KC Royals: Making the case, New York Mets free agents

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With several expiring contracts for pitchers and position players, the New York Mets have a long list of players the KC Royals could look to acquire.

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 KC Royals’ needs. Today we look at the Mets’ free agents.

While the Mets have had two winning seasons and one Wild Card qualification since they lost the 2015 World Series to the KC Royals, fans had grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s owner. Fred Wilpon finally sold to Steve Cohen ending the former owner’s 40-year history with the club.

Now, the Mets presumably have more cash to spend on current players and free agents if they wish. With over a dozen stars hitting the free agent market, the 2021 version of their franchise should look very different.

Pitchers, pitchers everywhere

There is one potential player off the Mets’ list of free agents, as Marcus Stroman accepted the Mets qualifying offer of $18.9 million. Possibly anticipating a potentially weak market, Stroman decided it was better to take this instead of potentially settling for less, much like what happened to Mike Moustakas a few years ago.

As you can probably guess from previous articles, I am not keen on the Royals investing heavily in free agent pitching at this point. One name that did strike me as worth taking a look at, though, is Michael Wacha. He could be a great person to plug into a long relief/emergency starter role.

He has struggled the last couple of seasons, but will only be 29 next year and had a great year in 2018. Wacha is not projected to cost much, maybe $3 million per year, and if he can return to the form he had early in his career it would be a nice bargain.

Another arm that could fill that role is Erasmo Ramirez. After an injury-filled couple of years, he rebounded in 2020. While only relieving in six games, he did average more than two innings per appearance.

Ramirez had a WHIP under 1.00 and usually keeps his walks to a minimum. This could be a nice boost to the KC Royals who struggle in that department.

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While two of the Mets’ free-agent pitchers are of decent quality, their price tags make them not worth pursuing for the KC Royals.

Rick Porcello is just four years removed from a Cy Young Award season and two years ago posted a 17-7 record with a 1.18 WHIP. His pitching has suffered the last two campaigns but even a low-end $6 million contract—and he could get close to $10m—seems to be a stretch.

While Justin Wilson has had three very good seasons in his career, the low ERAs the last three years mask the WHIPs at 1.33 and above. Relievers need to be able to come in and close out rallies, but as late as 2019 he allowed 38% of inherited runners to score. A $5-$7 million cost is too much to pay for that.

A steady presence from the bullpen, Jared Hughes will turn 36 next summer. His numbers cratered in 2020 from where they had been and the KC Royals’ bullpen is not an area that needs to be fixed, essentially rendering Hughes unnecessary.

Multiple backstop options

Three catchers who saw playing time for the Mets this summer all have the ability to move elsewhere this offseason. The big name is Wilson Ramos, who has provided double-digit home run power and good defensive skills for most of his career.

While he could be a nice plug-in for Salvador Perez, it appears Kansas City has no intention of moving its Silver Slugger catcher to a new position in the near future. Hunter Dozier will be given every chance at first base and Jorge Soler has the DH spot locked in. Neither side should want to reach an agreement for a part-time player.

One might think more attention would be paid to Robinson Chirinos. Prior to 2020, he averaged 17 home runs in just about two-thirds of a season playing time. He also throws out roughly 25% of would-be base stealers. He is worth taking a look at for the backup role.

Also on that list is Rene Rivera. A 12-year major league veteran, he is used to being option No. 2 behind the plate. He will not blow anyone away offensively, but he has been successful throwing out runners 36% of the time.

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Could a veteran give a young KC Royals’ infielder a challenge and the confidence to be the player he needs to be?

This opinion may be sacrilege among the Royals faithful, but Brian Dozier could be a useful signing. After being cut loose without playing a game for the San Diego Padres, Dozier only appeared in a handful of games for the Mets before being released—yes, not truly a New York free agent but the Mets are the last team he played on.

The year 2019 was solid for Dozier as he clubbed 20 bombs and reached base at a .340 clip. His defense unexpectedly struggled but prior to that, he was reliable at second base. Could signing him spur Nicky Lopez on offensively? We know how good a glove Lopez has but he has not hit well at all in the majors.

The market for Dozier is uncertain but he did make $9 million while in Washington two seasons ago. In a perfect world, this is the year Lopez shows his bat can produce but if Kansas City ends up in the thick of a playoff race, Dozier’s offense could prove valuable.

Other available infielders include Eduardo Nunez, Todd Frazier, Jed Lowrie, and Gordon Beckham. Neither Lowrie nor Beckham took the field in 2020 and are not worth looking at. Frazier would not fill a role as third base and DH are already covered. Nunez could be the utility infielder the team needs but his health is a concern.

Outfield openings

The big name that jumps out is Yoenis Cespedes. Not having played more than 50% of a season since 2016, completely missing 2019 and only being a DH in 2020, it appears his days of roaming the outfield may be over. With no place to play him and no guarantee he would last long, the KC Royals need not pursue Cespedes.

While Jake Marisnick is probably a cheap option with some power, his career OBP sits at only .281. he one thing Kansas City needs to add to its lineup are people who know how to get on base. This player is not the answer.

It’s the same for Juan Lagares. On top of not being able to reach base often, his defense and speed have decreased as he has reached age 30. It is a no go on this outfielder.

Could Melky Cabrera make a third go-round with the Royals? His career numbers are good and in 2019 he had a .992 fielding percentage with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, he tried out and never made the Mets major league roster for 2020. Not a great sign.

Or Cabrera could have one last career revival, much like playing with Kansas City gave him new life in 2011. It also could turn out like his stint with KC in 2017 which had nearly a 40 point OPS+ drop from the last time he was in town. Cabrera might be worth a minor league invite, but do not get attached to him in a powder blue uniform.

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There could be a few potential surprises that would fit into a KC Royals roster from the Mets. As long as the price is not too high and they do not cut into the younger studs’ playing time, they’re worth considering.

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