The Kansas City Royals have a series of smaller scale needs beyond their higher profile pursuits of outfield and second base upgrades as well as their need to narrow their immense major league rotation depth.
Of those lesser discussed needs is their vacant third catcher's role, that's become open due to Luke Maile hitting free agency this winter.
There's several names that could occupy this need both externally or internally for Kansas City in 2026, but the one thing that has seemed pretty certain is that they needed to add their depth regardless.
At first glance, it seemed as though the Royals did that on Monday after it was reported that they'd signed the once high profile prospect Jorge Alfaro to a minor league contract, as per Aram Leighton of Just Baseball.