Mets $26 Million Star Could Be 'Bargain Bin' Target For Royals In Free Agency
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The Kansas City Royals might say they're happy with the staring rotation as it currently stands, but they'd still be wise to keep pursuing upgrades.
It's perfectly fine to be satisfied with the top three--Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Michael Wacha are all coming off tremendous seasons. The fourth and fifth slots, though, are much bigger question marks.
After trading Brady Singer, who made 32 starts last season, the Royals are counting on Kris Bubic and Michael Lorenzen to shore up those final two spots, with some potential help from Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh.
Of those four, Marsh made the most starts in 2024, but also spent time in Triple-A. The other three all spent time on the injured list.
Should the Royals seek one more free agent who had a full 2024 workload under their belt? Christopher Hennessy of ClutchPoints believes former New York Mets starter José Quintana could be that free agent.
"Quintana had a great year with the New York Mets last season and should get a solid deal in free agency. The Royals also have a staff known for getting the most out of pitchers with checkered pasts," Hennessy wrote.
"Seth Lugo was a solid reliever who could not break the rotation with the Mets a few years ago. Now, he is a bona fide starter. It would not be crazy to expect similar numbers with the Royals that he (Quintana) put up in 2024. He had a 3.75 ERA in 31 starts."
Quintana was not only solid for the Mets all season, but he was particularly excellent in September, pitching to a 3-1 record and 0.72 ERA in his final four starts. The Royals could use someone with that kind of big-game chutzpah when they get to the stretch run in 2025.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old made $26 million on his two-year Mets contract, and could be seeking a one-year deal this time around. If the Royals can nab him for a similar average annual value, it may be worth going slightly over their 2024 budget to ensure their rotation is locked and loaded.
More MLB: This Royals Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Bring $3 Million Cardinals Gold Glover To KC
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
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