Royals Predicted To Land Ex-Mets $10.5 Million Gold Glover At Position Of Need
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The Kansas City Royals haven't been major players in free agency this winter, but they've quietly made some solid roster upgrades.
Besides landing former All-Star closer Carlos Estévez, the Royals' biggest signings were players that returned from the 2024 playoff roster: starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen. Perhaps it's time to look outside the organization to address the position player group.
There's no doubt that the Royals could use another outfielder. The corner outfield spots were the most problematic for Kansas City in 2024, but a solid center fielder could make an impact as well if Kyle Isbel isn't hitting up to snuff. Mostly, the Royals just need upside.
Would a former Gold Glover fit in well with the current Royals roster?
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted that Harrison Bader, who finished a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Mets at the end of October, would sign with the Royals before the 2025 campaign gets underway.
"Bader appeared in a career-best 143 games this past season with the Mets, but his overall value added was minimal enough for them to move on, trading for Jose Siri to play center instead," Miller wrote.
"Not many teams out there looking for a center fielder right now, and the contenders who are looking for one are probably more likely to trade for Luis Robert Jr. than sign Bader. Still, he's one of the more intriguing position players left on the board, light years behind the big two of (Alex) Bregman and (Pete) Alonso, of course."
There's one clear issue with Bader, and that's on-base percentage. He had a .284 mark last season, which negated his decent .373 slugging percentage. And unfortunately, OBP also plagued the Royals as a team last season, with Bobby Witt Jr. having to carry too much of the load offensively.
Still, the Royals could do worse for a platoon fit, fourth outfielder, and/or late-inning defensive replacement. And if Bader's offense rebounds to 2021 form, when he also won his Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals, then the Royals could find themselves a steal.
More MLB: 3 Last-Minute Free Agents Who Could Fill Royals' Biggest Need For 2025 Season
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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