MLB Insider Urges Royals To Sign $105 Million Superstar To Pair With Bobby Witt Jr.
The Kansas City Royals' offensive strategy in 2024 could be summarized in three words: Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt, the 24-year-old superstar shortstop, lit Major League Baseball on fire this season, finishing second in Most Valuable Player voting while becoming the first shortstop ever to have multiple 30-homer, 30-stolen base seasons. Behind him, there unfortunately wasn't much to brag about.
On-base percentage and slugging are two of the most important things for a team to have, and none of the Royals' starters besides Witt ranked near the top of the league leaders in either category.
The Royals have other useful hitters, like Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino, and they just traded for Jonathan India to be their new leadoff man. But adding a middle-of-the-order bat would be a major upgrade for Kansas City, and one insider believes he knows where to find it.
Recently, Jim Bowden of The Athletic named former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Anthony Santander as the best fit for the Royals in free agency. Santander, who hit 44 home runs this season, is projected for a $105 million contract by The Athletic's Tim Britton.
"Santander," Bowden said. "Add his 40-homer bat to the middle of the lineup, then put on your seat belts, Kansas City. He could be Robin to Witt’s Batman."
Santander, 30, slashed .235/.305/.509 in 2024, good enough for his first All-Star selection. He's not a great defensive outfielder, but he does have a cannon for an arm in right field. And the Royals have plenty of good defenders--it's power they're lacking.
If Santander lands in KC, the Royals should be much closer to contending for a World Series in 2025. They still might need one or two more supplementary signings, but they will have landed their big fish.
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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