KC Royals reportedly interested in pitcher Matt Shoemaker

The KC Royals will likely be looking for some help over the offseason, and while they have plenty of young pitchers, a vet could help guide the way.

The KC Royals still have some work to do if they are going to get back to the postseason. Luckily, they may have a chance to bring in some decent free agents during this offseason, seeing as the market might be slow and prices might be low, just the way the Royals like it.

They have multiple needs and while they seem to have fairly decent depth in a few spots such as the outfield and pitching, finding some short-term help until the young prospects are fully ready might be what the plan is in Kansas City.

Yesterday, Jon Morosi tweeted that the Royals have shown some interest in starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker.

Morosi also says the Royals are looking at multiple starters. This may be a strange thought for some as the Royals have been heavy on their pitching prospects the past few seasons, but a short term deal for a starter could be just what the team needs.

The young pitchers need someone to help guide the way, and while there may be some better options, Shoemaker is a good candidate for a bounce-back season. He will likely come with a fairly low price tag due to a down 2020, injury history, and his age, and he provides a higher upside for the Royals. He checks most of the boxes for what Kansas City typically looks for during the offseason.

Shoemaker has spent most of his career with the Angles but has been with the Blue Jays for the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he only saw a small number of innings in both due to injuries. His 2019 season was decent during the time he saw, sitting with an ERA of 1.57, FIP of 3.95, and striking out 7.5 per 9.

2020 saw a bit of a rise though, sitting with an ERA of 4.71 and FIP of 5.95.

Shoemaker relies heavily on his fastball, split-finger, and slider to work for groundballs and has a history of striking out around 8 or more per 9 innings and keeping his walks low, under 3.0 per 9.

Shoemaker could be a good choice to add to the already up and coming rotation. If he does have a bounceback season, he could add some much-needed consistency to the lineup while they wait for more prospects to be ready. He could also garner some decent interest at the trade deadline if the Royals are not in a position for contention, or are ready to move onto a younger pitcher.

Shoemaker could come at a decent price, and while there may be better options out there, it’s still worth keeping an eye on him.

The KC Royals are interested in starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker to help round out their rotation.