KC Royals: Making the case, 11 Yankees free agents

A left-handed starter and a utility player might be good choices for the KC Royals.

If the Royals would like to have another left-handed starter, and they probably do, James Paxton might just fit the bill. He’s a 32-year old eight-year big league veteran who strikes out a lot of hitters, doesn’t walk too many, and owns a nifty .633 winning percentage (57-33 with a career-high 15 wins in 2019) to go with a no-hitter.

Paxton throws a mid-to-high 90’s fastball and backs it up with an eclectic cutter, curve, sinker and changeup mix.

What may make Paxton affordable for the KC Royals is his physical status. He underwent back surgery last February and a flexor strain shut him down with a month left in the 2020 campaign. He went 1-1 with a 6.64 ERA in five games, a forgivable record considering his health. Paxton also had injury issues in 2018 and 2019, which may reduce his value on a market that the game’s overall financial situation may already depress.

Paxton was set to make $12.5 million in 2020 before proration; that, and his somewhat uncertain health, could allow KC to squeeze him into its budget for a couple of seasons.

The Royals have probably the most versatile player in the majors in Whit Merrifield, but they’d probably be thrilled to pick up a reliable utility man so Merrifield can concentrate on the outfield, where they clearly want him to play. Matt Duffy could provide that thrill—he’s played third base primarily, and has spent time at second, short, and first.

Duffy can also handle the bat (.282 five-year career average) and has a bit of pop (12 homers with the Giants in 2015). He played against the Royals as a rookie in the 2014 World Series and went 1-for-2.

He signed a free agent contract with the Yankees last June but didn’t get the call to New York. Like Paxton, he’s been slowed by injuries, but could be a bargain utility infielder if he’s healthy. The Royals should look him up.

Four relievers are among the 11 Yankee free agents, but the KC Royals should pass on them all.

When the Yankees signed right-handed reliever Dan Otero to a free agent pact last winter, they hoped he could replicate four stellar seasons—two in Oakland and two in Cleveland—that proved how good he can be.

Otero was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 33 games with the A’s in 2013, then 8-2, 2.28 in a whopping 72 appearances the following season. He declined in 2015, but landed in Cleveland and immediately returned to form with a 5-1, 1.53 effort in 2016, followed by 3-0, 2.85 in 2017. But he declined again, posted ERAs of 5.22 and 4.85 in 2018 and ’19, and found himself looking for a job last winter.

The Yankees, probably relying on those four campaigns and his 22-8 career record, picked him up but he didn’t pitch for them in 2020. Otero can be good, but he’s inconsistent and hasn’t pitched well since 2017. The KC Royals shouldn’t be looking for a reliever who’ll be 36 in February, and their bullpen is already dominated by righties.

Speaking of a pen packed with right-handers, Kansas City could probably use a lefty there, but Luis Avilan and Fernando Abad aren’t what they might be looking for.

Avilan has surrendered too many runs for a reliever the last two seasons (5.06 ERA with the Mets in 2019 and 4.32 last year with the Yanks), has lost about four miles per hour off his fastball in five years, and suffered shoulder inflammation late in 2020.

Abad, who’ll turn 35 next month, broke into the majors in 2010; after pitching for Boston in 2017, he signed with the Phillies but was released in March, then signed a minor league deal with the Mets but was suspended for 80 games later in the year after a positive steroid test, and didn’t pitch in the majors again until 2019. He signed with the Yankees last July and made the club’s Player Pool, but never pitched for the big club. His career 8-29 record is also troubling.

Finally, there’s Tommy Kahnle, a right-hander with 285 major league relief appearances and a 9-9 record in seven seasons. He had Tommy John surgery in August and will miss most, if not all, of 2021; although San Diego just signed Mike Clevinger, who’s in the same Tommy John boat, to a two-year deal, Kahnle isn’t Clevinger and the KC Royals shouldn’t sign him not to pitch.

The Yankee have almost a dozen free agents, some of whom are beyond Kansas City’s financial wherewithal. But James Paxton and Matt Duffy might be affordable help.