Kansas City Royals: Potential First Base and Center Field Signings

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CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 15: Alcides Escobar /

Kansas City Royals fans are hoping some members of the Core Four will return, but the team has to be looking at other options. Here are some players who could help fill two of those key areas.

With the likely departures of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain, there will be some holes the Kansas City Royals need to fill. The only thing that seems to be set in stone is the starting rotation in 2018. The Royals will fill some spots internally, and there are a few other areas the Royals will need to look to free agency to fill.

The weaker areas going into 2018 that the Kansas City Royals need to look to fill are the bullpen, center field and first base. Even if Moustakas leaves, the Royals have some depth at third base. Cheslor Cuthbert, Hunter Dozier and Ramon Torres will probably all get some time at the hot corner and shortstop will likely be filled by Raul Mondesi. So the question becomes, who can the Royals sign to fill the remaining holes?

The Kansas City Royals will be looking for cheap free agents who can help them stay somewhat competitive. They won’t be making any huge splashes, but they will make some moves mainly at first base and in the outfield. The Royals will be rebuilding and are wanting to develop players, so the free agents they sign will be moves that will support that plan.

We’ll look first at options to replace Hosmer.

KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 29: Logan Morrison /

First Base Options

With the departure of Hosmer, the Kansas City Royals will need to find someone at first base. Internally, options are pretty limited. Brandon Moss or Cuthbert, who will likely be at third base, could move to first base or they could call up Frank Schwindel or Ryan O’Hearn. These options don’t inspire much confidence. Outside the franchise there are more appealing options:

Logan Morrison

The Tampa Bay first baseman and Kansas City native could make his way back home to play first base in a Royals uniform. In 2017, Morrison’s slash line was .246/.353/.516 with 38 home runs. This would move the Kansas City Royals in the power direction they have been heading. He wouldn’t provide as much offense as Hosmer did, but Morrison offers a more consistent —albeit considerably lower — batting average, hitting .245 over his eight-year career. He also provides a left-handed bat to replace Hosmer.

This would be a good consistent bat for the Kansas City Royals if they are looking to spend money on first without breaking the bank. Last year, Morrison made $2.5 million in a one-year deal with the Rays. I could see the Royals signing him for around two years and $8-9 million, as his numbers did tick up a bit from previous years.

Yonder Alonso

Alonso had a good year with the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners. He hit a slash line of .266/.365/.501 with 28 home runs. Alonso would be a slightly better option than Morrison, as far as production goes. He would cost a bit more, though, so the Kansas City Royals would have to decide if he is worth it.

The Royals should go after him, especially if they feel Schwindel and O’Hearn are a few years off. Alonso could provide a nice bat while the Royals continue to develop their first base prospects. I imagine Alonso will probably get a deal around three years and $18-20 million.

Mitch Moreland

The 32-year-old first baseman had a good year for the Boston Red Sox. Moreland hit a slash line of .246/.326/.443 with 22 home runs. Although not as effective as Hosmer, he could still be a good replacement for him, while we wait for the farm system to develop more at the first base position.

Moreland is the oldest of the three options I mentioned. He made $5.5 million last year and, with an upswing in his numbers, will probably get a deal for two years and $12-$13 million dollars. He had a better year than 2016, so I imagine he will get a slight pay bump — but not much.

The internal options at first base still need more time to develop. While the Kansas City Royals are rebuilding, they could throw them in the fire and see how they do. But there are cheaper options available than Hosmer at first base, and the Royals should pursue them.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 25: Cameron Maybin /

Center Field Options

Cain will most likely not be back in a Kansas City Royals uniform next year. To fill center field, the Royals will have to look elsewhere. Within the organization, the Royals have some options. They tried Alex Gordon out there a few times last year and put Paulo Orlando out there pretty frequently in September. In reality, the Royals should be looking to fill center field by staying in-house. Any free agents should be able to play across the outfield. Here are also some free agency options the Royals can look toward:

Cameron Maybin

This year, Maybin played 57 of his 114 games at center field. The Kansas City Royals could sign him to play there. This would be less than ideal for the Royals, as he hit a slash line of .186/.226/.441 after being traded to the Astros. This wouldn’t be an ideal situation and doesn’t really make sense — except that he could provide flexibility in the outfield.

I imagine IF the Royals signed him, it would be a one-year deal around $1 million. I don’t really see the Royals signing him unless it’s very late in free agency and they don’t feel good about their options in center field.

Jarrod Dyson

The Kansas City Royals traded Dyson last year for starter Nate Karns. The outfield looked pretty full going into 2017, and they needed a starter after losing Edinson Volquez. Going into 2018, the Royals need a center fielder. Last year for the Mariners, Dyson started most of his games in center field. And we have all seen him play out there. Dyson hit .251/.324/.350, which is about what he has done, on average, throughout his career.

Last year, Dyson made $2.8 million and would probably make around the same amount in 2018. He could help the Royals as a cheap fill-in for center field, while the Royals develop in their farm system. He could also provide some flexibility in the outfield.

The free agent pool this offseason doesn’t provide a lot of depth at center field. The Royals should only pursue this option if they don’t feel they can compete without them. Signing Dyson would make sense because of the Royals’ history with him.

KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 05: Dayton Moore, left, general manager of the Kansas City Royals talks with owner and Chief Executive Officer David Glass during batting practice at Kauffman Stadium on September 5, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) /

What Should We Expect from the Royals?

First base and center field are the biggest question marks for the Kansas City Royals. The free agent pools for what the Royals need are pretty shallow. I don’t expect them to make a splash here.

More from Kings of Kauffman

I do expect the Royals to sign a first baseman. That could be Hosmer or one of the players I mentioned. Center field is somewhere the Royals could go either way. They could sign Cain or a player I listed above. There are a couple of options — even if they aren’t ideal.

Signing free agents are a risk, and the Royals haven’t had them pan out these last couple of offseasons. However, 2018 free agent signings shouldn’t be held to the same standards we have asked for in 2016 and 2017.

The Royals are rebuilding and moving money away from payroll and towards the draft. Kansas City could still re-sign a few of the core from the 2015 World Series team, but I wouldn’t plan on it.

Next: Best Performances from 2017 Season

If the Royals don’t re-sign Hosmer or Cain, what free agents do you think the Royals should sign? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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