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Making the case, KC Royals free agents

By David Scharff |
(Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
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(Photo by John Sleezer/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Sleezer/Getty Images) /

There are plenty of free agents available for the taking and the KC Royals even have a few to look over to see if they want to go another round.

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 Royals’ own free agents.

It’s a bit odd to cover the KC Royals in this series. Going through all of the free agents around Major League Baseball, it’s easy to forget that the Royals have some players of their own who are free agents and may require a second look by the team.

The reason it’s so easy to forget could be because there typically aren’t a lot of players who rise to the point that they should be brought back. Still, it’s important to take a look and see if the Royals should revisit any of their free agents and offer them new contracts, or move on to someone else.

According to the FanGraphs free agent tracker, there are only 5 Royals free agents and one of them, Kevin McCarthy has been signed by Boston. Glenn Sparkman is also not on the list, though, his release and move to free agent status is fairly recent. Still, there aren’t a lot to go through.

Interestingly enough, each one of the Royals free agents is a pitcher. The Royals are searching the market for some pitching depth, but it’s likely in their best interest to not revisit any of their current free agents pitchers except for one. But first, lets do a quick recap on the three to forget.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

The KC Royals have a few pitchers to pick from out of their own free agents, but most should be allowed to walk away.

First up is Matt Harvey. Harvey was a curious signing by the Royals in 2020. He was signed to a minor league contract and not long after moved to the major league roster. There was some hope that Harvey would be able to reclaim some of his former glory. It didn’t happen. Over 11.2 innings and 7 games (4 starts), Harvey gave up 15 runs for an ERA of 11.57, stuck out 10 and walked 5.

It was an uninspiring performance and one that the Royals should take as a sign to move on.

Next is Mike Montgomery. Monty came to the Royals in a trade during the 2019 season. He had been used primarily as a reliever for the Cubs, but wanted to get back to a starting role. The Royals could offer him that. Unforutnaly, it didn’t go well.

He struggled to finish the 2019 season, though he did have some hopeful outings. Then in 2020, he was injured and only saw 5.1 innings, giving up 3 runs. He could make sense on a minor league contract as possible bullpen help, but it could make just as much sense to move on.

The last free agent to move on from is Ian Kennedy. The Royals signed Kennedy to a longer contract in 2016 hoping to get good years out of a veteran who had seen some success. That backfired. Kennedy was finally moved to the bullpen in 2019 where he saw huge success. That didn’t carry into 2020.

Kennedy saw a steep decline during the 2020 season and couldn’t stop giving up runs. He was eventually placed on the injured list towards the end of the season, and many saw his time in Kansas City coming to an end. 2021 will be his age 36 season, and one the Royals should not be a part of.

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

Reunions with old players don’t always work, but the KC Royals found one that did during the 2020 season.

It’s often tempting to want a team to sign some of their former players, especially if they had good runs in the past. Even if that player has struggled elsewhere, there is some hope that a return “home” will reignite their abilities and the player that was once loved will once again be putting on a show every night.

While it’s typically best to stay away from these scenarios, Greg Holland turned out to be a different story. Holland was one of the most dominate closers in baseball during his first stint with the Royals, and had he not been injured, his success may have lasted longer. His time in Kansas City came to a close though, and after a successful 2017 season in Colorado, he struggled to get things going.

Finally, in 2020, he can back to the Royals. There were some concerns, but on a cheap contract it was worth a shot. Holland ended the season having pitched 28 innings, racking up 6 saves, 31 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.91 and FIP of 2.52. At times he looked like the old Holland. While he doesn’t have the same dominance, he looked comfortable on the mound in Kansas City.

Holland will be 35 in 2021 and while he was successful in 2020, the Royals should still move with caution. He needs to come on the right deal to make his singing worth the risk. The Royals may be willing to pay a little more for him though, especially seeing that his veteran guidance could be important for the young arms they currently employ.

Next. Former KC Royals World Series hero interviews with Mets. dark

The KC Royals don’t have a lot to pick from as far as free agents go. While they will be wanting some pitching help, Greg Holland is the only free agent from the organization that should really get any attention.

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