The Kansas City Royals have been active this offseason, filling some major holes that the team had last season. Lack of outfield production has led them to trade for Kameron Misner and Isaac Collins, while signing Lane Thomas.
With the Royals outfield being left-handed heavy at the plate, they still need another right-handed bat or two. As of Friday, January 9th these are the top available players, I think the Royals should pursue.
Austin Hays
Austin Hays is one of the youngest guys out of the remaining free agent
crop that the Royals could sign for outfielder depth. Hays won’t turn 31 until early June, and the former 3rd round draft pick has put up solid career numbers. Hays spent six and a half years with Baltimore before they traded him to the Phillies around the deadline. Hays then spent last season with the Reds where he hit .266 with 15 home runs.
A career .262 hitter, Hays has been known as a lefty masher. He hits .282 in his career off southpaws, with a .340 OBP, .479 slugging percentage and an .819 OPS. Mostly a left fielder in his career, Hays has played all three positions in the outfield. He was exclusively a left fielder with the Reds, but as an average defender, I would be excited to see him platoon with Cags in right field potentially.
Harrison Bader
Bader is coming off arguably his best season in pro ball, playing for the Twins most of the year, before being shipped off to Philadelphia at the deadline, when the Twins got rid of everybody. Bader would be everything the Royals need, a good hitter with some pop, a speedy base stealer and a great defender all wrapped into one. He could fill the platoon role in CF with Kyle Isbel, so the Royals don’t have to keep trotting out the Garrett Hampson’s, Dairon Blanco’s or Tyler Tolbert’s of the world. (Especially since two of those guys are utility players.)
Bader would probably be a more expensive signing, but I think that the Royals should be in on the bidding for Bader, as he could help shore up a certain weak spot the Royals have had the last couple of years.
Manuel Margot
Margot only had 19 at bats all of last season for the Tigers, he got hurt at the beginning of the season and then got sent to AAA, before eventually being released. With the small sample size, he could be a buy low, bounce back candidate for this season. Plus, the Royals have given worse players opportunities, right? Margot also has some history with manager Matt Quatraro, back in Tampa Bay.
Margot has always had great range, but a below average arm. He has played all three outfield spots, but mainly centerfield. If Bader doesn’t come to Kansas City, Margot wouldn’t be a bad fall-back option.
These would be the three guys I would be rather excited about if the Royals could land one of them. I think they are three solid, veteran guys that could at the very least platoon. If they bring back Randal Grichuk, who is still out there, I wouldn’t be as excited, but I wouldn’t be upset about it either.
What free agent do you think I left off this list?
