Best Free Agent Signings in Royals History: Part 1, Pitchers

[Philip Ruo]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images / © Peter G. Aiken-Imagn Images

In December 1975, the Seitz decision nullified Major League Baseball’s reserve clause, which ended an era where teams could effectively retain players in perpetuity and ushered in the era of free agency. Historically, the Royals are not known for making splashy signings in free agency, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been impact players acquired.

Since this month marks the 50th anniversary of free agency, this two-part series will look at 10 of the best free agents in Royals history. Part one focuses on pitchers, and part two will focus on hitters.

The selections for this list will be very subjective, but the primary criteria considered were WAR accumulated, accolades earned, and playoff/overall impact after signing as a free agent. Many players signed as free agents after years of success with the club, such as Mike Moustakas, Zack Greinke, and Mark Gubicza. However, only their time after they reached free agency will be considered for this list.

Top Free Agent Pitchers

David Cone

Signed in 1993 | 14.1 WAR | 1x Cy Young | 1x All-Star

After being drafted by the Royals in 1981, Cone only spent one season in Kansas City before being dealt to the New York Mets. After a productive six seasons elsewhere, including a World Series win with Toronto, the Royals signed him before the 1993 season.

In his first two seasons in Kansas City, Cone made an immediate impact, accruing 14.1 WAR and winning the American League Cy Young Award in the strike-shortened 1994 season. In that 1994 season, Cone was an All-Star and finished 9th in MVP voting. Cone led a very good Royals pitching staff to a 64-51 record before the player strike ended the season short that August. His impact on the Royals could have continued into the playoffs that season, as the Royals were only four games back in the AL Central. 

After the 1994 season, Cone was traded, with one year left on his contract, to the Blue Jays for a couple of players who never made the major league roster and Chris Stynes, whose best years in baseball were after his time in Kansas City.

Larry Gura

Signed in 1979 | 11.4 WAR | 1x All-Star | 2x Top-10 Cy Young | 1980 AL Pennant 

After three impressive seasons with the Royals in 1976-78, the Royals re-signed Gura as a free agent before the 1979 season. In his first five seasons after signing, he accumulated 12.6 WAR, earning him an All-Star nod in 1980 and two top-10 AL Cy Young finishes in 1980 and 1981.

Gura played a key role in the Royals' 1980 World Series run, which ended with a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. In three starts in the 1980 playoffs, he posted a 2.11 ERA over 21 1/3 innings, including one complete game against the Yankees in the ALCS. Although both of his starts resulted in Royals losses, he only gave up two runs in each of his starts and exited each game while the Royals had a lead.

After the 1983 season, Gura’s productivity declined, and he was eventually released in 1985. With his achievements as a Royal before and after he signed as a free agent, Gura was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1992.

Edinson Volquez

Signed in 2015 | 2.2 WAR | 2015 World Series

After the 2014 season, James Shields, a free agent, left a large hole in the rotation. If the Royals wanted to return to the World Series and redeem their loss to the Giants, that void needed to be filled. Volquez did just that with his consistent performance in 2015.

Volquez’s two years in Kansas City didn’t include stats that jump off the page, but he was the leader of the rotation that won the World Series in 2015. In 2015, Volquez had a 2.8 WAR and a 3.55 ERA across 33 games started and 200.1 innings in the regular season. He also led the Royals in playoff innings pitched with 28.2 and had a 3.77 ERA that postseason.

Although his 2016 season was rather poor with a WAR of -0.6, the impact Volquez had on the championship-winning team is worthy of inclusion on this list. 

Seth Lugo

Signed in 2024 | 7.0 WAR | 1x All-Star | 1x Gold Glove | Cy Young Runner-Up

Lugo made an immediate and dramatic impact in the Royals’ rotation after joining in 2024, when he finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young voting and also led the Royals to their first playoff appearance since 2015. Lugo posted a 3.00 ERA and 5.4 WAR across 206 2/3 innings pitched, all good for second-best in the American League. His excellent defense also earned him a Gold Glove in 2024. 

While his 2025 season was less impressive and cut short by a back injury, Lugo still has two more years in Kansas City after signing an extension earlier this year. He will have the opportunity to show his value and veteran leadership to this rotation, especially if he can eat up innings as he did in 2024.

Tim Belcher

Signed in 1996 | 9.2 WAR

While Belcher does not have the accolades of the other players on this list, his three years in Kansas City were very good. For a team that did not traditionally spend on acquiring free agents, Belcher was brought in to pair with star pitcher Kevin Appier. His first season, in particular, was excellent, with 4.8 WAR and a 4.41 ERA over 238 2/3 innings. Belcher proved to be a durable pitcher who could go deep into games, pitching at least 210 innings in each of his three seasons.

While the Royals were not particularly successful during his time in Kansas City, Belcher was able to provide an immediate impact by his performance on the field and as a veteran leader in the clubhouse. 

Honorable Mentions

Gil Meche

Signed in 2007 | 10.2 WAR | 1x All-Star

Meche was a similar addition to Tim Belcher, just a decade later. Meche provided an immediate impact on the Royals’ rotation with over 4.0 WAR in each of his first two seasons in Kansas City. However, Meche faced a sharp decline in quality after those first two seasons. Belcher's greater consistency throughout his time in Kansas City gave him the edge over Meche.

Aroldis Chapman

Signed in 2023 | 1.0 WAR

He spent only half of the 2023 season in Kansas City, but during that time, he was traded to the eventual World Series-winning Texas Rangers. That trade returned Cole Ragans, who has since emerged as the Royals’ ace. Without Chapman, the Royals would likely not have Ragans, and the Royals’ current rotation outlook would be drastically different.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, which will look at the best free-agent hitters in Royals history!

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