Getty The Royals are spending some money this winter. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is loving what he's seeing.
The Kansas City Royals have been spending money this offseason. Quite a bit of it. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has made it known that he’s happy about what’s going on.
December 15 was a busy end to a busy week for the Royals. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported in the morning that Kansas City was finalizing a deal with outfielder Hunter Renfroe. About an hour later, Robert Murray of FanSided reported the Royals were also in agreement on a deal to sign starting pitcher Michael Wacha.
It’s been an offseason of spending so far for the club, and Mahomes is here for it. He posted “LETS GOOO!!! @Royals” with a couple of flexing emojis on X, formerly known as Twitter.
LETS GOOO!!! @Royals 💪🏽💪🏽
A Rundown of the Royals’ Busy Offseason so Far
According to Spotrac, the Royals’ 2023 payroll checked in at just over $96 million. That ranked 24th in the league. Kansas City was also among baseball’s worst teams this past season.
They were one of three clubs to eclipse the 100-loss plateau. Only the Oakland Athletics (50-112 record) lost more often than the Royals, who finished 56-106. The organization has been busy making additions to the roster since free agency opened, though.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on December 10 that Kansas City agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with relief pitcher Will Smith. Chris Stratton officially joined him in the bullpen on a two-year, $8 million deal, reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post on December 12.
Starting pitcher Seth Lugo’s three-year, $45 million deal was the next one to happen, which was again reported by Heyman on December 12. Heyman also reported the financial details of Renfroe’s deal, which is for two years and $13 million. Last but not least, Wacha’s deal is for two years and $32 million, which was confirmed by Passan.
Mahomes’ Extra Special Connection With the Royals
The Chiefs are fighting for a spot in the NFL Playoffs right now, so why is Mahomes interested in what the Royals are doing?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First of all, baseball is in the signal-caller’s blood. His father had an 11-year MLB career, and before opting to focus on football, Mahomes was a pretty good baseball player. CBS Sports’ Danny Vietti said the quarterback was throwing mid-90s fastballs as a 17-year-old.
Patrick Mahomes was sitting mid-90’s as a 17-year-old kid for Whitehouse HS in Texas.
Reports say he was regularly throwing a baseball “well over 200 feet by the time he was 10 years old.”
(via DonaldBoyles/YouTube)
He was such a good high school baseball player that the Detroit Tigers selected him in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. However, he ultimately decided to pursue football. That’s worked out quite well for the two-time Super Bowl champion.
Mahomes has been playing for the Chiefs since 2017. It’s natural for someone with a baseball background like him to follow what the local MLB team is up to. But his ties with the Royals go deeper than that. He owns a minority share of the club.
The Royals welcomed him to the organization in July 2020 with a press release posted on social media.
Welcome to the #Royals family, @PatrickMahomes!
Mahomes’ shoutout to the Royals is not just him rooting on other local Kansas City teams. He has a vested interest in what the club is doing. So, as the Chiefs continue fighting for a playoff berth, the signal-caller will surely be checking his phone for the latest Hot Stove news and rumors.