Royals Named A Landing Spot For $36M Gold Glover In Possible Blockbuster Signing
The hot stove has cooled off of late for the Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City was one of the busiest teams early this offseason, re-signing starting pitcher Michael Wacha and trading for second baseman Jonathan India. But once the biggest names started coming off the board, like Juan Soto and Max Fried, the Royals faded into the background.
Though the Wacha and India moves addressed two key needs for the Royals, there's still more work to be done. The lineup isn't a finished product, and even with the addition of India, there's still room for one more infielder.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report named the Royals among the top potential landing spots for former San Diego Padres star Ha-Seong Kim. Kim, who is recovering from offseason labrum surgery and likely will miss some time at the start of the regular season, won a utility Gold Glove in 2023.
"Both India and Michael Massey are "willing to play left field," according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic," Kelly said. "That would open up the possibility for Kim to be the team's primary second baseman."
"Perhaps if the Royals add another bat, it will be someone with a little more thump. Regardless of their current roster, it would be hard to argue if they signed someone who draws walks, steals bases, and is a slick fielder at three infield positions."
Kim was projected for a two-year, $36 million contract by Tim Britton of The Athletic earlier this offseason. That deal may end up including an opt-out after year one if Kim decides he'll have enough time after his surgery to build up his value for another run at free agency.
There's a lot of value to be had from Kim potentially shoring up the entire Royals infield on defense. But they also have to ask themselves if they're better off going all in on offense, rather than bringing in a hitter who has historically been exactly league average.
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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