Mariners $3 Million Castoff 'Could Provide Value' To Royals, Report Says
As massive free-agent signings cascade across Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals are nowhere to be seen.
Such is the burden for a small-market team to bear. Even though they bucked their usual trend by signing superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to a near-$300 million extension last winter, the Royals are rarely a factor when the negotiations hit nine figures.
However, there are still holes for this Royals team to plug in 2025, even if they have to do so on a tight budget. The lineup currently looks far from being a finished product, and there are still cheap free-agent options available for Kansas City to examine.
One player the Royals have been connected to of late is Josh Rojas, a projected $3 million utility player who was recently non-tendered by the Seattle Mariners. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic recently named Rojas as a "realistic" fit for Kansas City's needs and budget this winter.
On Wednesday, Max Rieper of Royals Review examined Rojas' fit for the Mariners, noting that acquiring him would likely signal a trade of infielder Maikel Garcia.
"Rojas could provide value as a light-hitting, good defender with good baserunning, but the Royals already have a similar (and younger) player in Maikel Garcia," Rieper said. "Garcia has reportedly come up in trade discussions and could be attractive to other teams due to his ability to play shortstop."
"Rojas likely wouldn’t take much to sign, probably something close to the $2 million they signed Hampson to last year. If he signed, the Royals would still retain club control over him in 2026 if they wanted."
Rojas, 30, has compiled 6.2 bWAR across six big-league seasons with the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. His best season by far came back in 2022 for Arizona, when he slashed .269/.349/.391 while playing in 125 games.
While Rojas might not be the middle-of-the-order bat the Royals and their fans want, he could still be a valuable addition because of his versatility and occasional hot streaks. Ideally, Rojas would be one of a few moves on the margins that Kansas City would make if that big bat isn't coming.
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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