MLB insider pitches KC Royals target as 'Robin' for Bobby Witt Jr.'s 'Batman'

The Kansas City Royals have been one of the more active teams so this offseason, but going into the Winter Meetings, they're still in the market for a middle-of-the-lineup bat. A number of names have already been thrown around as potential fits for the Royals, and on November 29, The Athletic's Jim Bowden made his pick for who the team should sign to bolster their batting lineup this winter.

" Santander," Bowden wrote. "Add his 40-homer bat to the middle of the lineup, then put on your seat belts, Kansas City. He could be Robin to Witt’s Batman."

Is Anthony Santander really a good fit for the KC Royals?

In 595 at-bats with the Baltimore Orioles this season, Santander slashed .235/.308/.506 with a career-best 44 home runs and 102 RBI, receiving his first All-Star selection and winning a Silver Slugger Award for his work. Still, there's seems to be more reasons why the 30-year-old wouldn't be a fit for the Royals than reasons why he would.

Throughout his career, Santander's power has been his main draw — but outside of hitting big homers, he doesn't bring much consistency anywhere else. His inability to get on base in other ways continues to be a problem, so while he can slug, his career-best OPS is just .814. He drew 58 walks in 2024 — the most of his career — but according to Baseball Savant, that still only puts him in the 60th percentile of all qualified major-leaguers.

Considering the Royals are looking for a reliable middle-of-the-lineup bat to get on base, Santander's offense doesn't really suit. It should also be mentioned that while Bowden mentioned his "40-homer bat" as his major selling point, the 2024 season is the only time Santander has actually reached that milestone. Prior to this year, his career-best count was 33 homers in 2022 — still impressive, but promising a "40-homer bat" is more than a little hopeful.

Then there's his fielding. Santander is a below-average defender, as can be seen by his -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) and -3 Fielding Run Value (FRV) during the 2024 season. Those stats put him in the 28th percentile and 25th percentile of all qualified fielders, respectively, which are hardly game-changing ranks for the Royals to add to their roster.

With the Winter Meetings kicking off in just four days, the free agency and trade markets are likely to heat up very soon. For the Royals, this will mean moving quickly to lock in a middle-of-the-lineup bat before he's snatched up by another team — but is Santander really the "Robin to Witt’s Batman" that they're looking for? It's unlikely.