Kansas City Royals Rumors: Mike Minor could sign elsewhere soon

The chances Mike Minor returns to the Kansas City Royals seem to be growing slimmer, as reports indicate he could be one of the first free agents to sign.

The Hot Stove has failed to heat up as November comes to a close. It only means December will likely heat up to a ridiculous level once the dominoes start to fall. A former Kansas City Royals pitcher could be one of the first.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Mike Minor has plenty of potential suitors. He also said it’s expected that Minor will be compensated well as arguably the top left-handed bullpen option.

In a tweet from Wednesday, Olney said the Mets and Astros are among a group of teams to check on Minor:

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that New York and Houston are interested in Minor. For one thing, he’s the kind of pitcher who can help any team. Be it a premier option for a club trying to get back to the postseason. Or as the final piece for an organization hoping to create a dynasty. But also the Mets and Astros have been previously mentioned as possible landing spots.

Olney followed up Wednesday’s tweet with one on Thursday about Minor. He again mentioned Houston as a favorite to land the former starting pitcher, but he also said Boston is in good position, too.

As noted before, there is no shortage of teams that could use Minor’s services. The Kansas City Royals being one of them. However, the amount of money he is likely to earn has seemingly priced him out of their budget.

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That being said, it’s unknown what role the clubs envision Minor taking over. Any that see him as a closer — and are obviously willing to compensate him like one — will automatically jump to the top of his list. Given his limited time spent in that role, it’s unlikely any will be willing to go that far. He should, though, earn a setup role — at minimum — from someone.

At this point, the question remains: When will the offseason truly kick into gear? And it might just take Minor to get the market — at least for relief pitchers — up to speed.

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What do you think? Where will Minor end up next year? Do the Kansas City Royals have any chance to retain him? Let us know your thoughts.