Kansas City Royals Free Agency Primer

Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Left Handed Relief Pitching

Part of the reason why Finnegan had the chance to shine in September and in the postseason was the Royals lack of consistent left handed relief. Francisley Bueno, Scott Downs and Tim Collins each had their moments, but none of them were able to consistently be that left handed reliever that the Royals needed.

Should the Royals sign either Santana or Burnett, or bring in another starting pitcher, that role may belong to Finnegan once again. A left handed compliment to the trio of power righties in the Royals bullpen, Finnegan gave the Royals that consistency they needed.

Another option, should the Royals look to fill that slot in free agency or bring in a second lefty reliever, could be Joe Thatcher. A true LOOGY, Thatcher has pitched a total of 238 innings in his 362 career games. Thatcher is a true control artist, relying on hitting his spots and inducing weak fly balls. In Kauffman Stadium, and with the Royals outfield defense, he could be a perfect fit.

While the Kansas City Royals may not be able to spend the money needed to bring in a pitcher like Andrew Miller, there are plenty of other options available. Compared to last year, left handed relief pitching should not be the problem it had been.