Jeff Passan links budget-friendly free agent fit to KC Royals as offseason winds down

Going into the offseason, the Kansas City Royals' outfield was a hot topic of conversation among fans, with rumors flying about how the team would upgrade the offensive output before 2025. So far, very little — if anything — has been done to bolster the outfield, but now, ESPN's Jeff Passan has suggested the Royals could be interested in signing former New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader.

"Austin Hays, Alex Verdugo and Harrison Bader are veterans likely to wind up on Opening Day rosters," Passan wrote. "The teams that have entertained signing an outfielder include the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds. The Kansas City Royals need another bat, the Pittsburgh Pirates could use a solid corner option, and the A's just need to spend on someone. The majority of those teams have playoff aspirations — and now, as much as when the hot stove was aflame at the winter meetings, is when pennants can be won."

While Passan's linking of Bader to the Royals is obviously loose, the fact that the outfielder is more budget-friendly than almost all other free agent outfielders on the market makes him an intriguing option. Sportrac projects Bader will secure a one-year, $7.1 million deal for 2025, while back in November, Fox43's Cale Ahearn and Jacob Hitz predicted the 30-year-old will land a slightly higher — but still very affordable — one-year, $8 million contract.

So should the Royals consider targeting Bader before spring training?

Is Bader a fit for the KC Royals?

As Passan pointed out, the Royals "need another bat," particularly in the outfield. In 2024, the offensive production of Kansas City's outfield left a lot to be desired, with not a single one of the team's five outfielders — MJ Melendez, Hunter Renfroe, Kyle Isbel, Tommy Pham, and Garrett Hampson — managing an OPS over .700.

At the Royals' end-of-season press conference in October, general manager J.J. Picollo told reporters that "the offense from the outfield positions has to get better."

“Generally speaking, when you’re looking at left field, right field, that’s where you’re thinking about power guys," Picollo said. "And we know this ballpark doesn’t lend itself to homers, but it does lend itself to slug. So we’ve got to be more productive there.”

Unfortunately, Bader's offensive output may just be more of the same. In 437 plate appearances with the Mets last season, he slashed an underwhelming .236/.284/.373 with 12 home runs, a career-best 51 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. His on-base percentage stands out as a particular concern — his 4.8% walk rate put him in the bottom 8% of MLB — and his .657 OPS fits alongside the Royals' squad of disappointing outfielders under .700.

Bader's value comes from his defense, and he won a Gold Glove Award in 2021 to prove it. In 2024, his Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 10 ranked him in the 92nd percentile of all qualified fielders, while his 10 Outs Above Average (OAA) placed him in the 95th percentile.

Like all teams, the Royals need to keep adding to their defense, but the reality is that it's offense that they really need this winter, especially in the outfield. Bader is affordable and an elite-caliber fielder, but the fact that he's really no better at the plate than their current outfield squad means that he's unlikely to be the best fit for the Royals in 2025.