Ex-Mets $10.5 Million Gold Glover Predicted To Join Royals' Opening Day Lineup
In this story:
With Spring Training only a week away, the Kansas City Royals still have time to add to their languishing outfield mix for the 2025 season.
There's no doubt that outfield was the weakest part of the club in 2024. Kyle Isbel put up 1.8 bWAR in center field, which was mostly due to defense, while Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez combined for -0.8 bWAR as the primary starters in the corners.
There were plenty of other players who made cameos (i.e. Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier, Dairon Blanco), but the Isbel-Renfroe-Melendez trio projects as the starting outfield if the Royals don't make any additions. And the numbers don't lie, so additions are worthwhile.
Would adding a new center fielder be the most efficient use of the Royals' remaining free-agent capital? Frankly, there aren't many corner outfield options left, so that might be the case.
On Monday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that the Royals would sign former Gold Glove-winning center fielder Harrison Bader, who just finished up a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the National League runners-up, the New York Mets.
"Kyle Isbel is a terrific defender in center field, logging a combined 18 (defensive runs saved) in 2023 and 2024, but he hit a punchless .234/.285/.373 in 739 plate appearances during that span," Reuter wrote.
"Adding Harrison Bader on a one-year deal would allow Isbel to serve as a defensive replacement for MJ Melendez late in games."
Bader, 30, has had a rough last two years offensively as well, posting on-base percentages of .274 in 2023 and .284 in 2024. But he plays top-tier defense (10 outs above average last season) and if he can rebound to the hitter he was in the 2021 regular season and 2022 playoffs, the Royals would potentially be getting a steal.
No one believes Bader is a top-of-the-order bat at this stage of his career, but would he be better than Isbel? That's the main question the Royals have to be asking themselves.
More MLB: Cubs Trade Idea Sends Top 100 Prospect To Royals For Angel Zerpa, Carter Jensen
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
Follow jrobertsbsbl