Will Kansas City Royals Give Edinson Volquez Qualifying Offer?
After holding on to Edinson Volquez past the trade deadline, will the Kansas City Royals extend him a qualifying offer in the offseason?
The Kansas City Royals have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season. After winning the World Series last year, the team currently sits at 51-55, 7.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Most people would have thought this would have made the Royals sellers at the deadline, but that was not the case. The team decided to stay put and not make any deals at the deadline.
Two of the most valuable trade pieces that the Royals had hit the disabled list shortly before the non-waiver deadline. One of those valuable pieces they had was Edinson Volquez. Volquez has had a disappointing season but has improved over his last six starts with a 3.58 ERA. The Royals could have brought in some pieces for the future if they decided to deal him. Throughout his career Volquez has been known as a pitcher with great experience and the ability to eat a lot of innings.
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The fans who believed the Royals should have been sellers were not aware of the organizational philosophy that the team goes by. The team will find value in all of the players that they have on their roster. If they were to trade Volquez, they would have one of the worst rotations in baseball over the last 57 games of the season. In order to be in the Wild Card hunt, the team would have to go about 40-17 the rest of the way. The true value that Volquez brings to the Royals are the innings he can eat the rest of the season.
Volquez staying with the club offers another team-friendly move. Volquez will be a free-agent after the season and the team is expected to extend a qualifying offer to Volquez. The qualifying offer is expected to be $16.7 million for a one-year contract. If he decides to turn down the offer and sign with another team, the Royals will receive a compensation pick. That draft pick falls somewhere in between the first and second round of next year’s draft. If he decides to take the offer, the Royals still get a pitcher who is, according to adjusted ERA, is 10 percent above average.
The free agent class for pitchers next season is expected to be the worst group in years. With names like Andrew Cashner, Jeremy Hellickson and Jake Peavy, there is a chance that Volquez could cash out in free agency. If Volquez finds he can’t get enough money on the open market, the Royals could have him for another year. In baseball, there are very few bad one-year contracts. Even if he has a bad season, Volquez’s value is set to be $17.4 million next year according to Fangraphs. It looks to be a win-win situation for the Royals.
The Royals also still owe about $14 million to Omar Infante, who was released back in June. To go along with that steep price, the team is expected to have to give $26 million in raises to Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Wade Davis and Ian Kennedy. With the championship experience on this roster, you should not be surprised to see the Royals bounce back next year.