The Kansas City Royals ultimately missed the playoffs this season, going 82-80 and finishing in third place in the American League Central. They were a Wild Card team in 2024 after winning 86 games. They are going to have some decisions to make this offseason. While the pitching staff carried the load, they could only do so much to keep Kansas City in contention. The offense ultimately failed them.
They have several players that will be free agents at the end of the World Series, but beyond that avenue, there could be some roster turnover.
Caleb Moody of Kings of Kauffman listed five players who will likely not be back with the Royals in 2026, and among them was speedster Dairon Blanco.
“Lastly, there’s the speedster Blanco, who may be able to fill the Royals major need for speed, like manager Matt Quatraro hinted at last week.
However, with a limited offensive profile – highlighted by a measly 25 wRC+ in 2025 and a below average 96 wRC+ the year prior – speed can only take him so far,” Moody wrote.
“Then, there’s the fact that after he was demoted to Triple-A back in early in June, Kansas City didn’t feel the need to bring him back, even as a speed threat. It didn’t help the fact that he only managed a 94 wRC+ in Omaha this season.”
Blanco provides elite speed and can play all three outfield positions. However, he doesn’t provide much value beyond that. He hit just .167/.167/.333 with no home runs, one RBI and a .500 OPS. His best role is as a pinch runner later in games. With Tyler Tolbert already on the roster, it doesn’t make much sense to keep Blanco around if he isn’t going to provide any value offensively other than speed.
The Royals have other needs to fill, such as outfield production, and Blanco might just take up a roster spot where the Royals actually need some help.
It will certainly be interesting to see how they approach upgrading the roster, but it’s clear as of now that Blanco doesn’t have much of a fit on the current roster and likely won’t have a clear fit in 2026, so it will be best for Kansas City to move on from him and focus on other areas.
More MLB: Royals Pitching Addition Expected To Be Gone After 2025
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