KC Royals: Making the case, Cincinnati free agents

With the exception of one prized pitcher, the Cincinnati free agent pool is thin and there may not be much there for the KC Royals.

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

Only a few reasons might tempt the KC Royals to cast serious eyes toward Cincinnati for free agent help this offseason. Perhaps if Trevor Bauer would come cheap, former Royal Mike Moustakas was a free agent, and Brandon Finnegan was pitching like the KC Royals rookie who jumped from college to the 2014 World Series and was also a free agent, Kansas City might be interested.

But Bauer will cost far more than Kansas City will or can pay, Moose is tied to the Reds through 2023 and Finnegan hasn’t, and probably won’t, regain his 2014 magic and isn’t a free agent anyway.

Beyond Bauer and the fantasy of a return to the Royals by Moustakas or a rejuvenated Finnegan, all of which are nice to dream about, the Cincinnati free agent pickings are slim. The Reds have seven free agents on this winter’s market and, while it’s not deep, the pool might have something to offer Kansas City.

The biggest prize would, of course, be Bauer, a truly dominating pitcher the rich clubs are dying to make their ace, or in some cases No. 2, starter, and who just won the National League Cy Young Award. But Kansas City isn’t going to land Bauer and the Royals can’t waste any time chasing him; among other reasons, he’ll be too expensive.

With Bauer out of the picture, is there any reason to believe Cincinnati’s other six free agents might be worth a call from Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore?

Let’s find out.