Royals' Possible Free-Agent Target Projected For Bargain-Bin $8M Contract

The most obvious problem with the Kansas City Royals this season was the lack of outfield production.

Royals outfielders were the only group among the 30 Major League Baseball teams to rack up worse than negative-1 fWAR this season. Returning rookie Jac Caglianone will be counted on to be part of the solution, but the former first-round pick might not become an above-average player in his first full year.

The Royals should be pursuing outfield bats in free agency, the bigger the better. But they've often been bargain shoppers in recent years, so it's worth wondering if that trend will continue.

Say the Royals wind up signing no free-agent position players to eight-figure contracts. Can they still find someone impactful?

Royals linked to Cedric Mullins in free agency

Insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic linked the Royals to one of the relatively cheap free agents in this year's class on Monday: former Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets center fielder Cedric Mullins.

"Mullins has played himself off being an everyday center fielder despite still being an above-average defender thanks to his plus range," wrote Bowden. "He’s still at 15-homer, 15-stolen base type talent, but he’s not hit .235 or above in the last three years. I don’t see him getting an everyday job anymore, but he would be a quality fourth-type outfielder on a contending team.

"Best team fits: (Philadelphia) Phillies, (New York) Yankees, (Cleveland) Guardians, Royals. Contract prediction: 1-year, $8 million."

Mullins' half-year stint with the Mets went about as poorly as it could have: .182 batting average, .565 OPS in 42 games. Take that away, though, and you're left with a player who put up an above-average OPS+ in each of his last 4 1/2 seasons in Baltimore.

The best-case scenario for Mullins is probably similar to what the Royals got from Mike Yastrzemski in the second half: good at-bats against right-handed pitching, and some defense. He might even prove to be a better defender than Yastrzemski if he moves to right, because at the moment, it appears he's still capable of sticking in center.

Few Royals fans are going to be jazzed up about a Mullins signing, but there's a world where it could be one of the sneaky-effective moves of the offseason.

More MLB: Royals Expected To Be Major Players In Free Agency, Per Insider