3 Moves the Royals Should Make Before the 2021 MLB Season

The Kansas City Royals haven't made the MLB playoffs since they won the World Series in 2015 and struggled last season finishing with a 26-34 record. They will look to turn it all around in 2021, but can still make a few roster moves if they want to improve before Opening Day.

There are roster holes to address as well as some important starting decisions to make in order to put the best team out on the field. With that in mind, here are three moves the Royals should make before the 2021 MLB season starts.

1. Add Depth at Third Base

Signing someone like Jedd Gyorko would give the Royals depth at the third base position. / Harry How/Getty Images

The Royals roster is full of young players and untapped potential, but they lack depth at the third base position. Starter Hunter Dozier has dealt with some injuries in the last few seasons and it is important to have a reliable backup player. The Royals could benefit from signing Jedd Gyorko or bringing back Maikel Franco as they are considerable upgrades over Kelvin Gutierrez and Erick Mejia. Gyorko hit 9 home runs in 42 games played in 2020, while Franco posted a .457 slugging percentage in 60 games played in Kansas City. This move wouldn't cause major headlines to be written, but it would be a stealthy one to make.

2. Sign Shane Greene

Shane Greene would bring experience and talent to this Royals bullpen. / Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Royals would benefit from signing one of the best free agent arms left on the market in Shane Greene. Kansas City's relievers posted the eighth-best ERA last season (3.84) and had the fourth-most strikeouts (275) among MLB bullpens. Greene would fit right in as he shined in 2020 posting a 2.60 ERA and striking out 21 batters in 27.1 innings pitched. He would immediately become a top eighth inning setup man behind Greg Holland and would even be able to fill in at the closer role if need be. If the Royals truly want to be able to compete with the top AL teams, they would sign Greene.

3. Prioritize Kris Bubic and Brady Singer

Developing the young starting pitchers should be a major priority for the Royals this season. / Ron Schwane/Getty Images

The Royals starting rotation is filled with a mix of veterans and young studs. Danny Duffy and Mike Minor lead the way at the top, but the team should prioritize getting Kris Bubic and Brady Singer as many starts as they can. While neither pitcher had an amazing rookie season, they both showed signs of how great they can be if developed correctly. Plus, they would be able to really find their groove in the MLB if given the fourth and fifth rotation spots for the entirety of the season. Other potential starter Jake Junis hasn't been impressive recently (6.39 ERA in 2020). Give the young kids a shot and see what they can do.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.