Royals Potential Offseason Target Listed As 'Overpaid' Free Agent
The Kansas City Royals have been very busy this offseason, having already re-signed Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract and traded for Cincinnati Reds slugger Jonathan India.
Still, there may still be some work to be done. The Royals will want to build off of a successful 2024 campaign that saw them rise from 106 losses to 86 wins and secure the second American League Wild Card spot.
Offense is an area that they could look to upgrade, even after the India trade. They have previously been linked to Anthony Santander.
However, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report believes that Santander could potentially be overvalued.
"Anthony Santander isn't on this list because we believe he's not going to be a productive player moving forward. But it feels unlikely he'll ever match his 2024 campaign in terms of power output, and there's not a ton of margin for error with him," Kelly wrote.
"We've projected a five-year, $101 million deal for Santander, and any team that signs him other than the Orioles would have to give up draft compensation since he declined a qualifying offer from Baltimore. He could help put your offense over the top in 2025, but committing to him won't be for the risk averse."
If the Royals are going to target Santander, they will have to be cognizant of the fact that this year was the first in which he posted such big numbers. He would certainly boost their lineup, but there is always a chance he won't repeat his 2024 success.
We'll see if this affects how the Royals operate in free agency.
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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.