Kansas City, Mo. ? That old, familiar baseball refrain made famous by fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers took on an entirely different meaning for the Kansas City Royals this offseason.

No longer was “Wait ’til next year!” the battle cry of a beleaguered franchise grasping at hope. The slogan had become quite literal: After snapping a 29-year playoff drought with a trip to the World Series, the Royals wanted to keep right on playing.

“We came as close as you can to winning a world championship,” manager Ned Yost said, “and when you don’t do it, it leaves a taste in your mouth. It’s something you strive to do, and I think everyone in the locker room will tell you they want to finish this thing off.”

Most of the faces will be the same as pitchers and catchers report to the Royals’ spring training home in Surprise, Arizona, today, and position players begin to trickle in ahead of next week’s first full-squad workout. But the usual business cycle of baseball has resulted in a few notable changes, including the departure of two organizational cornerstones.

The first was James Shields. The second was Billy Butler.

Shields’ arrival in a trade from Tampa Bay brought with him a winning attitude. He changed the clubhouse culture. And while the staff ace struggled in the playoffs, it’s hard to argue Kansas City would have been there without him.

The frugal Royals were not expected to make a competitive offer for him, making it a foregone conclusion that Shields would be pitching elsewhere this season. He signed a $75 million, four-year deal with San Diego.

There were higher hopes that the Royals could keep Butler, their longtime designated hitter. But after a down season, the club declined its $12.5 million option, and discussions on a new deal fizzled. Butler signed a $30 million, three-year deal with Oakland.

The Royals hardly stashed their saved cash, though. In a sign that owner David Glass was not content with merely reaching Game 7 of the World Series last year, he gave general manager Dayton Moore the green light on a free-agent splurge.

Moore moved quickly to fill his vacant spot in the starting rotation by inking right-hander Edinson Volquez to a $20 million, two-year deal. He filled the DH spot by signing veteran Kendrys Morales to a $17 million, two-year deal. And he added a bit of power by signing outfielder Alex Rios to an $11 million contract.