Ex-Cubs $2 Million On-Base Machine Linked To Royals After Surprise Non-Tender
If the Kansas City Royals had to choose only one position to upgrade this winter, it would almost certainly be the outfield.
In the playoffs, the Royals were trotting out embarrassing combinations of Tommy Pham, MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe in the outfield. Plus, Pham is now gone, so the need for offense, especially from the corners, is paramount.
The Royals need more offense, because Bobby Witt Jr.'s cold streak in the playoffs proves that you can't win a championship on the strength of one elite bat. In particular, adding hitters with high on-base percentages to supplement Witt's incredible hit tool is a winning strategy.
If the Royals want to go bargain shopping, the non-tendered free-agent market is a good place to do so. One former Chicago Cubs on-base machine is a particularly intriguing fit.
Recently, Max Rieper of Royals Review named ex-Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman, who was Chicago's most frequent leadoff hitter this season, as a candidate for the Royals. Chicago unceremoniously dumped Tauchman, 34, in late November, due to their surplus in the outfield.
"Mike Tauchman was another surprising non-tender that may have been the victim of a numbers game in Chicago," Rieper said.
With Cody Bellinger returning on a player option and Pete Crow-Armstrong coming up, there wasn’t playing time left for Tauchman, who hit .248/.357/.366 with 7 home runs in 350 plate appearances. He has a career 12.9 percent walk rate and could serve as the lefty bat in a platoon in the corners.
Tauchman slashed .248/.357/.366 in 2024, good for a 106 OPS+. He won't provide much power, but his on-base percentage would have ranked second on the team behind Witt this season.
If Tauchman is available for a similar price, or even less than the $1.9 million he signed for in Chicago last season, it makes total sense for the Royals to bring him on board. He doesn't need a guaranteed starting spot, and he could help them improve in one of their weakest areas.
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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