The KC Royals and 5 forgotten free agents

Infielder-outfielder Hunter Dozier, reliever Nick Wittgren

Last offseason began with Hunter Dozier and Ryan O'Hearn still searching for the once-promising bats each boasted early in their short major league careers. O'Hearn found his after the Royals traded him to Baltimore in January — playing 112 times for the American League East champions, he slugged 14 homers, drove in 60 runs, and hit .289 with a 122 OPS+.

Dozier didn't fare as well in Kansas City. He slashed a miserable .161/.212/.226 over the campaign's first month, then went 5-for-20 in eight May appearances before the Royals gave up and let him go late in the month.

Little has been heard of Dozier since his release. The Royals like reclamation projects, but that's essentially what they had in him for three seasons and part of another after he never again had the kind of stellar .279/.348/.522, 26-home run campaign he enjoyed in 2019. Picollo shouldn't have him on his want list.

Righthander Wittgren was among the pitchers known to yield too many runs Picollo acquired last December. Unfortunately, the two straight 5.00-plus ERA seasons he had in St. Louis before arriving in Kansas City proved prescient — Wittgren surrendered 16 earned runs in 29 innings (4.97 ERA) and allowed five of the 13 runners he inherited to score. That was enough for the Royals, who in August outrighted him to the minors. He declined the assignment and became a free agent.

Kansas City, saddled already with hurlers who give up more runs than they should, doesn't need to take another look at Wittgren.

And finally, a pair of veterans...