Royals: Positional battle, a new face at third base? Doubtful.

While it’s unlikely the Royals will make any big moves during the free agency, there is always the chance for a reunion to take place.

Free Agents

The Royals are fairly well off as far as position players go. They either have a pretty good lockdown on the spot, or they have multiple options that will have to duke it out come spring training. While third base seems to be locked down, there is always the possibility of a free agent coming in to take the spot.

While many Royals fans would likely be fine with the pickup of Anthony Rendon, or even the aging Josh Donaldson, it’s unlikely either of these players will find their way to Kauffman stadium. Price tags will probably be fairly high, and the Royals have other concerns.

One free agent that could cause some buzz, though, is Mike Moustakas. Many Royals fans would love to see a reunion with Moustakas and he has continued to put up good numbers since his time with the Royals.

In 2019, Moustakas slashed .254/.329/.516, scoring 80 runs, batting in 87 RBIs, and smashing 30 doubles and 35 home runs. Defensively, Moustakas saw time at both second and third base, posting a fielding percentage of .993 at second, and .952 at third.

It’s unlikely a reunion will happen with Moustakas, given spotrac.com estimates his market value at 20.7 million dollars; much more than the Royals will probably want to spend for a third baseman. Moustakas has not had the easiest time in free agency, though, so if the cards fall just right, the Royals could see the Moose back at third in Kauffman.

The Royals tend to be a quiet team in the free agency, making small moves that will hopefully get them some prospect in July. Because of this, Dozier will more than likely continue his full-time gig at third. This will all be dependent on the new management and new ownership, though.

Dozier did play well in the outfield, and if they believe it will help him focus even more on is hitting, it might be a move they are willing to make. If this is the case, and Moustakas is available later in free agency, this makes his acquisition much more likely.

No matter what the Royals do, the focus should remain on pitching during the free agency. If the organization feels it’s necessary to make certain moves, then so be it. The offense is fairly set, though, and now the Royals need some pitchers to back up their hitters.