Royals Listed Among Top Free Agent Fits For Orioles Breakout Slugger
The Kansas City Royals have some work to do this offseason after being eliminated in the ALDS by the eventual American League champion New York Yankees.
They already took care of their starting rotation by re-signing Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract. Now, they can address other areas, such as the offense, which certainly needs an extra power bat to go with AL MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr.
R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports made a list of the top 50 free agents and their best potential fits. The Royals were listed as a potential landing spot for slugger Anthony Santander.
"In addition to being living proof that there are still quality players to be unearthed in the Rule 5 draft, Santander became the first switch-hitter to homer 40 or more times in a season since Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman both did it in 2006," Anderson wrote. "Santander isn't a mindless slugger. He's adept at making above-average amounts of contact, allowing him to keep his strikeout rate underneath 20% despite what could be charitably described as an excitable approach."
The 30-year-old slugger hit just .235 during the regular season with the Baltimore Orioles, but he certainly made up for it by hitting 44 bombs and driving in 102 runs while posting an. 814 OPS and 2.9 wins above replacement.
He certainly won't be cheap, but the Royals have already proven their desire to win by spending some money early in free agency. Santander could significantly boost the offense in 2025.
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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.