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.

Do three other pitchers offer anything to the KC Royals?

Kansas City won’t get Trevor Bauer and Jesse Biddle isn’t the lefty the Royals could use in the bullpen, leaving a trio of Cincinnati free agent hurlers for the club to ponder.

Of those three, Anthony DeSclafani is the only starter. With six years in the big leagues, he’s a veteran but probably not the kind of seasoned hurler the Royals need to guide and tutor their young rotation. DeSclafani is a righty, which the Royals have many of and, although he’s been fairly steady—37-39 with a 4.29 ERA in his six campaigns—and generally possesses good control (2.5 career BB9), Kansas City shouldn’t be satisfied with a pedestrian back-of-the-rotation piece. They’re turning the corner and need more than that.

Nate Jones knows the KC Royals, and they know him. Jones spent eight years with the American League Central Division rival White Sox and faced Kansas City 39 times, posting a 2.52 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

He’s 22-14 in nine big league seasons and went 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA (but fanned 23 in 18.2 innings) in 2020, his first campaign with the Reds. He had control issues his last three White Sox campaigns but appeared to harness them with Cincinnati by walking less than three hitters per nine frames.

The Royals could do worse than Jones if they’re looking for another right-handed reliever. That’s something they don’t need, however, and shouldn’t be considering.

Then there’s Tyler Thornburg. The fact he’s a righty reliever is enough to make the Royals pass; that he missed 2017 with surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome, gave up far too many runs as a reliever for Boston in 2018 and ’19 (ERAs of 5.63 and 7.71), didn’t pitch much for the Reds in 2020, and had Tommy John surgery earlier this Fall, is enough to force them to.

Is there room in Kansas City for another slick fielding infielder and an outfielder with a good glove?

The KC Royals are blessed with Adalberto Mondesi and Nicky Lopez, a shortstop and second baseman who should both win Gold Gloves before their playing days end, and speedy outfielders who play excellent defense. Two Cincinnati free agents have good enough gloves to join the club.

Freddy Galvis was Philadelphia’s shortstop from 2015-2017 before a December 2017 trade took him to San Diego, where he became the Padres’ shortstop for a season before signing with Toronto and taking over the Blue Jays’ shortstop job. But the squeeze youngsters Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio applied to the Toronto infield meant the popular Galvis had to go, and the Reds claimed him on waivers in 2019.

Galvis’ greatest asset is his glove; his stellar play is well-known and well-respected throughout the game. He has proven power—he averaged 17 homers a season from 2016-2019—but, as his nine-year .291 OBP demonstrates, doesn’t get on base enough. And Galvis’ .226 Reds’ average is 21 points below his career .247.

The Royals covet good defense and Galvis has it, but the club has Mondesi. Galvis can also play second, but that job belongs to Lopez, who’ll get at least another season to improve his hitting. So it is that the cash Kansas City might think about spending on Galvis can be invested more wisely.

Travis Jankowski is like a Galvis in the outfield, but without the power, the .247 career average, or even the .226 average with the Reds over the past two seasons. He’s good in the outfield but poor at the plate—he hit .182 in 2019 and .067 in 2020. Jankowski hasn’t homered since 2018 and the four homers he hit that season constitute exactly half of his six-year big league total.

The Royals will be busy next spring and season sorting out the many outfielders they already have, most of whom are good defenders and can hit better than Jankowski. If the club gives him even a thought, it shouldn’t give him a second.

The Reds have seven free agents. The Royals aren’t getting Trevor Bauer, and shouldn’t pursue any of the other six.