Kansas City Royals looking to slash payroll for 2019

After a rough year, and in the midst of a youth movement, the Kansas City Royals are looking to slash payroll for 2019.

This has been a rough year for the Kansas City Royals. Although there were few expectations that the Royals would contend, few saw this disastrous of a season coming. The Royals had signed short term free agents, bringing their payroll over $120 million for the season, a steep price for their fifth season in franchise history with over 100 losses.

Understandably, the Royals are looking to get back to their winning ways quickly. General manager Dayton Moore has called this season “an embarrassment,” and said that he and owner David Glass want to build a winner again soon, as quickly as within the next two years. That desire fueled their pursuit of players like Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez, as they were close to being major league ready.

Nonetheless, even with the Royals desire to contend in short order, there will be changes. Specifically, the Royals are looking to slash payroll for the coming year. According to Jon Heyman, those cuts could end up being as much $30 to $35 million for the 2019 campaign.

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It does make sense that payroll could end up being slashed without doing much to change the roster. In addition to players like Phillips and Lopez, the Royals have found other potential young pieces to the future. Adalberto Mondesi has looked like a superstar over the past month, potentially pushing Alcides Escobar out the door. Ryan O’Hearn has looked like the slugger the Royals desperately need in the lineup, and could form a dangerous 1-2 punch with Jorge Soler. Jakob Junis and Brad Keller could be key parts of the rotation, with Ben Lively, Jake Newberry, and potentially Richard Lovelady forming a nucleus in the bullpen.

Of course, there are obstacles to this desired fiscal responsibility. The Royals have five players under contract for next season, at a combined $70.4 million. Ian Kennedy still has another $33 million due over two years. Alex Gordon is due $20 million in 2018, and will likely get a $4 million buyout of his $23 million mutual option for 2019. Jason Hammel will be gone, but will cost another $2 million to buy out his mutual option. That is a lot of money already tied up in a few players.

To get to that reported $80 to $85 million threshold, the Royals may have to make a couple of difficult decisions. As much as they may not want to trade Danny Duffy or Salvador Perez, they may need to in at least consider such moves order to get payroll to that desired level. Otherwise, they may need to move a decent prospect to entice a team to take on a player like Kennedy, removing him from their payroll.

The Kansas City Royals want to cut payroll by $30 to $35 million for 2019. Looking at their roster, that may be easier said than done.