Shockwaves in Kansas City: Insider Exposes Royals’ Controversial Decision Behind Closed Doors

So, the Kansas City Royals find themselves in a bit of a pickle this season—coming off a playoff run but now stuck in the AL Central’s middle tier, courtesy of a lineup that’s more ‘meh’ than menacing. With a grand total of 34 home runs to their name—dead last in the majors, mind you—they finally threw caution to the wind and called up their top power-hitting prospect, Jac Caglianone. Smart move? Some say no. David Samson of CBS Sports didn’t mince words, labeling it “the single most irresponsible move” he’s seen in a while, pointing out that rushing Caglianone to the big leagues means he’ll hit arbitration sooner, costing KC valuable control over a guy who might be worth his weight in gold. It’s a classic small-market conundrum: do you hold your chips close, or gamble on instant impact? The Royals chose the gamble… but was it really worth the risk? Let’s unpack this contentious call.

The Kansas City Royals are off to a mediocre start to the season on the heels of last year’s playoff appearance, sitting fourth in the AL Central, behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers.

A big reason the Royals haven’t been able to repeat last year’s success has been due to the lack of thump in the lineup, as they rank last in the majors by a hefty margin with just 34 home runs.

So, they finally gave in and called up one of the best power-hitting prospects in baseball.

Yet, after the Royals announced they were calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone, David Samson of CBS Sports called it an “irresponsible move.”

“What Kansas City has done is the single most irresponsible move I’ve seen in quite a long time. If he’s going to be that good, how do you call him up now where he will hit arbitration a full year earlier than if they had waited until after around June 17?” Samson said.

"What Kansas City has done is the single-most irresponsible move I've seen in quite a long a time."@DavidPSamson breaks down why he is not a fan of the Royals calling up MLB's No. 10 prospect Jac Caglianone when they did. pic.twitter.com/WiesDWvlXX

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 2, 2025

He pointed out how the Royals are not one of the teams with a high payroll, so it’s crucial to keep Caglianone under contract as long as possible before he eventually becomes a free agent and earns what would be a massive payday if he is as good as advertised.

Royals outfielders have combined for seven home runs this season, and Caglianone, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has 15 in 50 combined games in Double-A and Triple-A.

As exciting as it is for Royals fans that he has finally arrived, waiting is a fair point for a small-market team, as they could have easily held off for two weeks to maintain an extra year of control.

There’s nothing that can be done about that now, and the hope will be that Caglianone can hit upon his arrival, and sign a long-term deal like Bobby Witt Jr. did, to solidify himself as a cornerstone of the franchise.

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