KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: Any help in Baltimore?

Did anyone really believe Baltimore, one of the worst teams in baseball for several years, would be good last season? The Orioles, who averaged 111 losses over the last three full seasons preceding 2022, even lost 115 in 2018, a thoroughly embarrassing feat even the struggling KC Royals couldn’t match.

But Baltimore shocked baseball this year. The O’s stayed in the playoff hunt much of the season and finished with their first winning record (83-79) since 2016. That they play in the strong American League East, where that record was only good for next-to-last place, had much to do with the O’s ultimately missing the postseason.

While Baltimore rediscovered how to win, the Royals regressed. They lost 11 more games than they did in 2021, finished last in the AL Central, and dismissed their manager and pitching coach within hours of their final game.

Can needy Kansas City find some help among the Orioles’ seven free agents?

The KC Royals could consider three old friends who are Baltimore free agents.

Among those Oriole free agents are three former Royals, but only one—Cam Gallagher—warrants a serious look from KC general manager J.J. Picollo. The notion of the club bringing their former backup catcher home is something we recently addressed; Gallagher served Kansas City well for six seasons and could do so again if the club wants a proven veteran presence backing up Salvador Perez.

The Royals don’t have any spots for the other two ex-Royals. Although Brett Phillips became a fan favorite during his brief time with the club, Kansas City has no need for a weak-hitting outfielder. And the Royals certainly aren’t bringing back Chris Owings, whose acquisition in the winter of 2018 ended badly.

What about the other Baltimore free agents?

A righthanded starter might be able to help the KC Royals’ rotation.

No Kansas City need is more pressing than pitching, and no pitching need is more pressing than improving a weak rotation. The Royals starters had the worst ERA in the American League, and the fourth worst in the majors, last season and three starters—Brad Keller (14), Daniel Lynch (13), Kris Bubic (13) and Jonathan Heasley (10) lost at least 10 games.

But if KC looks to Baltimore’s free agents for rotation help, its search won’t take long. Jordan Lyles is the only pitcher in the group.

Last season was Lyles’ 12th in the majors and he’d pitched for Colorado, Houston, Texas, San Diego, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh before signing a free agent deal with the O’s last March. He went 12-11 with a 4.42 ERA, led Baltimore in innings pitched (179, more than any Royal) and strikeouts (144), and his 12 wins also paced the O’s and were two better than Brady Singer’s KC-leading 10.

Baltimore, however, declined Lyles’ $11 million 2023 option.

Why? Probably because the O’s deemed $11 million too lofty a price for a hurler with a 66-90 career record. But that same record might hold Lyles’ market down and make him affordable to the Royals—he made $7 million in 2022 and, coming off only the fourth winning season of his dozen-year career, he might not command much more than that.

Whether Kansas City wants him is the question. With the potential to give the Royals a year or two of innings-eating work, Lyles could help bridge the gap until the club further develops its young but potentially good starters.