KC Royals linked to veteran big league hurler they should not sign

For better or worse, searching everywhere and anywhere for pitching help is an impulse the Kansas City Royals seemingly can't resist. Their history of taking on reclamation projects, especially under former general manager Dayton Moore, is almost legendary, and signing promising and not-so-promising hurlers hoping to resurrect their shaky careers is commonplace for the organization. Some of these efforts succeed, others don't.

Now, Kansas City may be thinking about adding another hurler to its long line of pitching depth pieces. Per MLB Trade Rumors' Nick Deeds, citing a report from Ari Alexander of Houston NBC affiliate KPRC2, the Royals recently attended major league veteran Tyler Beede's audition.

And at that showcase is where the club's interest in Beede should end. The Royals should spend their money elsewhere.

Tyler Beede isn't what the KC Royals need

Beede is a 32-year-old right-hander whose initial promise and potential justified two teams — first the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and then the San Francisco Giants in 2014 — making him first-round amateur draft selections. But the majors have never been kind to Beede.

Simply put, he gives up far too many runs. His fat 5.55 career ERA proves as much. Only once in a big league tenure covering parts of five seasons has he managed to keep his ERA under 5.00, but even that effort warrants question and caution — the 4.66 mark he posted with the Giants in 2022 was the product of only 9.2 innings pitched.

Beede's ability to pitch out of a rotation or the bullpen is a mark in his favor. Still, he surrenders runs at alarming rates regardless of role. His ERA as a starter (29 games) is 5.72, and he owns a better, yet still poor, 5.21 ERA over 42 relief appearances. His best big league performance came in 2019 with San Francisco when he went 5-10, although he yielded 66 earned runs in 117 innings for a 5.08 ERA.

Even his minor league numbers shouldn't commend him to the Royals — in 142 games, 111 of them starts, Beede is 25-46 with a 4.56 ERA.

The Royals should also be taking note of the fact he missed much of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns after a midseason UCL sprain led to Tommy John surgery in the former season.

Should the Royals gamble on Beede? No. Even on an inexpensive minor league deal, there doesn't seem to be much upside. Not unless he was so stellar in his recent session for big league clubs would Kansas City be justified in seriously considering bringing him aboard. Even then, though, the Royals should pass — with spring training just a few days away, they'd do better working on filling out whatever immediate major league staff needs they feel they have.

And focusing on their known pitching commodities who could provide immediate big league help.