The Royals’ offseason stove continues to stay hot! According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Royals are still pursuing one more piece… specifically a closer. That may come as a surprise as the Royals have gone out and added Chris Stratton, Nick Anderson, Will Smith, and Matt Sauer. They also have young arms like John McMillon, James McArthur, Will Klein, and others who all could be on the verge of a breakout.
But as the old saying goes… you can never have too many arms. Especially a lockdown closer to finish off those close games for you. The Royals have gone out and solidified the rotation and now seem to want one more piece to truly lock down the bullpen. So, who might be some potential options?
Devin Williams, RHP – Milwaukee Brewers
We’ve got to start with the most expensive piece. Williams’ name has been floated around in many trade rumors, as many people thought the Brewers planned to sell after DFA’ing Woodruff. But they’ve so far kept Corbin Burnes and went out and signed Rhys Hoskins to a 2-year deal. Could they still move Williams to get some pieces to help the big-league club? Maybe. Williams is the guy who would likely excite Royals fans the most, but seems like he’s the least likely to be moved.
He’s been a dominant force in the backend of the bullpen for the Brewers, compiling a career 1.89 ERA with 337 strikeouts in 214 innings pitched. He’s dang near unhittable with 99th percentile Whiff% and 99th percentile K%. Watching videos of his changeup makes you realize how hard baseball is, and he has a good fastball that’s in the 100th percentile in terms of fastball extension. Williams is fun to dream of but a highly unlikely scenario for the Royals.
Kenley Jansen, RHP – Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have spent much of the offseason trying to salary-dump players. Kenley Jansen seems like one of the most logical ones. The 36-year-old is expected to make $16 million this year, but he’s been a reliable source for saves for a very long time. How much (if any) of Jansen’s salary would the Royals be willing to take on? And what would the Royals need to give up in prospect capital or other players if they didn’t take on a ton of his salary?
It’s also hard to see Jansen being a fit, but for a team that just spent $105 million this offseason, they might be willing to take on a salary dump. Jansen is still in the 90th percentile in fastball extension and 73rd percentile in fastball velocity. So the stuff is still there, but I am sure the thought of taking on a 36-year-old reliever for $16 million doesn’t excite Royals fans as much, especially when you think of where that money could be spent elsewhere.
AJ Puk, LHP – Miami Marlins
We already know the Royals have had talks with the Marlins when the rumor leaked that the Marlins asked for Vinnie Pasquantino for left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo. Could the Royals be in talks for another left-hander who was once a top prospect? AJ Puk probably isn’t considered a lockdown closer yet, given his injury history, but the 28-year-old lefty finally found some success in the Marlins bullpen last year.
Puk posted a 3.97 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 56.2 innings pitched. The strikeout stuff has always been there for Puk. His Baseball Savant page is every fan’s dream. He’s 91st percentile in expected ERA (3.06), 80th percentile in average fastball velocity, 96th percentile in fastball extension, 95th percentile in K%, and 8th percentile in Whiff%. There is a lot to like in the underlying profile that goes beyond his ERA. Puk likely wouldn’t cost as much as a Clase, so there could be a good fit here.
Emmanuel Clase, RHP – Cleveland Guardians
If the Guardians would be willing to sell to a division rival, this would be my favorite move for the Royals. He’s guaranteed $13 million over the next three years. The Guardians are always trying to shed payroll somehow, so maybe Clase is a fit. The cost likely won’t be cheap for the Royals, though, as they’d be trying to get one of the game’s best closers, and he’s locked into a pretty team-friendly deal.
If this deal were to get done, the return package would be a lot, and you may have more upset fans than not, even though you’re getting a star-studded closer. Clase is fun and likely has a higher probability than Williams, but still seems less likely to happen than Jansen or Puk. Regardless, it is hard to see the Royals beating many of the teams also in the market for a closer but maybe they make it happen. As of now, it is likely Will Smith will be taking the ball in the 9th.
