4 good free agent fits for KC Royals that are somehow still available

Randal Grichuk, OF

Going into the offseason, the Royals knew that improving the offensive production from their outfield needed to be a priority, and yet, no new addition has been made. As a result, Kansas City is set to line up MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe as their everyday outfielders this season, and considering not one of them managed an OPS over .700 in 2024, that's not particularly inspiring news.

With Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander, and Jurickson Profar now signed with new teams, the list of free agent outfielders for the Royals to target is rapidly shrinking, but one player worth considering is Randal Grichuk. Going into his 12th season in the majors, Grichuk is looking to join the sixth team of his career, having previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, and — most recently — the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After being placed on waivers by the Angels at the end of 2023, Grichuk signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Diamondbacks before the 2024 season to step in as Joc Pederson's platoon partner. Mostly utilized against left-handed pitching, Grichuk proved himself to be one of the season's best platoon outfielders, batting .291/.348/.528 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 279 plate appearances, including a .319/.386/.528 line against left-handers.

Considering his impressive stats last year, Grichuk is almost certain to see a significant pay rise this season, but the 33-year-old will still be one of the more affordable outfielders to hit the market this winter. Just Baseball's Ryan Finkelstein predicted Grichuk would secure a one-year, $12 million deal out of free agency, though Spotrac is far more conservative in their projection, putting his market value at two years and $6.6 million.