KC Royals Rumors: What's up with these former Royal players?

Checking in on some former KC Royals while still wondering if the club will sign Bobby Witt Jr. to a contract extension before the season begins...

Adalberto Mondesi, the potential-packed but injured-plagued player the Royals moved on from when they traded him to Boston a year ago, hasn't played in a major league game for almost two years. Fans last saw him April 26, 2022, when he singled in three at-bats against the White Sox, but left the game after tearing his ACL on a stolen base attempt.

Nor has he appeared in a minor league game, and although he seemed to be moving toward a return to action late last summer, further complications prevented it. He became a free agent after the season.

Where Mondesi may or may not be headed remains unknown. But Miami could be a possibility — reports recently surfaced that the Marlins, who could use some infield help, may be thinking about Mondesi. If healthy, the former Royal might well prove to be a good addition to their roster.

A former KC reliever may be close to a deal but another may soon be looking

Jake Diekman has been making his living out of big league bullpens since he debuted with the Phillies in 2012. With 662 appearances spread across stops with eight teams, including Kansas City, he's searching for work after beginning last season with the White Sox and finishing it with the Rays, for whom he had a nifty 2.18 ERA in 50 games and threw an inning against Texas in an American League Wild Card game.

A free agent like Mondesi, Diekman pitched 48 times for the Royals in 2019 and went 0-6 with a 4.75 ERA before the club sent him to Oakland in the trade deadline deal that brought Dairon Blanco to Kansas City. He's since worked not only for the A's, White Sox and Rays, but also for Boston.

Now, and per The Athletic's Will Sammon, he may be close to joining the Mets. Although as of this writing there were isolated social media reports that the deal is already done, the Mets haven't confirmed signing Diekman.

While Diekman may have a new job, former Royal Collin Snider could soon join the ranks of unemployed relievers. The Diamondbacks, who claimed him off waivers from the Royals in December, designated him for assignment Tuesday.

Jakob Junis is still on the market, but maybe not for long

Junis, whose up-and-down five-season stint as Royals starter (he won nine games three times but lost 35 in all) ended when he signed a free agent contract with San Francisco during spring training two years ago, has been seeking a new home since leaving the Giants in November to again test the market.

His search might be close to concluding. Junis, 38-45, 4.64 in seven big league seasons, has been linked recently to Philadelphia and the Red Sox.

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