Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Wright (shoulder) is having a normal offseason. Wright missed the entire 2024 campaign due to surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. Rogers noted that the team could have him on a slower progression, but the team is "excited" about Wright returning to the mound at some point. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training as he could have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Opening day rotation. In 2023, Wright logged just 31 innings of work with a disappointing 6.97 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP with the Atlanta Braves. However, in 2023, Wright enjoyed a career season as he posted a 21-5 record with a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 174 punchouts across 180 1/3 innings. Wright will likely compete for the final spot in the rotation with Alec Marsh and Kris Bubic.

According to the team, the Kansas City Royals and outfielder Nelson Velazquez have agreed to a contract for the 2025 season. The 26-year-old spent 64 games in the majors last season and will likely compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster during spring training. Across this stint, the 26-year-old held a .200/.274/.366 line with eight home runs and 27 RBI. He struck out at a hefty 26.5% rate. Across three seasons in the majors, the former fifth-round selection hols a .212/.286/.433 line. In 56 games with Triple-A Omaha, Velazquez held .239/.356/.415 slash line with 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 33 RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Velazquez to compete for a starting role during spring training and could be a candidate to see time in right field.

Free-agent infielder Adam Frazier agreed to a one-year, $1.525 million deal on Tuesday with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to a source. Frazier will be returning to the team that drafted him in the sixth round back in 2013 out of Mississippi State University. The 33-year-old veteran second baseman/outfielder played the first five full seasons of his MLB career in Pittsburgh and will now return as a utility infielder/outfielder. Frazier did have a career-high 13 home runs in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, but he's never been much of a threat on offense for fantasy managers with a career .264/.327/.385 slash line and .713 OPS in nine big-league seasons. He hit a lowly .202 (53-for-262) with only four homers and 22 RBI in 104 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2024. Frazier won't be on the fantasy radar at all in mixed leagues in 2025.

According to Roch Kubatko, several teams are very interested in signing right-handed pitcher Nick Anderson. Anderson threw for several teams on Thursday and is drawing interest for a one-year contract. Kubatko noted that Anderson spent the offseason with a pitching analyst, refining his mechanics to hone in on fastball metrics and split change. Last summer, Anderson posted a 4.04 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP across 35 2/3 innings in the major leagues. He struck out 29 batters and held a hefty 9.8% walk rate. In 2023, Anderson was productive with the Braves, posting a strong 3.06 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 35 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should expect Anderson to compete for a spot on an Opening Day roster during spring training.

According to Ari Alexander of KPRC2, right-handed pitcher Nick Anderson is drawing interest from multiple clubs. Alexander noted that Alexander will likely sign a one-year deal. The 34-year-old went to the Baseball Performance Center over the offseason and added a split-change to his arsenal. Last season, Anderson logged 35 2/3 innings with the Kansas Royals. He posted a 4.04 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP with 29 strikeouts before being released in July. During the 2023 season, the right-hander posted a strong 3.06 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 35 1/3 innings with the Atlanta Braves. If Anderson were to find a suitor, he would likely have a role as a middle-relief option out of the bullpen and could eventually return to a high-leverage role.