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These 3 former KC Royals shouldn’t tempt the club

By Mike Gillespie |
(Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
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(Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports) /

Unlike some teams, the KC Royals don’t mind recycling players. Only a year ago, they brought back former star closer Wade Davis to join Greg Holland, another of their ex-bullpen aces who was returning for a second straight Kansas City season after an absence of several years.

They rescued Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar, both of whom played key roles on Kansas City’s 2014 and 2015 World Series teams, from an unfavorable 2018 free agent market. A year later, they inexplicably reunited with Lucas Duda, who they’d tried in Eric Hosmer’s old first base spot before selling him to Atlanta with a month to go in the 2018 campaign.

They gave Terrance Gore a second try in late 2018.

And now, the club could, but shouldn’t, pursue three notable former Royals who’ll be back on the free agent market when the MLB lockout ends.

The KC Royals can afford to pass on this starter-turned-reliever for 2022.

Kansas City, a frugal franchise not known for throwing its money around, assured Ian Kennedy of wild riches when, in the winter of 2016, they surprisingly signed the right-handed starter for $70 million to pitch for them for five years.

Unfortunately, the Royals wasted much of that money. Kennedy went a passable 11-11 with KC in 2016, then slumped to 5-13 in 2017 and 3-9 the following year. Together with a so-so bullpen, his 19-33 record as a starter prompted KC to try Kennedy in the bullpen in 2019.

And there he flourished. Kennedy became the club’s closer with a surprising 30 saves and 3-2, 3.42 ERA record in 60 relief appearances, and set himself up as the presumptive closer for 2020.

But then came Trevor Rosenthal, an offseason signee who wasted no time bumping Kennedy to the middle of the pen, where he went 0-2 and gave up 14 earned runs in as many innings. That he suffered a late-August calf strain and didn’t pitch at all in September didn’t help.

Kennedy moved on to Texas and Philadelphia last season and saved 26 games with a 3.21 ERA over 55 appearances. But even those decent numbers don’t warrant a Royal reunion—he’s 37 now, and the Royals should seek younger relievers to shore up their pen. And nearing the end of his career, Kansas City isn’t a likely destination for Kennedy, who probably prefers a club with a lock on postseason play.

(Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /

His power might be nice, but the KC Royals shouldn’t pursue Jorge Soler.

Remember when Kansas City traded Wade Davis, one of their best-ever relievers, to the Cubs for Jorge Soler during the 2016-2017 winter? Remember how the deal dismayed so many because Davis had averaged just a tick under 30 saves in the past two seasons, and in three years the oft-injured Soler hadn’t lived up to his billing as a prodigious power hitter?

Remember how the injury bug and a weak bat limited Soler to 96 games and just 11 home runs in his first two KC seasons?

And remember how that bug and soft bat disappeared in 2019 when Soler didn’t miss a game and demolished Mike Moustakas’ single-season Royal home run record of 38 with 48 of his own?

Then came 2020. An oblique strain sidelined Soler for much of September, he played in slightly more than two-thirds of Kansas City’s 60 games, and his eight homers extrapolated to about 21 for a full season. And in 2021, he was hitting just .186 when the club shipped him to Atlanta with just minutes remaining before the 2021 trade deadline expired.

Soler, of course, exploded with the Braves. He clubbed 14 homers and slashed .269/.358/.524 in 55 post-trade games (he hit 13 homers in 94 with KC), then slashed .300/.391/.800 with three homers to win the World Series MVP award.

What’s the lesson Kansas City should learn from all that? Soler is loaded with power, but also packed with inconsistency, a combination posing much risk for the Royals considering the kind of salary he may command after those superb second-half and Fall Classic performances.

(If that’s not enough, Soler’s glove won’t meet the club’s everyday needs in right field, and KC already has too many players who’ll share the 2022 DH slot).

It might be nice to have his power back, but Soler shouldn’t be in a Royals uniform this season.

(Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
(Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports) /

The Royals need some bullpen help, but this lefty reliever probably isn’t it.

Jake Diekman came to Kansas City as a free agent almost exactly three years ago (Feb. 13, 2019, to be precise), a seven-year major league veteran searching for a team needing the durable, strikeout, left-handed reliever he was. Averaging 52 innings a season with a stellar 11.0 SO9, Diekman seemingly brought reliability to a Royals bullpen short on that commodity.

What he also brought to KC was the considerable baggage of control problems. (More on that momentarily).

The Royals’ return on their one-year, $2.25 million deal with Diekman wasn’t great. Although he struck out 63 in 41.2 innings over 48 appearances, he went 0-6 with a 4.75 ERA before the club dispatched him to Oakland in July for two minor leaguers.

He also issued 23 walks in those 41.2 innings, then 16 in 20.1 frames for the A’s to finish with a 5.7 BB9; he owns a 5.5 BB9 since going to the Athletics. And his big league BB9 is an unsightly 5.0.

Therein lies the Diekman rub. His is a career tainted by too many walks. And too many walks is something the Royals’ bullpen, which allowed the fifth most bases on balls in the American League last season, simply can’t afford.

For that reason alone, Kansas City should look elsewhere for a lefty reliever.

Next. Could KC turn around a Cub disappointment?. dark

They might tempt Kansas City, but the club should refrain from pursuing former Royals Ian Kennedy, Jorge Soler and Jake Diekman when the MLB lockout ends.

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