The Royals and free-agent right-hander Ian Kennedy are “said to be making progress” on a contract, reports Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Talks between the Scott Boras client and the Kansas City front office are ongoing, per Heyman.
Kennedy, who turned 31 in December, would give the Royals some much-needed stability in the rotation. While Kansas City can currently trot out a combination of Yordano Ventura, Edinson Volquez, Danny Duffy, Chris Young and Kris Medlen in 2016 (with Jason Vargas on the mend from Tommy John surgery), that collective group comes with some question marks. Ventura has never topped 183 innings in a season and threw just 172 2/3 between Triple-A and the Majors last season. Likewise, Duffy’s career-high is 155 1/3 innings, and Young hasn’t tossed more than 165 innings in a season since 2007. Medlen totaled just 88 2/3 innings last year in his first season back from his second Tommy John surgery.
The Royals have been said to be on the lookout for additional starting rotation depth, although a deal with Kennedy would certainly qualify as more than merely “adding depth.” The right-hander turned down a qualifying offer from the Padres this past November, meaning the Royals would need to part with what currently lines up as the No. 24 overall pick in the draft in order to sign him. That’s a steep price to pay for any free agent, especially considering the fact that Kennedy is coming off a down season overall with San Diego, although it’s worth noting that he pitched quite well over the season’s final four months after a brutal start to the year.
Kennedy recorded a ghastly 7.15 ERA over his first eight starts, yielding a jarring 12 home runs in 39 innings in that stretch. But, from June 1 through season’s end, he righted the ship, working to a tidy 3.41 ERA with a 137-to-38 K/BB ratio and a more reasonable (but still lofty) 19 home runs allowed in 129 1/3 innings. His 2015 struggles notwithstanding, Kennedy has been a durable arm throughout the course of his career and showed no problems with the long ball as recently as 2014 with the Padres, when he posted a 3.63 ERA across 201 frames in one of his stronger overall campaigns in the Majors. While he’s never matched a dominant 2011 season in which he pitched to a 2.88 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in 222 innings for the D-backs in their hitter-friendly home park (earning him a fourth-place vote in the NL Cy Young race), Kennedy has a track record of durability and strikeouts.
As a fly-ball pitcher who has, at times (specifically in 2013 and 2015) struggled with the long ball, the Royals seem, on paper, to be an excellent fit for Kennedy due to their expansive park and elite outfield defense, which features Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson (left to right). Additionally, the Royals have a very strong relationship with Scott Boras, having recently negotiate free-agent deals with Boras clients Kendrys Morales (though he has since switched agents), Alex Rios and Franklin Morales, to say nothing of homegrown talents like Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Luke Hochevar and Christian Colon — all of whom are Boras clients as well.
I think if we get Kennedy it will shore up the pitching in case Ventura or Duffy start off slow
Before anyone complains, just remember: Dayton Moore knows more than you do.
I wonder if the Marlins will pop in to add depth to the rotation
It’s good to see Kennedy might be going to a contending team. Plus the possibility of getting another draft pick is always nice.
Which pick would the Royals give up?
24
1st rd. Currently 24th Overall.
Says right in the middle of the post. No. 24.
Ventura didn’t throw any innings in AAA in 3015.
2015.
He threw 2 games down there. Apparently enough for omaha to feature him on there website haha . milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=541…
You’re right-I forgot about his rehab stint. I stand corrected. He was also optioned to AAA, but recalled before going down.
Wasn’t a rehab, he was sent there because of poor numbers
No, Beau, it was rehab. You are correct that he was sent down for poor performance at one point, but Vargas was injured the next day. So he was recalled before going to AAA. But the 2 games he did throw in AAA were rehabs. kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/k-zone/art…
He did pitch in the minors this past season!
Made two starts on a rehab assignment in June. His stats are readily available by clicking the link to B-Ref in his name up there.
Dang Steve, are my answers not good enough!?
Odds are that Kennedy will be much better than the #24 overall pick, so it’s not that much of a gamble. Sure you get a good player, but historically there have only been 6 players with more than 10.0 career WAR led by Alex Fernandez (and he didn’t even sign with the team that picked him #24). Randal Grichuk has a chance to join that group, but no one else picked at #24 has more than a 2.0 CAREER WAR. Take a chance on Kennedy because in the Royals’ big stadium he will likely put up 2.0 next year alone.
We’ve had the best prospects in baseball before and out of the top 20 of those prospects, only 5 were on the team this year. Dyson, Holland, Orlando, and Ventura weren’t in the top 20 Royals prospects in 2011, but were on the WS teams. It’s not all about first rd picks
Mike Trout was taken with the #27 pick in the same draft as Grichuk. So while you’re probably going to be right about Kennedy having more value than a #24 pick, it’s not a guarantee.
Trout was #25 actually, but he was also a once in a generation talent. That was a major lottery ticket win. There are no guarantees in life, but I’d much rather have a good solid starter than a microscopic chance at a player like that.
Slim chance #24 has more value than ian kennedy……what is guaranteed???
The idea of Kennedy and Young pitching back to back during an AL East or Houston road trip feels a little disgusting to me
Yordano went on a rehab assignment at the beginning of July, then returned and got shelled, which led to a demotion, but on the same day Vargas officially blew out his elbow, leading Yordano to make a U turn and come back to KC. There was no mention of Dillon Gee in this article. Even though he is on a minor league contract, I think he will be in the rotation. Most likely Volquez, Young, Medlen, Gee, and hopefully Kennedy. If Yordano looks bad in spring training, I would prefer to see him go to Omaha over Duffy. Duffy is older and it’s time to see what he can do one last time as a starter, but of course if Ventura returns to 2014 form, then that will have to wait and Duffy will be in the pen.
If you think that volquez young medlen gee and hopefully ian kndy is the most likely rotation…. Get a mental check. Ventura will be there. Know baseball before talking about it. Gee is great, probably an ace that couldnt crack the vaunted nym rotation. A generational talent. Or shall i say joe blanton without the 3 year layoff.
Don’t like giving up the pick. Otherwise I’d be in for a deal with Kennedy.
The logical solution to me would be to try to trade for Shields. You basically get the same pitcher for 3 years and it wouldn’t require sending a top prospect. You protect your 24th overall pick and you get a guy that performed well overall with the Royals and has already been a leader in that clubhouse.
He can opt out of his deal this year……logical. And that clubhouse chemistry wins titles……yep you got it. Maybe they throw in matt kemp too hes sooo due