Fresh off a World Series parade, the Royals went into 2016 hoping to keep the party going a little bit longer. They had a core that was still club control for the next two seasons, but to maintain a consistent winner, they’d have to find amateur talent that could replace that core eventually. That means finding some gems in the draft, despite the fact that they would have the fourth-from-last selection in the first round.
But rather than try to find the next Royals star, the club decided to make the plunge into free agency and forfeit their first-round pick.