KC Royals: Making the case, Detroit Tigers free agents

With a familiar face and a couple of decent options where the KC Royals already seem set, the Tigers don’t have much to offer in free agency.

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 Tigers’ free agents.

When thinking of which team for the KC Royals to look towards for free agents during this offseason, the Detroit Tigers might not be at the top of everyone’s list. They don’t have a large number of free agents to offer, and those that they do have aren’t necessarily jumping to the front of the list.

While there are a couple of free agents that might garner some attention, it’s unlikely the Royals would make a move for them as they fall into positions that already seem to be set in Kansas City. Still, it’s good to see what is available to see if there might be any good reclamation or bounce-back candidates.

A familiar face from Detroit

The Tigers do have one free agent that Royals fans will be familiar with, Jorge Bonifacio. Bonifacio spent the majority of his career in Kansas City until he was released after the 2019 season. He provided some decent at-bats for the Royals at times and showed production in the minors, but was never able to be what was needed in Kansas City.

It wasn’t a surprise to see him sign somewhere else, but he struggled to get things going in Detroit during the 2020 season as well. He slashed .221/.277/.326 over 94 plate appearances. While the Royals will be looking to fill their outfield, this is one reunion that shouldn’t happen.

The KC Royals are likely set as far as the infield goes, but it might not hurt to see what is available if they have any concerns.

The Royals seem to be content with Adalberto Mondesi and Nicky Lopez staying in the middle infield and it looks as though Hunter Dozier will stick at first base for 2021. Still, there may be some need to see what is available, just in case there are any concerns about any of these players.

The Tigers again don’t have much, but their infield options have more to give than other areas.

First up is Austin Romine. Romine is a decent backup catcher, but that’s all he would be for the Royals. He also leaves some to be desired at the plate, slashing .238/.259/.323 during the 2020 season. There is no way he could displace Salvador Perez, and with options like Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria, it’s unlikely the Royals would put out any money for Romine.

C.J. Cron is an option that could garner some attention, though it’s unlikely the Royals will need him for either first base or as a designated hitter as both positions are filled. Cron is around a .250-.260 hitter, and while he typically does well slugging, he is back and forth with getting on base.

If the Royals want another power hitter or need to fill the DH spot for any reason, Cron could be a cheap option, but it’s definitely not a necessity.

The one player that could possibly find a spot in Kansas City, is Jonathan Schoop, though, with Nicky Lopez getting continuous looks at second, it’s unlikely the Royals would find the space for him.

Schoop is a decent hitter, having had some up and down seasons. He won’t blow anyone out of the water, but he could provide some decent at bats. His best asset though is likely his defense. Like his offense, he has seen ups and downs, but he was nominated for a Gold Glove in 2020.

If looking at the bigger picture though, the Royals may find it not worth it to pay for someone who has GG defense and might not help offensively, when they have Nicky Lopez who fits a similar description but still has some hope for a better offensive turnout.

While there are a couple of options that may be worth a look in the Tigers organization, it’s likely in the best interest of the Royals to pass on all of them, other than maybe a very cheap minor league deal.

The Tigers have been in the dumps with the Royals the past few years and if looking to climb out, the Royals need players that are going to improve the team overall, not just find a temporary fix.