The Royals have made it known they are pursuing an outfielder at this week’s Winter Meetings. It is a thin free agent market, and a report by Ken Rosenthal suggests they may look to add two outfielders – one via free agency, and one through a trade. Reporter Jon Heyman reports today that the Royals could seek a reunion with Mike Yastrzemski. But they also have interest in free agent outfielder Austin Hays.
Hays is an eight-year veteran who has spent most of his career with the Orioles. He was an All-Star in 2023, but had a second-half slide, finishing at .275/.324/.444 with 16 home runs. He was traded to the Phillies in 2024 and had a down year, but rebounded in Cincinnati last year, hitting .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs in 103 games.
The 30-year-old right-handed hitter was a lefty-masher last season, hitting .319/.400/.549 against southpaws. That would make him a good platoon partner with young left-handed slugger Jac Caglianone, who struggled in his rookie campaign. Royals general manager J.J. Picollo has talked about wanting to add a veteran to push the young hitter and make him earn a spot.
Hays did slump again in the second half, hitting just .248/.308/.396 after the All-Star break. He was not a product of Cincy’s bandbox ballpark, hitting better on the road than at home. He had a 7.0 percent walk rate last season, not great, but a career-best in a full season. He also posted a 25.7 percent strikeout rate, also a career high.
Rosenthal reports that Harrison Bader is seeking a three-year deal, which may be more than the Royals are willing to offer, leading them to look at lower price options. Hays would likely sign a one-year deal, likely between $6 and $10 million.
There have been several reports that the Royals are interested in bringing Yastrzemski, and Picollo even openly suggested the idea in his end-of-the-season press conference. The 35-year-old was terrific for the Royals after they acquired him from the Giants, batting .237/.339/.500 with nine home runs in 50 games with the Royals.
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