KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: Any help in San Diego?

If history repeats itself, and it probably will, the KC Royals won’t invest in many free agents this winter. They customarily don’t, and only Zack Greinke, the club’s lone free agent, is frequently mentioned as a certain Kansas City target.

Greinke makes sense for KC and seems likely to return. That doesn’t foreclose other signings—this team is always capable of a surprise or two—but General Manager J.J. Picollo isn’t going to splurge.

Expect him to look, though, especially given his desire to add a right handed bat. And it’s no secret the club can use another established starting starter even if Greinke comes back.

San Diego might be one place worth looking.

The Padres, fresh off a playoff run that saw them bow to Philadelphia in the NLCS, have nine free agents. If Picollo casts an eye West, however, only four should attract his attention.

The KC Royals might take a look at a veteran switch hitting outfielder.

Mention Padres on the market and Jurickson Profar’s name is sure to pop up. Next season will be his 10th in the majors, which means he’s doing something right. He has some power and can run a bit.

And because he hits from both sides, and has done everything on a big league field except pitch and catch, Profar offers everyday lineup flexibility.

But there are downsides. Only twice—2018 when he hit .254 and the short 2020 season when he hit .278—has his average exceeded .243, and his career average is .238. And although he’s clubbed 20 homers twice, he’s hit only 38 others. Defensively, his dWAR is -3.3.

Can the Royals do better? Yes, and that’s why they should pass on Profar.

Who else from San Diego might help KC?

The KC Royals might consider 2 hurlers, including a former Royal prospect.

Sean Manaea’s name surfaced frequently as the 2022 trade deadline approached. Pitching in his seventh major league season, the lefty who was a top Kansas City prospect until the team’s need for 2015 stretch run help caused them to swap him and Aaron Brooks to Oakland for Ben Zobrist, found himself the subject of daily trade speculation.

But a deal never came and Manaea finished the season with San Diego, who’d acquired him via a trade with the A’s a few days before the season began. He went 8-9 with a 4.96 ERA in 30 appearances (28 starts), and lost a game to Philadelphia in the NLCS.

What ought to make Manaea attractive to the Royals is his talent. He gave Oakland five decent years, going 50-41, 3.86 in 129 games, all but one of which were starts, and threw two shutouts in 2021. His career BB/9 is only 2.34, his career ERA just a shade above 4.00 at 4.06.

Only 30, Manaea is a veteran starter who could help Kansas City’s shaky rotation. Picollo should give him a call.

San Diego’s final free agent for the Royals to think about is righthanded starter Mike Clevinger, a familiar name to KC fans because he beats their team like a drum—he’s 9-0 with a 1.98 ERA against the Royals, the best record he owns against any big league club.

But Clevinger also hasn’t been kind to other clubs. He’s 51-30 lifetime and, from 2017 through 2019, won 38 games for Cleveland.

Clevinger was only 7-7 in 2022, a disappointing record likely due in no small part to his missing the entire 2021 season after Tommy John Surgery. He also had knee and triceps issues this season.

Is Clevinger worth consideration? Perhaps, but signing him isn’t without risk, and he’s almost certain to leave if he succeeds on a one-year “show me”-type deal.

Of San Diego’s free agents, the Royals should think about only two.