Kansas City Royals Rumors: Cubs and Yankees inquire about Danny Duffy

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DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 17: Carlos Gonzalez /

Royals interested in pair of ex-Rockies

While the chances of a rebuild continue to approach 100 percent, the Kansas City Royals continue to express interest in some free agents. The club should be expected to make inquiries even if a teardown seems likely. For one thing, the club could still look to add some bargains in hopes of flipping them for prospects at the trade deadline.

That possible angle would explain why the club has shown interest in bounce-back candidate Carlos Gonzalez. After a disastrous 2017 in hitter-friendly Coors Field, Gonzalez has failed to garner much attention as a free agent. He will still wind up somewhere and with a decent contract. According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Kansas City Royals are one of a handful of teams keeping tabs on the former star outfielder:

Carlos Gonzalez is flying under the radar, but a lot of teams are interested because he's likely to sign a short-term deal to re-establish his value. #SFGiants, #Royals, #Athletics, #Rays and #BlueJays are among the teams believed to be keeping an eye on him.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 12, 2017

Gonzalez apparently isn’t the only former Colorado player to catch Moore’s attention. First baseman Mark Reynolds could be a replacement for Eric Hosmer, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation:

Rockies are seen as strong contender to re-sign Mark Reynolds but other teams are involved. Royals looking at him as Hosmer fallback plan. Others also with interest.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 13, 2017

Neither player would seem to make much sense given the current narrative surrounding the Kansas City Royals. Reynolds would obviously be a solid replacement for Hosmer. But without Hosmer, the team seems incredibly unlikely to aim for the postseason in 2018. Although, Reynolds could fall under the buy-low, sell-high umbrella.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, would be a player with no real spot to fill. Sure, the right field job is up for grabs, but with Soler and Jorge Bonifacio on the roster, the need for Gonzalez is non-existent. His presence would lead to increased muddling of an already crowded corner outfield spot.