3 players for Kansas City Royals to target this offseason

Another year, another sub .500 finish for the Kansas City Royals.

This time, changes are coming. Dayton Moore was let go before the end of the season. Manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred were finally axed. Pedro Grifol departed to take over as the White Sox new manager. And Matt Quatraro was brought in to help modernize an organization that seemed stuck in the 1980s.

Three players for Kansas City Royals to target

It is all well and good to have optimism at the beginning of November. The Royals seem to be on their way to finally joining the modern era. However, they still need to show that they actually intend on being competitive at some point in the near future. That will come in time given their young players, but for now, they need to supplement the roster with several pieces in free agency.

The Kansas City Royals now face the hard part – following through with their statements. Let’s look at three players that could help turn things around.

Mike Clevinger

As the Kansas City Royals are not likely to contend next season without making some major moves, a reclamation project or two would make sense on the pitching staff.

This is certainly the case in the rotation. Brady Singer is the one given at this point and he may be a third starter at best. The rest of the rotation is filled with fifth starters or players that should be depth pieces in Triple-A. There is a lot of work that needs to be done.

One possible option would be a familiar foe. Mike Clevinger had a down year in 2022 as he came back from Tommy John surgery, posting a 4.22 ERA and a 1.198 WHiP over his 114.1 innings, striking out 91 batters with 35 walks. His ERA was his worst since establishing himself in the majors while his 7.2 K/9 rate was the lowest of any major league season.

But there is reason to hope that Clevinger can turn it around next year. The first year back from Tommy John surgery tends to be disappointing. His track record indicates that he should return to form next year. If he is willing to take a one year deal in an attempt to rebuild his value, then the Royals should do what they can to bring him in.

The Kansas City Royals need someone to front their rotation. Mike Clevinger would be a gamble, but on a one year deal, he would be worth it.

Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea may have never actually thrown a pitch for the Kansas City Royals, but he is a part of their history.

Manaea was part of the package sent to the A’s for Ben Zobrist at the trade deadline in 2015. That deal added another veteran bat to a lineup in desperate need of one, helping propel the Royals to their second World Series title.

As with the aforementioned Clevinger, he is coming off of a down year. Manaea had posted a disappointing 4.96 ERA and a 1.297 WHiP in his 158 innings, striking out 156 batters with 50 walks. As was the case with Clevinger, that ERA was the worst mark of his career.

But Manaea also has a trait that the Royals desperately need. Aside from his 2019 season when he was working back from injury, he takes the ball every fifth day and provides solid innings. Considering the Royals questions in both the rotation and bullpen, they need that type of arm. He could potentially be a longer term asset as well, someone they can look to build the rotation around.

Sean Manaea never threw a pitch for the Kansas City Royals despite being in their farm system for three years. It is time to bring him back.