2 minor league free agents the KC Royals should strive to keep

It's only natural that the recent openings of the free agent and trade markets have fans speculating about where MLB stars might sign next, which free agents to avoid, and who may or may not be dealt to new teams before the 2025 season begins — and Kansas City Royals fans are no exception.

Then there's the often overlooked and deep pool of minor league free agents. Many minor leaguers hit the open market not long after the 2024 season ended, and now, dozens of others who weren't on their organizations' 40-man rosters, and who've been playing professionally for at least six years, automatically became free agents recently.

Included in that flock are 13 players whose rights the Royals held, including outfielders Nate Eaton and Diego Hernandez, pitchers Austin Cox, Dinelson Lamet, Keylan Kilgore, Ricky Karcher, and Rylan Kaufman, infielders Devin Mann, Ryan Fitzgerald, Leonel Valera, and Josh Lester, and catchers Enmanuel Pire and Rodolfo Durán.

All 13 are free to negotiate and sign with any organization, including the Royals. And of those baker's dozen, Kansas City should be especially interested in re-signing two.

Kansas City shouldn't let Devin Mann get away

With the Royals looking to bolster their offense, Devin Mann would be a nice fit for the 2025 Opening Day roster. His .358 OBP at Triple-A Omaha this season and six-year minor league .367 OBP both prove he knows how to get on base. He has power (13 homers in 2024, 20 in 2023, and 84 over a half-dozen seasons) and can play several different positions.

Why the Royals haven't given Mann a shot already is a bit of a mystery. But bringing him to Kansas City in 2025, whether on Opening Day against Cleveland or sometime later, is a good idea that can't happen if Kansas City doesn't re-sign him.

The KC Royals ought to pursue Rodolfo Durán

Every team can use good catchers, and Kansas City is fortunate in having two — 2024 Roberto Clemente Award winner and Silver Slugger nominee Salvador Pérez, and his excellent backup and Gold Glove nominee Freddy Fermin. And Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, the organization's No. 2 and No. 5 prospects per MLB Pipeline, are slowly but surely working their respective ways up through the farm system.

But let's not forget Rodolfo Durán, a 26-year-old backstop who divided his first year in the organization between Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Although he'll probably never be a Gold Glover, he seems at least serviceable in the field.

Durán's bat, however, is a bit of a different story. He slashed a nice .282/.323/.467, homered 11 times, and drove in 60 runs in 83 games in 2024. He started the season with the Storm Chasers and moved down to Northwest Arkansas for 10 days in June before finishing the season at Omaha, where he hit .281 across July, August, and September.

Can Durán fill a full-time catching job in the major leagues? Probably not. And whether he's full-time big league backup material remains to be seen. But the Royals would do well to keep him around, not only for minor league depth purposes, but also in case they need temporary help in Kansas City.

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