Royals Urged To Pursue Guardians $13 Million Ace In Possible Blockbuster Signing
The Kansas City Royals might not strictly need more starting pitching, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to add it.
All season long, the Royals were praised for the depth and consistency of their starting rotation. But when the rubber met the road in the postseason, only Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo were ready to answer the call, as number-three starter Michael Wacha was saddled with a 5.19 playoff ERA.
Wacha recently re-signed on a three-year, $51 million deal, which is exciting news for the Royals and the fan base. But to truly solidify the rotation come playoff time, it couldn't hurt to have one more sturdy veteran--especially if that veteran comes directly from an American League Central rival.
Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians will hit free agency for the first time this winter, and Kansas City could be considering joining the race. Mike Gillespie of FanSided urged the Royals to sign Bieber as the ultimate power move in the AL Central ego battle this winter.
"Bieber is 62-32 in the seven seasons he's been in Cleveland's rotation, he won the AL Cy Young award with an 8-1, 1.63 ERA record in the short 2020 campaign, and he's one of the majors' most feared and respected starters," Gillespie said.
"Even with (Tommy John surgery) and the hefty price he'll likely command, Bieber is too good a starter for the Royals to summarily dismiss. He might not be ready to go until well after Opening Day, but he's a risk worth taking."
Bieber has to be an attractive candidate for anyone because he's what every pitcher aspires to be: a Cy Young Award winner. Plus, he was dominant in his two starts last year before the surgery, which is notable because he had a revamped throwing program and added velocity heading into the year.
After playing the final season of his rookie deal on a $13.1 million salary, it's anyone's guess what Bieber will sign for this time around. If he wants to cash in on a nine-figure deal now, he might be off the table for the Royals, but if he's looking to sign an incentive-laden one-year deal to boost his stock, he'd be wise to consider doing it in pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium.
If Kansas City wants to rule the Central, there's hardly a better way to do it than nabbing their rivals' ace. We'll wait to hear contract negotiation rumors begin to shake out to see if it's an option that's legitimately on the table.
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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