KC Royals: Making the case, Chicago White Sox free agents

While a starter may be possible for the KC Royals, a reliever or two to supplement the bullpen is more likely.

The lone White Sox position player that might garner some attention by the KC Royals is James McCann. Now, with Salvador Perez still on the roster, McCann would likely have to be paid decently to be just a back up. If they Royals plan to give Perez more time off and set him at the DH or first base a little more, though, having a catcher like McCann could be a good thing.

He was up for the Gold Glove this past season, and has seen some decent hitting over the past few seasons along with some power. In 2020, he slashed .289/.360/.536 and added 7 home runs. McCann is ultimately unneeded, but if the Royals plan includes the need for a stronger backup catcher, McCann could be an interesting addition to the roster.

Ross Detwiler is one cheaper option the Royals could look towards for bullpen help. Detwiler rides the line of pass/worth a look, but knowing the Royals, he fits into their idea of possible recclamation veteran.

Detwiler has been on and off rosters for the last few seasons and jumped around, but he had a fairly successful start to his career with the Nationals as a starter. He had a decent season with the Sox in 2020 as a reliever and might garner some attention for 2021. While he likely won’t be a game-changer, on a cheap, likely minor league deal, he could be a possible option if his success continues.

Steve Cishek is another possibly inexpensive bullpen arm. He has a decent history as a reliever, working with a good strikeout rate, but struggling at times with walks. He saw a jump in ERA and FIP in 2020 with the Sox that could cause his price to drop even lower.

If he could find his footing again in Kansas City, he could be a good veteran to plug into the Royals young bullpen to help lead the way.

Finally, there is a more expensive, but best looking option, Alex Colome. Colome is the youngest reliever of this Whit Sox group, and had a great 2020 season. Over 22.1 innings he only gave up 2 earned runs for an ERA of 0.81, had an FIP of 2.97, and recorded 12 saves.

He is not going to be as cheap as some other options, though with a financially depressed market, he could come at a decent price for the Royals, especially if they are willing to give him a couple years of stability.

He could present some risk, but his past few season have shown good numbers that speak to his sustained success.

While there may not be a lot of options, the White Sox do have a few free agents that could be of interest to the Royals. Be sure to keep an eye out for our continuing series covering the free agents from each team around Baseball.