Royals postseason rotation should serve as a lesson for other small-market teams

After losing 106 games a season ago, the Kansas City Royals had a busy offseason, looking to improve. However, in the free agent world, it is difficult to compete against teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres who seem to have an unlimited amount of money. 

Instead of targeting big names that multiple teams were pursuing, the Royals decided to focus on adding experienced players who felt like a good fit in the Kansas City organization. Finishing the year with an 86-76 record and a Wild Card spot, it seems that their strategy has paid off and could serve as a lesson for other small market teams. 

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Royals announce Wild Card series rotation

Jim Bowden of CBS Sports and The Athletic reported last night that Matt Quatraro, the Royals manager, had put his starting rotation in place for the American League Wild Card series. Cole Ragans will start Game 1 against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, followed by Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. 

Both Lugo and Wacha were with the San Diego Padres a season ago but have both made an incredible impact on the Royals’ 2024 season. Lugo went 16-9 with an even 3.00 ERA this season in 33 starts while Wacha posted a 13-8 record to go along with a 3.35 ERA across 29 starts. 

Neither one of these two individuals broke the bank for the Royals this past offseason but both have proven to be enormous additions. Seeing players like these two lead a team to the postseason could be motivation for smaller market clubs to consider this strategy more often. Perhaps the Royals turnaround from 2023 to 2024 could be something a team like the Chicago White Sox will try to recreate in the near future.