For obvious reasons I am going to focus on outfielders and second baseman, though with Jonathan India not being on this list second might be more filled than we would like already. Non-tendered players are generally not very good, thus their team did not want to bring them back. Still, there are a couple of interesting ones. I put them in order of the one I like the best to the worst roughly (did not put tons of thought into the bottom end). That way if after a few you want to stop, I totally understand.
JJ Bleday – He will only be 28 next season, so still in his prime, and he seems to be competent defensively in both corner outfield spots while being a bit below average in center. His BABIP was low last season while in 2024, when it was more normal, he had a 120 wRC+ and a 3.2 fWAR season. This seems like a pretty good fit for the Royals. Only downside is that his barrel rate, hard hit rate, and exit velocities all tell why that BABIP was low last season. I think this is a good opportunity to see if you can get him back to his 2024 self, and even the last year version would have been welcome on the 2025 KC Royals. Unfortunately, he is left handed and this team needs right. I think he should be pursued for sure.
Adolis Garcia – I have heard a few people that really want Garcia. It would have to be on a minor league deal for me. He will turn 33 before the season starts and is coming off two very bad seasons. That 2023 season looks so enticing that someone will offer him a one year pro deal, I assume, but it looks like fools gold to me. He never walks and does not play good defense although he is right handed I guess. Has not really been a lefty killer sort though, so not a guy who plays way up as a strict platoon. Again, if you don’t have to give up a 40-man spot and he will come into camp with no major league guarantee, but only then.
Will Brennan – Won’t turn 28 for a few more months but coming off a year where he got basically no major league playing time and was a league average hitter in AAA. Not a defensive stud either, probably average or so in right, but it is hard to tell with the sample sizes being so small. Maybe if the team sees something there. Roccaforte might already be a better option than this due to his (purported) defensive skills.
Andy Ibanez – If you wanted a light-hitting utility guy with a lot of position flexibility, you could to worse. Not really what the Royals need, but as the last guy on the bench wouldn’t hurt anything. I’d probably rather have him on the bench than Adam Frazier.
Jake Fraley – The Royals seem to be pretty good at this making this sort of player. Very fringy 4th outfielder at best. Not right handed, so I would stay away.
Mike Tauchman – Consistently decent veteran hitter who is bad but not horrible defensively. If he was right handed would be farther up the list. Fraley makes more sense if you are doing this since Tauchman is almost 35.
Christopher Morel – Had a couple of okay seasons in 2022 and 2023 but is a butcher defensively who has struggled to hit. Young enough that maybe someone can fix him. That slug disappeared, so if someone knew how to get that back going, he could be interesting. I think that is probably not Kansas City though.
Ramon Urias – Maybe a second base option if you squint a bit.
Alexander Canario – Absolutely not. I mean, if the Pirates are cutting a bat…
Ronny Simon – Maybe on a minor league deal to add depth and flexibility, but not as an answer to anything for the coming season.
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Gustavo Campero– No thanks.
Michael Toglia – Calling him an outfielder seems pretty generous. No way you run this guy out defensively, but at least he can’t really hit either. Does have some pop, but a 39.2% strikeout rate last year and career 35% is untenable.
And there you have it. I like Bleday and would 100% offer him a contract. After that, not much. That move would make this team better going into spring training and force the Caglianone, Rave, Massey, and Loftin sorts to earn it. I am assuming they will bring in something better than Bleday in the offseason, maybe even two. If you do two, then maybe he is not worth it, but otherwise he is the guy I would be pursuing of this group.
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