Diamondbacks $7 Million Veteran With 'Huge Buy-Low Upside' Could Be Steal For Royals
They won't be big spenders, but the Kansas City Royals can still improve their outlook this winter in free agency.
After a surprising 86-win season and their first playoff berth in nine years, the Royals have plenty of roster holes they can plug to get better. And as any Major League Baseball team will tell you, you can never have too much help in the bullpen.
The Royals did well to lock up Lucas Erceg at the 2024 trade deadline, as the young flamethrower seized the closer's role in August and is under team control for the next four years. But Kansas City could still certainly use one more high-leverage arm.
Paul Sewald, most recently of the Arizona Diamondbacks, would certainly fit the bill. Sewald was recently named on a list of free agents with "huge buy-low upside" by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, who projected the 34-year-old for a one-year, $7 million contract this winter.
"Heading into the 2024 season, Paul Sewald was poised to be one of the top relievers on the market this winter, but an inconsistent campaign in which he was demoted from the closer's role has left him needing to rebuild his stock," Reuter said.
"A dip in his fastball velocity (92.2 to 91.4 mph) and fewer whiffs at his sweeper (30.9 to 25.0 percent whiff rate) contributed to his lackluster performance, but a change of scenery could help him reset and get back to his previous level of success."
From 2021 to 2023, Sewald was among the upper echelon of MLB relievers, putting up a 132 ERA+ or better in each of the three seasons. And frankly, his 2024 was off to an even better start before a stretch of three straight blown saves in early July raised his season ERA from 0.54 to 3.93.
In Kansas City, Sewald wouldn't necessarily have to shoulder closer duties. But he could certainly step in if Erceg proves shaky in year two of his new role. And if Sewald rebounds to his old form, he'll prove to be exactly the kind of bargain the Royals are looking for.
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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