On Friday, some rather under-the-radar free agent news dropped that could pertain to the Kansas City Royals. MLB Trade Rumors reports free agent starting pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Vladimir Gutierrez each have interest from multiple clubs. Neither report mentions any specific clubs. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Royals were one of the clubs interested in one or both of these free agent targets.
Syndergaard is the bigger name of the two, being a former All-Star and top prospect for the New York Mets. It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Syndergaard since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020. He was sidelined for essentially all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He pitched for the Angels and Phillies in 2022, followed by stints with the Dodgers and Guardians in 2023.
A few organizations with strong pitching reputations have kicked the tires on Syndergaard, only to find there wasn’t much left in the tank. His fastball velocity has dipped substantially since his days as one of the best young arms in the league. During his best seasons he averaged 97 mph but that mark dipped all the way down to 92 mph in 2023. As a result, he pitched to a 6.50 ERA over 88.2 IP. Although Syndergaard is the type of reclamation project the Royals may have interest in, signing him would certainly be a dart throw and a chance to find hidden value where there may be none left.
Gutierrez is another low-risk option
The more appealing of the two options is easily Gutierrez. Once a top prospect after defecting from Cuba, Gutierrez has had limited success after reaching the major leagues. In 2021 for the Reds he made 22 starts with a 4.74 ERA. Prior to 2021, FanGraphs ranked him as the Reds 19th best prospect, grading all four of his pitches as above-average.
After a velocity dip in 2022, Gutierrez underwent Tommy John Surgery in July of the same year. He returned to action late last season, pitching in just 6.1 minor league innings before the season wrapped up. The Reds decided to outright Gutierrez earlier this offseason instead of waiting longer on the talent to arrive. That could be good news for the Royals, who can do much worse than targeting former top prospects recovering from injury.
The cost will likely be at or near the league minimum. He has two options remaining and would be club-controllable through the 2027 season. Neither of these moves would move the needle substantially when it comes to next season’s win total. Regardless, they are the type of reclamation projects that the Royals will consider over the coming weeks. They’ve already made a similar signing in former big-leaguer Luis Cessa. Another wouldn’t be a surprise.