Today I am making my final wish list for the Royals offseason and free agency as we now have a better picture of who is available. The Royals have now re-signed Michael Wacha leaving their primary needs being a corner outfielder with some pop at the plate, a leadoff hitter and maybe a veteran arm in the bullpen. Some people have mentioned starting pitcher but I think with Wacha back and the depth at pitcher in the farm they will be okay with their current situation. Today I will go through all three of those needs and rank my top 3 wants with a couple of honorable mentions who I would be happy with as well.
Corner Outfield
1. Tyler O’Neill
O’Neill is my first mention as I really think he is the best fit with the team both with his play style and his potential contract. The Royals had interest in him at the deadline but were beat out by the Red Sox, now he is going to hit the open market and I think the Royals are likely to have interest. I think his market will be around 15-18 APY which is well within the Royals price range.
In 2021 Tyler O’Neill had the best season of his career, Belting 34 HRs and had an OPS of .912 while also stealing 15 bags and being a plus fielder. He tapped back into that power this year, hitting 31 HRs with a .847 OPS while also walking a lot with a BB% north of 11%. He makes a lot of hard contact and can move on the bases some as well which is exactly what the Royals are looking for in the middle of the order.
He has had a plus glove in the past and was once one of the fastest guys in the entire league. He is capable of being a quality fielder which holds a lot of value in Kauffman and he can also move on the bases at times. I think he would be the ideal lefty bat who can slot in right behind Salvador Perez giving them a good punch behind Bobby Witt Jr.
To me he is the best fit for the Royals and would make a ton of sense as an every day hitter batting in the 5 hole in 2025 and also will provide value in the field allowing Quatraro to mix up the line up some as well.
2. Randal Grichuk
This was not a player I expected to be available going into free agency, but after he declined his 6 million dollar option, he will hit the open market and I think the Royals are a great fit. The price could be a wide range because he turned down 6 million so I would expect he costs a bit more than that and wants a 2-3 year deal. But even a 3 year 25 million dollar deal is easily affordable for the Royals.
Recently Grichuk has bounced around a little bit across the MLB but has been fairly consistent with his bat. He has had above a 700 OPS in every season of his career except 2014 as well as 10+ HRs each year in that span. Recently has also gotten his OBP up which brings a lot of value as well for the Royals.
He is a right handed hitter who would slot in well as a 5/6 hole hitter who can hit the ball hard and work the count. He can play all 3 OF spots which allows them to move him around as Quatraro sees fit.
3. Michael Conforto
My 3rd choice is Michael Conforto who hits free agency after another solid year with the Giants. His price tag isnt expected to be too high and would allow the Royals to spend some more money elsewhere in free agency as they see fit.
Some may feel that Conforto isn’t enough, but I think he can bring a lot to this team. Conforto has consistently had above a .700 OPS over every year of his career. We know what he brings to the table and what he can do for the team. He is not an elite fielder by any stretch of the imagination, but he is serviceable in the field and will be able to play out there as needed at left or right field.
Consistency is the name of the game for Conforto and he can hit from the left side of the plate day in and day out. In the middle of the order he will get on base and hit the ball hard and would be a great addition to the middle of the order
HMs. Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, Brandon Drury and Max Kepler
Hernandez and Santander are the top of the outfield market and are incredibly talented, but will also be very expensive and I think likely out of the Royals price range. Hernandez is my ideal fit for the Royals but I think the price tag will be too high for them. Kepler is a quality hitter and fielder who can play right field. He doesnt have a ton off utility value and has had some consistency issues but is a good option for the Royals if they strikeout elsewhere. Drury is a utility man they could get for cheep who has had some pop in the past at the plate.
Leadoff hitter
1. Ha-Seong Kim
In my eyes, its Ha-Seong Kim or bust at the leadoff spot as I have absolutely sold myself on him. Kim is maybe the most underrated free agent out there and his price tag may go up, but he’s immensely talented and would be a perfect fit for the Royals. Ive seen a variety of projections, but I would like to see him signed for about 4 years 40 million.
Kim is easily the best available leadoff hitter in free agency and his numbers heavily reflect that. I really think the Royals need a traditional leadoff hitter to bat in front of Bobby Witt Jr. They need a guy who can get on base at a high rate and can also move on the bases to not hold up BWJ.
Kim is every bit of that, with great speed and has a career OBP of .325 and was above .350 in 2023. He has stolen 60 bases over the last two years and would allow Bobby Witt Jr room to work. As far as the bat goes, if the Royals are serious about a leadoff hitter, they should look no further.
Defensively Kim can play 2nd, 3rd and SS at a very high level and has been one of the best defensive players in baseball. Kim would allow Massey to get some days off as a DH as well as allow Maikel Garcia to move around some. He would be an every day player for the Royals and is my personal favorite free agent for Kansas City. If I was in the office I would be pounding the table for him to be in a Royals jersey in 2025.
2. Jurickson Profar
Profar is coming off the best season of his career by far with the Padres and was one of their best hitters all season. He would be a good option for the Royals as a leadoff hitter with his ability to get on base and work the count.
Profar has played corner outfield but I think would likely play more of a 3B/DH role if he was with the Royals due to his lack of defensive prowess. Profar has a great bat but isnt the best with the glove although he can play all over the field. Hes 31 years old but has a real skill set that will translate for years to come.
My biggest issue with Profar is his lack of speed on the bases which is not ideal in front of Bobby Witt. He could hit in the middle of the order if needed but I think could be a potential leadoff option for the Royals if they think he can continue his production from last season.
Profar is going to have a market that the Royals may test, if they can compete with the other teams, but they feel that they can continue his success at the plate. He could be a real option.
3. Gleyber Torres
I dont have many other leadoff hitters that excite me in free agency so the Royals would likely have to trade for someone if they couldn’t land any of these guys.
Torres showed great improvement at the plate this season and was great for the Yankees down the stretch of the 2024 season. He is a legit leadoff hitter but would be a bit of an odd fit with the Royals considering he mainly plays 2B.
Its a bit of an odd fit for the Royals with how good Massey has been, and I don’t think they would want to DH him. He doesn’t have experience at 3rd which would really hurt his value in Kansas City. As a bat I like the fit, but I would like to see how they work him into the lineup.
Bullpen Arms
1. Ryne Stanek
Ryne Stanek is a low risk signing who can be a veteran presence for the young bullpen with a lot of experience in several roles. Stanek brings experience that is much needed in the Royals pen with so many pitchers who are new to the league.
Stanek has good spin and quality offspeed stuff that will play well at any point in the game and could be traded at the deadline if the Royals have options they like better. I like his skill set a lot and I expect the Royals would like him in a high leverage spot as a guy who has a lot of experience pitching in big moments throughout his career.
I like Stanek a lot and I dont think his price tag would be too high for the Royals and would give them a mentor for some of the younger guys in the pen.
2. Lucas Sims
Sims is a very skilled reliever who has great stuff out of the bullpen and tons of movement on his breaking pitches. He is only 30 years old and may look for a long term deal and would be a great fit for Kansas City as a quality RHP in the bullpen.
Sims has a wicked sweeper and curve that have tons of spin and movement across the zone. He forces soft contact at an elite rate and Kauffman would play to his skillset very well. He would be a great leverage RHP in the Royals bullpen with his stuff.
His stuff would play well with the Royals staff who likes guys with high spin and force soft contact. Sims would immediately have some of the best stuff in the Royals bullpen and would compliment other guys in the bullpen well.
My concern with him has to do more with his contract. He may want a long term deal or a more expensive contract than the Royals are willing to offer. But his skills are there and he would be an ideal fit in the Royals bullpen if they are able to get him.
3. Carlos Estevez
Estevez would give the Royals another guy with a high velocity fastball out of the bullpen and is another guy that can pitch in high leverage spots.
The Royals were rumored to be interested in him at the trade deadline, but the Phillies out bit them. Estevez hits the open market and will look to cash in on a great season. At 32 years old the Royals could look to grab him if the pitcher market plays out and makes him affordable for them.
Its possible that Estevez will be slightly out of the Royals price range as far as relievers go, but if they can compete with the price tag from other teams, he could be very valuable. High velocity fastballs like his are hard to come by, and if the Royals like his stuff enough they will look to bring him in to pitch in leverage spots and be a veteran for the younger bullpen arms around him.
HM; Jose Leclerc, Kirby Yates, Paul Sewald
I like these guys as veteran RHP in the Royals bullpen, but I think the price or role will not be what these guys are looking for. I think all three of these guys may look to get a closer role and I don’t think the Royals have any interest in taking Erceg out of that role. Leclerc is most likely to accept a leverage relief role but his price tag may be too high.
Summary
As a whole, the leadoff spot is the most important in my opinion and needs to be addressed. I think they need to pound the table for Ha-Seong Kim to be the leadoff hitter for next year and then shifty focus to the outfield. They have a variety of outfield options that can be impactful and that they can target and they can shift focus if one doesn’t work out. There are plenty of RHP options in free agency who I think can be impactful and I think the Royals should let that market play out a little bit before going all in for a reliever. I expect Kansas City to be active in the coming week or so and I think all Royals fan should get excited for the improvements they hope to make this offseason.
