John Sherman Opens Up on Royals' Future in Kansas City

Division rival Cleveland is still playing in October while fans of the Kansas City Royals wait on next year, but owner John Sherman spent his end-of-season press conference talking about a future that reaches well past 2027.

Speaking at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, Oct. 5, Sherman called 2026 very disappointing before turning to the new downtown ballpark.

The goal is to play Opening Day in the new stadium in 2030, and Sherman also wants to host the All-Star Game within its first few seasons.

Demolition is planned to begin in 2027, though the team's lease at Kauffman Stadium does not run out until the 2030 season.

The ballpark is part of a larger Crown Center project with Hallmark, which has had its headquarters in Kansas City since 1910.

Sherman put the cost of the stadium, team offices and infrastructure at $1.9 billion, with another $1 billion in private money planned for the first phase of the district around it.

He said the project comes with no new taxes because it is paid for out of growth.

He explained what the deal means to him during his end-of-season press conference.

"We're bringing together in this project two iconic Kansas City brands to do something special for the city that we love," Sherman said. "It would be bigger and better than anything we could have done on our own. It keeps Major League Baseball in Kansas City for generations, fulfilling Ewing Kauffman's promise that the Royals are Kansas City's team."

A new park will not fix a team that went 69-93, finished fifth in the American League Central and ended up 16 games behind the Guardians, but it does settle the biggest long-term question around the franchise.

Fans can stop worrying about where the Royals will play and focus on getting back to the postseason, which the club reached just two years ago.

On the field, Sherman said the bullpen is the top priority this winter, along with making the starting rotation more stable, after the Royals ended 2026 with seven pitchers on the 60-day injured list.

Starting pitcher Noah Cameron gives them one piece to count on after going 9-8 with a 4.11 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 30 starts, and there is a strong case for making the lefty a big part of the rotation plan.

Sherman also said the club will be more opportunistic this offseason and will not spend money just to spend it, while still being open to a move that helps in an area of need.

He pointed to the Brewers and Rays, along with division rivals Cleveland and Chicago, as playoff clubs he admires, saying there is more to winning than spending, and there is a clear lesson in how those clubs were built this fall.

I like that approach, because a smart signing or two in the bullpen or in an outfield that needs more help would do more than one huge contract.

The stadium shows the owner is thinking about the long run, and now the front office has to show the same care with a roster that needs to win again soon.