KC Royals: Making the case, Diamondbacks free agents

2 of 3

The KC Royals might find a helpful starting pitcher and, if they want to take a risk, an outfielder among Arizona’s’ free agents.

Welcome back to Kings of Kauffman’s continuing series analyzing the major league free agent market and projecting who might, or might not, fit the needs of the KC Royals. Today, we take a look at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ free agents.

By now, everyone knows the KC Royals need a veteran starting pitcher and a consistent outfield bat. Those are their biggest holes to fill headed into 2021.

Everyone also knows the Royals aren’t likely to plug those voids by spending lavishly on free agents. With rare and largely unsuccessful exceptions, the club avoids the kind of expensive deals required to sign top-line pitchers like Trevor Bauer, and outfielders like George Springer, who head this offseason’s free agent market. And Kansas City’s coffers might not stand such financial stress, especially after a season without paying customers.

So where could the frugal Royals search for an affordable starter and outfielder? Arizona comes to mind because the Diamondbacks have some free agents, including a former Royal, who won’t command financially difficult deals.

First among possible Arizona bargains is Edwin Jackson. Calling him an Arizona free agent might be a bit of a misnomer because the team released him last May, so he hasn’t played since 2019; despite this distinction, Jackson is at least technically a D-back free agent.

Jackson spent a few seasons as a reliver, but is predominantly a starter. He’s a right-hander, a commodity with which the Royals’ rotation and bullpen are overstocked and, at age 37, probably doesn’t have a lot left and hasn’t pitched well since his 6-3, 3.33 ERA 2018 Oakland campaign. Jackson is also the most well-traveled journeyman major leaguer ever—he’s played for a record 14 teams during his 17-season career. But Kansas City shouldn’t and won’t be his 15th stop.

But there are possibilities among Diamondback free agents.

At least one Arizona free agent pitcher might be what the KC Royals are looking for.

Mike Leake could check all the boxes for the seasoned starting pitcher the KC Royals need. He’s a veteran of 10 big league seasons, has started all but five of his 301 games, and reached double digits in wins seven times.

Leake boasts deeper major league experience than most hurler’s on this year’s open market: the closest to the minor leagues he’s come is a short stint he served in the Arizona Fall League in 2009 after Cincinnati made him the that year’s eighth overall pick in the amateur draft. The Reds brought him directly to Cincinnati in 2010, where he immediately became an important rotation piece by starting 22 times and posting an 8-4 record.

Since then, Leake’s done duty with the Reds, Giants, Cardinals, Mariners and Diamondbacks and has 105 career wins and a 4.05 ERA. His 6.1 SO9 means he doesn’t overpower hitters, but he doesn’t walk many, either—his 10-season BB9 is 2.0 and he hasn’t posted a 2.0 mark or higher since 2015 (2.3).

He’s also a workhouse, which the KC Royals need. He’s averaged just a shade less than 30 starts and more than 180 innings (over six per start) in his career. Leake has won 14 games once, 12 twice, 11 twice, and 10 twice, and nine three times. And his varied arsenal (four-seamer, cutter, slider, curve, changeup and sinker) might interest the Royals.

But Leake didn’t pitch at all in 2020—he was the first player to announce he would opt out of the pandemic-shortened season, so he’ll throw his first competitive pitch since 2019 when spring training rolls around. The Royals certainly won’t count the underlying reason against him, but a year away from the game is always a concern and could depress his market value, which would be advantageous to Kansas City.

But he’s a starter who’s been around and done well. The Royals should at least think about him.

Hector Rondon is another matter. Once the Cubs’ closer, the right-handed Rondon posted a startling 23-game 7.65 ERA and walked five batters per nine innings for the D-backs in 2020, a disconcerting performance his10.4 SO9 won’t sufficiently mitigate. And the Royals don’t need another righty in the bullpen.

Should the KC Royals consider two Arizona free agent outfielders, one of whom once played for the club?

For one outstanding season, it looked like Yasmany Tomas would live up to the reported six-year, $68.5 million contract Arizona gave him in late 2014 to begin his major league career in its outfield. Tomas played in Cuba before signing the deal, then made his big league debut in 2015 and hit .273 with nine homers in 118 games.

But it was the next season that allowed Arizona to believe its money was well-spent: Tomas slugged 31 homers, drove in 83 runs, and added 30 doubles in 140 games.

That, however, was it. To say Tomas has struggled since is to understate the obvious—hampered by injury and surgery that stole much of his 2017 season, he’s hit only eight homers and batted .232 in the majors and didn’t play in the big leagues at all in 2018. Although he still hit minor league pitching well (14 home runs and .262 at Triple A in 2018, and 29 homers , 82 RBIs and .301 in 2019), he didn’t play in 2020, the last year of his mega-deal.

He also hit four homers in one Triple A game in 2019:

Now, with one excellent major league season and a couple of promising minor league campaigns to his credit, Tomas is searching for a team looking for an outfielder with some power. But if he’s seeking a new contract commensurate with his Arizona pact, he needs to look past the KC Royals, who aren’t about to pay such money to any free agent, especially one with only a single decent big league season on his resume.

But what if Tomas is willing to take far, far less for the chance to play in The Show? That shouldn’t make any difference to the Royals, who already have several promising young outfielders still trying to prove themselves. They should pass on Tomas.

That leaves Jon Jay, a familiar name to Royals fans. Jay played 59 games for Kansas City in 2018, hitting .307 as an outfielder before the club traded him to Arizona in June for Gabe Speier and Elvis Luciano. He’s a reliable backup, something KC really doesn’t need considering its crowded outfield, and his lack of power (37 homers in 11 seasons) and age (36 before Opening Day) won’t help his case if he’s interested in returning to Kauffman Stadium. Jay isn’t the outfielder the team needs.

dark. Next. Keep an eye on Lucius Fox

Arizona’s free agents don’t give the Royals much to choose from, but Mike Leake might be someone they could use.

Home / KC Royals News

The KC Royals might find a helpful starting pitcher and, if they want to take a risk, an outfielder among Arizona’s’ free agents.

At least one Arizona free agent pitcher might be what the KC Royals are looking for.

Should the KC Royals consider two Arizona free agent outfielders, one of whom once played for the club?

Schedule