Ex-Phillies All-Star Would Be Realistic Outfield Solution For Royals In Free Agency
It's almost 2025, and the Kansas City Royals still haven't addressed the problem that plagued them for all of the 2024 calendar year.
Though there were lots of things to like about the Royals' overall performance in 2024, the outfield certainly wasn't one of them. No qualified Royals outfielder produced even a league-average OPS, and no young player showed promising signs of growth, either.
The Royals have been as quiet as a church mouse in free agency thus far, but eventually, they'll have to make some type of move to add help in their outfield. They don't likely have the funds to go after a big name like Anthony Santander, but perhaps they could grab a former All-Star while his value is at a low point.
Austin Hays, who was recently non-tendered by the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that traded for him in 2024, is an interesting fit. The 2023 American League All-Star has three full, above-average big-league seasons under his belt and is still just 29 years old.
In 2024, Hays battled injuries and had a fairly poor performance at the plate, slashing .255/.303/.396 in 85 games. But in the three prior seasons, he was worth 8.1 bWAR, a sign that he could be a quality starting corner outfielder for the Royals or any team looking for a new starter.
There are reasons to look past Hays' poor 2024 performance, most notably the fact that he was buried on the Baltimore Orioles' depth chart, then battled a kidney infection while playing for the Phillies. A fully healthy Hays with a clear path to playing time could be a different beast.
At the very least, Hays should be within the Royals' price range. He might have made $6-8 million in arbitration, but after the non-tender, he's simply looking to stay in the big leagues, and may be available for under $5 million if the market isn't high on his skills.
The Royals are going to have to sign someone in that price range, and few attainable players have more upside than Hays. He'd look good in a Royals uniform on Opening Day in 2025.
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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