The Royals have been one of the game’s most active teams this winter but don’t appear done with their offseason just yet. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kansas City still hopes to add a closer to its bullpen and is currently looking at the trade market now that free agency has been largely picked over.
While a handful of names have popped up on the trade market this offseason, Kansas City may be just as hard-pressed to find a closer via trade as in free agency. The Guardians listened to offers on closer Emmanuel Clase at the Winter Meetings in December, but he’s signed for another five years. That’d point to a massive asking price in return, and the price for a division-rival club might be even steeper.
More recently, Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen has surfaced in rumors, but the Royals’ projected $112MM payroll is already going to be the team’s highest since 2018. Adding Jansen’s $16MM salary would give the Royals their third-highest payroll ever, trailing only the 2016-17 seasons that immediately followed their consecutive World Series appearances (and 2015 World Series victory).
Any mention of a team trading for a closer figures to reignite yearslong speculation about Pirates star David Bednar, but a move involving the Pittsburgh native seems overwhelmingly unlikely. Bednar remains highly affordable and is controllable for another three seasons. The Pirates’ offseason has been focused on adding pieces rather than subtracting them, and owner Bob Nutting recently commented at length about his desire to contend in 2024. A trade of Bednar would register as a legitimate surprise at this point.
It bears mentioning that trading for “a closer” is a somewhat nebulous description. Players like Clase and Jansen are clear, set-in-stone closers with their respective clubs, but many teams take a committee approach to the ninth inning. Others are content to plug in a less-experienced arm and hope for solid results, as the Nationals did last year with Kyle Finnegan, for instance. The 32-year-old Finnegan was available at the trade deadline but didn’t change hands. He paced the Nats with 28 saves, bringing his career total to 50. That certainly qualifies him as a “closer,” but it’d be a stretch to think that makes him more preferable to the Royals than, say, a younger high-end setup man with more club control and superior rate stats but fewer saves.
However the Royals want to define their targets, the implication is clear: they’re looking for a leverage arm to pitch meaningful innings in what they hope will be a much-improved 2024 season. Kansas City has already signed Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe, Will Smith, Chris Stratton and Garrett Hampson to big league deals totaling $105MM in value. They acquired righty Nick Anderson from the Braves, and in a separate deal with Atlanta picked up injured starter Kyle Wright, who’ll likely miss the ’24 season following shoulder surgery but is controllable via arbitration through 2026.
As things stand, the veteran Smith and righty James McArthur are probably the front-runners to close games in Kansas City. Smith has 113 career saves and signed a one-year, $5MM deal to return to the organization with which he made his MLB debut back in 2012. McArthur was a speculative pickup after being cut loose by the Phillies, and after a slow start he finished out the season with 16 1/3 shutout innings, 19 strikeouts and no walks in his final 12 appearances. Stratton and Anderson give the Royals a pair of experienced setup options — health permitting, in Anderson’s case — and they’ll likely be joined by flamethrowing righty Carlos Hernandez.
It’s somewhat interesting to note that the Royals are only a few months removed from trading prior closer Scott Barlow, who went to the Padres at last summer’s trade deadline (and has since been shipped to Cleveland). That swap arguably came a few months too late, as Barlow’s rocky first half in 2023 surely caused his stock to dip from where it’d been after he notched a 2.62 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate with 42 saves from 2020-22.
The Royals’ wide-reaching slate of acquisitions to this point have undoubtedly bettered the roster, but Kansas City would need to improve by a magnitude of around 30 games to have a real postseason chance after going 56-106 last year. Extensive as their acquisitions from outside the organization have been, that’s not likely to become a reality without some meaningful improvements from young players already in house. Adding another quality bullpen arm to the late-inning mix can only help, but it’s a steep road back to contention after losing a combined 203 games over the past two seasons.
88 Brooklyn Dodgers
Ended up having a better run then the Cubs.
DanUgglasRing
They should trade the pirates several prospects for chapman.
TheMan 3
Did you not read the article, DanUgglasRing?
The owner of the Pirates wants to be competitive this year.,
SMH
ElGaupo77
Per zips pirates had one of the best bullpens in baseball… and then they signed Chapman
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
Royals Exploring Trade Market For High-Leverage Relievers
Right after Hader signs?
2 little, 2 late
DarkSide830
So they will have an elite BP and everything else will be meh?
Canuckleball
In fairness, that is the literal description of their last World Series team.
acoss13
They rode that bullpen to two back to back pennants and a championship. Starters just had to be good enough to hand the ball to Herrera, Davis Holland, and it was game over.
TheMan 3
another nostradamus that doesn’t know squat
YourDreamGM
Don’t see why Cleveland would charge KC a steeper price. Do they consider KC a rival? Even so the talent cost to get Clase should be more negative than what a closer would gain.
Cardsfanatik redux
I’d argue that KC is every bit as good as Cleveland right now.
BarryBongs
The Royals lost 106 games last year playing in MLB’s worst division lol. No arguments to be made.
Cardsfanatik redux
I didn’t know we were talking about last year… But ok..
Skiiggy
The Royals had three starters pitch more than 140 innings with an ERA over 5 last year
Cody1981
Honestly the royals don’t consider Cleveland their rival ..since the royals have been in existence Cleveland has never won a World Series ..royals have multiple
case
I don’t think Cleveland would either. Royals had a couple good years sandwiched by around 30 years of being terrible. I imagine they do appreciate the easy wins when chasing a playoff berth.
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
@Cody1981 If multiple you mean two, good job. You make it sound like the Royals have won several times.
Cleveland also has two World Series wins in their franchise and have probably made the postseason three times as much as the Royals…
No clue what you’re trying to prove… the AL Central is terrible.
Cody1981
2 wins in over a hundred years is pretty sad.
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
But they’ve been to the postseason more than the Royals… that’s arguably better or at least the same. Some teams haven’t even won a World Series.
Or is this just Guardians hate? Twins had like 14 straight postseason losses… what about them?
CardsFan57
Aren’t all teams in the market for high leverage relievers?
Yankee Clipper
Probably not Oakland, but your point stands.
LordD99
Not sure what the Royals have to offer for a high-leverage reliever / closer. A good one.
splooz
The potential of Frank Mozicatto could probably get you a closer.
gregorykc
Does Mozzicato have potential?
101reklaw
KC could’ve just signed Chapman without giving up anything in return. That was literally just 2 days ago. Now they look for a closer? No wonder they finish last.
JRamHOF
They may not have wanted to match Pittsburgh’s offer, and I’d argue that there are much better potential trade targets than Chapman anyway
bullred
I think it would be better to beat the offer by a million or two in free agency rather than trade prospects that are worth much more.
Hammerin' Hank
They could have taken the money paid to Renfroe, who they don’t need, for a reliever or two.
Poke56
I was thinking the same thing. I dont see how Renfroe is gonna be that big of a plus.
MacGromit
Miguel Castro anyone?
FullMontilla
Doval to the Royals for at least a premium ML ready prospect – won’t be much use on the Giants roster in ’24
Wagner>Cobb
Royals are assembling an all-mid team…and that’s more than sufficient to win the division. Fair play to them.
Fishfan 3
Tanner Scott can close and avaiable.
rememberthecoop
What makes you think he’s available Fishfan?
Fishfan 3
Bendix is listening on all players if the price is right except probably Eury Perez according to mlbtraderumors.com. 1 year left remaining at about 6M is too steep for us. He’s gone now with overpay or trade deadline for sure.
rememberthecoop
Yeah I know but that’s just good business to listen. I can say anyone is available but then ask for the moon..Luzardo is a great example of this. Supposedly he’s available but no one would be willing to pay the price so you have to ask isnthr player really available?
Fishfan 3
I’m curious, would you trade Bobby Witt for Perez straight up?
RoyalDodger42
You weren’t even asking me, but… I cared enough to spend the last 20 minutes making an account and a proper commenter profile on this site just to be able to say the following…
HELL NO!
Hope that helps.
Citizen1
Wait. The royals are actually going to trade or sign healthy relievers than their usual scrap heap injured (holland, rosenthal) route? Amazing!
Robertowannabe1
Bednar is not going anywhere unless someone offers way too much to get him. The Bucs have control on Bednar for 3 more seasons and he is a local kid. No way are the Bucs going to move him yet unless they get an offer that no one could refuse. No one is going to offer that much.
rememberthecoop
what about the M’s? They need offense and have a good pen. Maybe Brash?
bhambrave
I wonder if McArthur ever gets called Dan-o.
deGrom/Langford Texas Ranger
I wish Texas were also interested in these guys.
Hawktattoo
Didnt the angels sign all the releivers
D-Nice
They’ll probably end up giving Robertson an incentive laden deal. That may be the only way he remains a closer.
junkwax
They should definitely go after Jansen. He’s as high leverage as they come. I in no way want to see him leave the Red Sox. (Hot )
debubba
I don’t understand why they are doing this. Everyone wants to be competitive, but they are not even close to contention, even in a weak division like the AL central.