Ex-Yankees $9 Million World Series Starter Is Last Free-Agent Option Left For Royals

Are the Royals going to make any more signings?

Jul 12, 2020; Bronx, New York, United States; A view of the New York Yankees logo and seat number of an empty seat during a simulated game during summer camp workouts at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Some positions still have lots of interesting options remaining in free agency. Outfield is not one of them.

The outfield market in Major League Baseball moved fast this offseason, with Juan Soto leading the way, followed by the second wave of stars like Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander, and seeing one more surge in the last week with names like Harrison Bader and Jason Heyward flying off the board.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals, who had one of the worst outfields in baseball last season, have so far only tried to improve out there by adding an infielder. They acquired second baseman Jonathan India via trade and have pledged to explore the possibility of him or position mate Michael Massey playing left field.

There's only one free agent still out there who could still present the Royals with any upside. So even though signing him might be a risk, Kansas City has to be one of the teams currently mulling the possibility.

That free agent is Alex Verdugo, the starting left fielder for the American League champion New York Yankees last season. Once thought of as a top prospect, then a surefire starter, Verdugo's numbers took a massive hit in his walk year, which is why he still doesn't have a job in mid-February.

The Royals would have to throw Verdugo's 2024 season out in the wash, because a .647 OPS and 83 OPS+ won't help any team. In his four seasons with the Boston Red Sox, though, he had a .761 OPS/105 OPS+ and 8.1 bWAR in 493 games.

Plus, Verdugo is a polarizing personality. He's a cheery, infectious presence when things are going well, but when they aren't, he's prone to blank stares and lack of hustle. Plus, there was the highly-publicized incident when Red Sox manager Alex Cora benched him for showing up late to a crucial August game in 2023.

It's not as though Verdugo is a sure thing. But he's the only free agent left with any upside. Of all unsigned outfielders who were on major league deals last year, Verdugo's 0.68 WAR trailed only Michael A. Taylor, a defensive specialist who already had an unproductive stint in Kansas City.

There's no indication that the Royals are hot on Verdugo's tail, but if they decide there's any hope left in free agency, they could probably get him at this point for much less than his $9 million salary in 2024.

More MLB: Royals Blockbuster Trade Idea Brings $7.8 Million 25-HR Slugger To Kansas City