The Kansas City Royals have taken some chances already this offseason. Why not take a few more?
Entering the offseason, the Royals had spots to spare on their 40-man roster. They used a couple of them on trade acquisitions — right-handed pitcher Mason Black from the San Francisco Giants and outfielder Kameron Misner from the Tampa Bay Rays. They used two more on prospects they wanted to protect from the Rule 5 Draft, Steven Zobac and Ben Kudrna.
Even after all of that, the Royals have one spot left on the 40-man, and across the league, a host of intriguing players were designated for assignment on Tuesday. Though the Royals probably shouldn’t pick any of these players up on waivers, they’d all be intriguing additions to the roster on cheap free-agent deals.
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Christopher Morel – former Rays OF
Morel was DFA’d by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, following a rough season where he put up a .684 OPS with a sub-.300 on-base percentage and accounted for negative-0.3 WAR. But with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, he crushed 26 home runs and put up a very impressive .821 OPS.
We know the Royals are looking for a right-handed bat to platoon with Jac Caglianone in right field. Granted, they might want someone whose track record is a bit more consistent than Morel’s, but if the 26-year-old clears waivers elects free agency, he might be the best bargain option KC can find.
Ramón Urías – former Houston Astros IF
Even more so than Morel, Urías seems destined to hit free agency in the coming days, because he was headed into his last season of arbitration eligibility and probably would have made something like $4-5 million. But although the Astros felt he was somewhat redundant on their roster, the former Gold Glover could be a real asset to a team like Kansas City.
You won’t get a ton of offensive production from Urías, but he can play fantastic defense at either second or third base. He’s an ideal bench player, and if someone like Jonathan India or Michael Massey gets traded this offseason, don’t be surprised if he becomes this year’s version of Adam Frazier.
Jason Foley – former Detroit Tigers RP
This one is a little less concrete, as Foley missed virtually the entire season due to shoulder surgery in May. He was throwing again by the end of the season, but his availability for spring training and/or opening day remains uncertain.
Just a year ago, Foley was coming off a campaign where he put up a 3.15 ERA and 28 saves in 32 chances for the Tigers as the team’s primary closer. He was a prime non-tender candidate in Detroit, due to ballooning arbitration numbers, but as a cheap addition, he might be a solid middle reliever.
Plus, it would be fun for the Royals to pilfer a bullpen arm that a division rival cast aside and get some quality innings from him.
More MLB: Royals Protect Two Righties From Rule 5 Draft, Expose Recent 1st-Round Picks
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