AL Central Club Reportedly Targeting Ex-Red Sox Pitcher In Free Agency

It sounds like one former member of the Red Sox could land in the AL Central

One former member of the Boston Red Sox seems to have a solid market in free agency.

Former Red Sox hurler Michael Wacha is a free agent again this offseason after a stellar season with the San Diego Padres and seems to be a hot commodity. The one-time All-Star made 24 starts with the Padres last season and logged an impressive 3.22 ERA across 134 1/3 innings pitched.

It's unclear exactly where Wacha will land, but he's sure to have plenty of teams clamoring for his services. One club that reportedly has shown interest in landing him this offseason is the Kansas City Royals, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 

"The Royals are indeed interested in Marcus Stroman, as Jon Heyman reported, but Kansas City is casting a wide net in its search for pitching," Feinsand said. "Per sources, the Royals have also had discussions with Lucas Giolito, Michael Wacha, and Jack Flaherty."

It's not surprising that a team like Kansas City is interested in landing Wacha. He's been one of the most steady righties over the last two seasons and surely will cost significantly less in free agency than one of the frontline hurlers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell. Wacha had a 3.22 ERA last season with San Diego and a 3.32 ERA in 2022 with the Red Sox.

Kansas City needs to add to its rotation this offseason -- like the Red Sox -- but doesn't have the money to spend like the Red Sox or New York Yankees. The Royals could afford Wacha this offseason if they decided to. Plus, if the Royals were to have a down season again, could end up trading someone like Wacha ahead of the trade deadline for prospects.

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