Royals Could Target Rangers Left-Hander To Bolster Rotation For 2025
The Kansas City Royals have been one of Major League Baseball's biggest surprises. Led by a resurgent Bobby Witt Jr., who is now an MVP candidate, the Royals have surged into the second American League Wild Card spot with just over a week remaining in the season.
They also made some very impactful additions last offseason, signing Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe, and Adam Frazier. However, Wacha is likely to opt out of his contract and become a free agent at season's end, meaning the Royals may have a hole to fill in their starting rotation.
Should they lose Wacha, they could look at possibly signing left-hander Andrew Heaney, who is having a strong season with the Texas Rangers.
Heaney's record is a bit deceptive. The 33-year-old veteran is 5-14 but hasn't received a ton of run support this season. He does however own a respectable 3.89 ERA over 150 1/3 innings pitched while striking out 152 batters and posting a 1.21 WHIP.
By no means is Heaney a frontline starting pitcher, but he is somebody that can be relied on to make starts and eat innings, which is something the Royals are going to need if they lose Wacha.
Heaney likely will come at a lower price than Wacha, meaning he could be a perfect fit for the Royals as they try to remain competitive in 2025. We'll see how the season ends for the Royals and if they'll ultimately need to target another starter.
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CURT BISHOP
Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.