KC Royals: Making the case, Oakland A’s free agents

The Oakland A’s have several good free agents, but can any of them help the KC Royals?

Welcome to the first installment of Kings of Kauffman’s annual series analyzing the major league free agent market and projecting who may, or may not, fit into the KC Royals’ plans. Today, we take a look at Oakland’s free agents.

Why big league ballplayers choose to spend significant periods of their careers playing for the Oakland Athletics might be a mystery to some. The A’s, transplants from Kansas City courtesy of an owner whose real or imagined grievances against KC were as well known as the mule he proudly installed as the team mascot, play in the fourth oldest park in the majors, an outdated behemoth boasting the biggest foul territory in the majors (you could graze livestock outside the foul lines) and all the aesthetics of an empty room.

The A’s, though, tend to play October baseball, and that’s something players like regardless of venue. The club that made the movie Moneyball famous and helped push the game further down the analytics road has made it to the postseason six times in the last nine years. The A’s won 97 games in both 2018 and ’19 and claimed a playoff berth this season for the third straight year.

But their 2021 postseason prospects may take a hit this winter. The A’s have 10 free agents who, as of late Sunday afternoon, can negotiate with all 30 clubs. Most are valuable pieces; the Athletics can’t afford to lose too many of them.

Might any of those 10 fit in with the KC Royals? Let’s take a look.

Three former KC Royals are among the A’s free agents, but there really isn’t an urgent need for any of them in Kansas City.

On July 27, 2014, Cleveland punished the Kansas City 10-3. The loss left the KC Royals two games above .500 and in second place in the American League Central, five games behind the Tigers. The next day, the Royals shipped Danny Valencia to Toronto for Erik Kratz and reliever Liam Hendriks but, as far as the club and Hendriks go, the rest was not history.

The Royals went on to win the pennant and play in the World Series, but Hendriks wasn’t a big reason why. He went 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA in six games and didn’t pitch in the postseason. Apparently unimpressed, KC traded him back to the Blue Jays following the season.

Hendriks was a perfect 5-0 with a 2.92 ERA in 58 games for the Jays, but they dealt him to Oakland where, after three somewhat serviceable seasons, he emerged as the A’s closer in 2019 and saved 25 games and struck out 124 in 85 innings. He was even better in this year’s shortened campaign, posting a spiffy 1.78 ERA, saving 14 games and matching his 13.1 SO9 of the season before.

So it is that, entering his age-32 season, Hendriks is one of the game’s better closers, someone who should command decent money if this winter’s free agent market doesn’t suffer at the hands of the financial hit the industry just took. That the Royals might be able to afford Hendricks, though, doesn’t mean they should give him a call.

They shouldn’t. They don’t need a closer, especially one who may justifiably demand serious cash. They can probably re-land Greg Holland for less than it will take to snare Hendriks; if their reported interest in Holland doesn’t pan out, the Royals have competent internal candidates such as Josh Staumont, or possibly even Danny Duffy if he ends up in the bullpen. (Some will suggest Trevor Rosenthal, but that’s probably not happening). So the club should pass on Hendriks.

The same goes for Joakim Soria, but the case against him has more to do with diminishing value than it does finances. He saved 162 games for the club in parts of seven seasons, but is no longer a closer and, because he’ll be 37 in May, is well on the backside of a good career. The Royals could probably get him on the cheap, but even a small amount of money can be better spent on someone else.

Mike Minor is the third former Royal the franchise shouldn’t pursue. Minor’s claims to fame are the two respectable seasons he had with Texas (he won 12 games in 2018, the year after he went 6-6 in his only Kansas City campaign, and 14 in 2019), but the Rangers let Oakland have him when he was 0-5 in 2020 and he went 1-1 with the A’s. Minor turns 33 next month and there really isn’t a place for him in the Royal rotation or bullpen.

A trio of A’s would make nice additions to the KC Royals, but there really isn’t room right now.

Marcus Semien, Tommy La Stella and Jake Lamb never played for the KC Royals. Any one of them, though, could help the club; the trouble with them all is there aren’t any open spots.

Semien, of course, is the A’s regular shortstop who can also play third base, an eight-year big league veteran who hits and defends well enough to deserve an everyday major league job. He boasted five straight double-digit home run seasons going into 2020 (including 33 in 2019 and 27 in 2016) and his seven homers this season extrapolates to almost 19 for a 162-game slate. He has a career .254 average but hit a career-high .285 in 2019.

The A’s apparently have interest in bringing Semien back but did not give him a qualifying offer by Sunday’s QO deadline. That doesn’t prevent Oakland from re-signing him; at the same time, it means any other team signing him doesn’t forfeit a draft choice, a penalty that often discourages signing other clubs’ free agents. With that disincentive now gone, should the KC Royals take a run at Semien?

No. They just don’t have a place to play him. Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi certainly isn’t going anywhere and third baseman Maikel Franco will likely be tendered a deal to return. And then there’s the ever-present Bobby Witt Jr., a No.1 prospect who seems certain to find his way to Kauffman Stadium sometime in 2021. Witt’s arrival will shake up the infield (unless the Royals elect to shake up the outfield instead). The club shouldn’t try to create a spot for Semien.

La Stella’s name comes up in almost every Hot Stove discussion. He has an adequate bat and is a second baseman who, like Semien, can also play third. (He’s also played first base). His glove leaves a little to be desired, which won’t be a point in his favor with the infield defense-conscious Royals. And he, again like Semien, wouldn’t have a place to play—Nicky Lopez will get at least another season to prove himself at second, and the Franco-Witt factor also applies to La Stella. KC needs to pass on him.

Jake Lamb is the final Athletic who might be a good add for the Royals. He’s displayed power in the past (30 homers with Arizona in 2017 and 29 for the Diamondbacks the season before), but he hasn’t regained much of any form since injuring his shoulder in 2018 and suffering other injuries after that. He can play either of the infield corner positions; the rub, of course, is Franco at third, Witt lurking in the background, and Hunter Dozier, who appears to have staked a firm claim to Kansas City’s first base job. Lamb is one free agent the club shouldn’t call.