The Kansas City Royals and 5 forgotten free agents
As all of baseball eagerly awaits next weekend’s start of the Winter Meetings, and KC Royals fans wonder what, if any, meaningful deals general manager J.J. Picollo might pull off while he’s there, Kansas City Royals free agents continue to draw scant attention. That’s not surprising. He had his moments in 2023, especially late in the campaign, but after losing 15 games with a 5.06 ERA, even sure Hall of Famer like Zack Greinke isn’t going to attract tremendous interest. He’s also 40 and hasn’t said whether he’ll return for a 21st big league season. Brad Keller’s future is also cloudy, but for different reasons. A two-time KC Pitcher of the Year but first-time tester of free agency, Keller hasn’t had a winning season since 2020 and spent much of 2023 on the Injured List with a bad shoulder and signs of thoracic outlet syndrome. Also facing uncertainty is reliever Josh Staumont, who wasn’t a free agent until the club non-tendered him earlier this ...