KC Royals Midweek Musings: Free agency and more

This week’s KC Royals Midweek Musings covers free agency, some baseball job news and more.

Some KC Royals Midweek Musings while wondering if Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan McBroom will both make the club’s 2021 Opening Day roster:

Free agency.  We kicked off our annual series about free agency Monday with an analysis of what Oakland free agents might fit in with the Royals. Over the next few weeks, our writers will do the same for each major league club. As of this writing, Kansas City hadn’t made any moves.

Almost 20 former Royals are officially free agents and can negotiate with any of the 30 teams. Headlining the list are relief pitchers Trevor Rosenthal, Liam Hendriks, Greg Holland and Jeremy Jeffress; other bullpen pieces include Wade Davis, Joakim Soria and Ian Kennedy, although they won’t command the kind of attention (and money) the first four will.

Some starters are also among the group of players who spent time in Kansas City or with the Royals’ organization, including Jake Odorizzi, Edinson Volquez and Homer Bailey.

Trevor Cahill, Brad Boxberger and Matt Harvey are also available pitchers.

Former Royals catchers Drew Butera and Erik Kratz, and outfielders Jarrod Dyson, Billy Hamilton and Jon Jay are also among the free agent group.

Whether any of these players wind up back in Kansas City remains to be seen; keep an eye on our free agent series to get an idea who might, and might not, be good candidates for Royal reunions.

The job market.  Kansas City coaches Pedro Grifol and Vance Wilson and former Royal Sal Fasano remain without managing jobs. Wilson had been linked to the Detroit job and Grifol and Fasano interviewed with the Tigers, but they hired AJ Hinch. Grifol had also been mentioned as a candidate for the Boston job.

As our Shawn Bauman wrote yesterday, three members of general manager Dayton Moore’s crew appear to be candidates for the vacant Angels’ GM job. The club hasn’t made a decision yet, but this is the time of the offseason when having someone in charge is important.

Bud Blattner.  If you’re old enough to remember the KC Royals’ first season, you’re old enough to remember that Bud Blattner and Denny Matthews were the club’s first announcers.

Matthews received the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, which is often equated with players being voted into the Hall, in 2007. Now, Blattner is a candidate for the 2021 award. Also nominated are Joe Buck, Al Michaels, Don Drysdale, Dan Shulman, Dizzy Dean and Ernesto Jerez. Drysdale and Dean made the Hall as players.

Schedules.  The Royals’ will host the Texas Rangers to launch both their 2021 spring training and regular season campaigns.

A key to the outfield?  Is coach Rusty Kuntz just what the doctor ordered for the Royals’ crowded and uncertain outfield? Our David Scharff thinks so; you can read his analysis of the situation here.

Kolton Wong for Kansas City?  Someone is sure to sign Kolton Wong, but should that team be the Royals? Our Shawn Bauman has some thoughts on the subject here.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more KC Royals Midweek Musings. Until then, stay safe and healthy.