will have to navigate a very uncertain offseason without knowing what baseball’s
financial structure will look like on the other side. Owners and players have each made proposals on how to change the financial inequities in the game, with owners adamant about imposing a salary cap.
The Royals have several holes to fill this offseason, particularly in the bullpen and outfield. A looming lockout could affect their efforts to address needs in several ways.
A stop-and-start timeline
This offseason will have a frustrating pace to it. Many are expecting a flurry of activity in November, although we are nearly two weeks in and it has been eerily quiet. But once the labor deal expires, all Major League transactions will cease until a new deal is worked out. Once owners and players come to an agreement, it will be a feeding frenzy of free agent signings, although the timing of that agreement could have significant implications for how much time teams have to prepare for the season.
Will the Royals get an early jump on the offseason and try to get transactions in before the labor deal expires? Or will they wait to see how things shake out? Will waiting out the market cause free agent prices to fall, particularly if the work stoppage stretches into spring training? Or will the Royals be left empty-handed by waiting too long?
Will the Royals have more money to work with?
The recent World Series between the Brewers and Rays proved that teams can overcome financial limitations to be successful. But it didn’t disprove the fact that money can help build a roster. The Royals fielded a $140 million Opening Day payroll, 18th-largest in baseball last season. But could they receive more revenues under a new labor deal that can provide the resources to field a more competitive roster?
The owners are proposing pooling all local TV revenues and splitting it 30 ways. They argue that their proposal would create a more level playing field by giving every team an equal share of local television revenue, while establishing a salary floor to force low-spending teams to invest more in their rosters. They also argue that a salary cap would prevent wealthier teams from dramatically outspending the competition. Their proposal would set a $180.2 million floor and a $258.3 million cap, although it wouldn’t start until 2028.
The MLBPA argues that a salary cap is unnecessary to achieve competitive balance and would artificially limit player salaries. They have countered by proposing teams pool the first $50 million of each team’s local TV revenue, plus two-thirds of the amount above $50 million, for redistribution. The union’s proposal includes provisions requiring revenue-sharing recipients to maintain at least a $150 million payroll to retain those funds, along with additional incentives for winning teams. Under their plan, each team would be guaranteed $240 million in annual revenue, although Forbes estimates the Royals already make $330 million in revenues.
Either way, the next labor agreement seems likely to change the financial landscape for teams like the Royals. The question is whether those changes will translate into more money being invested in the roster, and whether ownership will take advantage of the opportunity to build a more competitive team.
A buyer’s market for one-year rentals
The trade market provides opportunities to improve the roster, but the Royals don’t have a ton of depth in their farm system to deal from. However this offseason could provide opportunities to trade for players at reduced prices. If a lockout stretches into spring training or even costs regular-season games teams may be reluctant to surrender valuable prospects for a player who could end up providing less than a full season of production.
That could create a buyer’s market for the Royals to acquire short-term help without having to give up too much, particularly if they’re willing to take on some salary. Teams might be more motivated to get something for a player on an expiring deal, rather than risk being unable to trade him in the frenzy before the season begins.
Of course, the Royals would have to weigh the opportunity to acquire a player against the risk of losing valuable playing time to the work stoppage themselves. And they would have to aggressively seek a trade before the work stoppage, while there is still uncertainty. But uncertainty can create opportunities for teams willing to take calculated risks, and the Royals could potentially find some bargains in that environment.
Minor league deals for injured players
When the labor deal expires, there will be a freeze on Major League transactions and restrictions on club interactions with players on the 40-man roster. But players can still sign minor league deals. And anyone not on a 40-man roster can still interact with the team.
That could lead to several players nursing offseason injuries to sign minor league deals to allow them to work with Major League medical staffs and have access to team training facilities.
It could also influence how teams approach their 40-man rosters. Clubs may be more inclined to leave certain players off the 40-man roster if they want to have interactions with them during a work stoppage or ensure they will have a full spring training to prepare for the season. For the Royals, that could make decisions about injured players and Rule 5 protections even more complicated. They’ll have to consider not only which players deserve a spot on the roster, but also whether putting them on the 40-man roster could limit the organization’s ability to work with them during a lockout.
This is an important offseason for the Royals. After back-to-back winning seasons, they regressed badly in 2026. They need to improve a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball, find more production in the outfield and add starting pitching depth to overcome injuries. A looming lockout makes those tasks more complicated, but it could also create opportunities for a front office willing to be creative and take calculated risks.
