Best Free Agent Signings in Royals History: Part 2, Hitters

[Philip Ruo]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images / © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Since it is the 50th anniversary of free agency in Major League Baseball, this series is profiling the top 10 free agents in the Royals' franchise history. In this installment, the focus shifts to position players. Be sure to check out part one, which profiled the top free agent pitchers.

Top Free Agent Hitters

Melky Cabrera

Signed in 2011 | 4.4 WAR

Cabrera was signed after an abysmal season in Atlanta, which led to his release by the Braves. The Royals were able to sign him to a very reasonable $1.25 million contract in 2011. 

Cabrera went on to have the best season for a Royals free agent hitter with 4.4 WAR in 2011. He also went on to set career-bests in home runs, batting average, and OPS, which provided stability to the Royals’ lineup.

Before the 2012 season, the Royals traded Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo. Although Cabrera and Sanchez did not work out for the Royals (-1.5 WAR combined in Kansas City), the addition of Cabrera provided good production at minimal cost, yielding a valuable trade asset. 

Gary Gaetti

Signed in 1993 | 8.4 WAR | 1x Top-10 MVP | 1x Silver Slugger

Known more for his time in Minnesota, Gaetti had a productive stint in Kansas City. Signing three consecutive one-year deals, his time in Kansas City will be grouped. In 1993, Gaetti signed with the Royals after being released by the California Angels following a poor start to the season. After signing with the Royals, he became a consistent contributor, reminiscent of his time with the Twins.

In three seasons with the Royals, he slashed .267/.323/.491, good for a 108 OPS+. All marks better than his averages with the Twins. His performance in 1995 earned him 10th in AL MVP voting and his only career Silver Slugger.

His stats may have been more impressive if he had been able to play a full 162-game season as a Royal, since he joined midseason in 1993 and both the 1994 and 1995 seasons were shortened due to the players' strike. On a per-162-game basis, Gaetti averaged 4.4 WAR with the Royals, which may give a better perspective on his late-career resurgence in Kansas City.

Mark Grudzielanek

Signed in 2006 | 8.3 WAR | 1x Gold Glove

Grudzielanek signed with the Royals after having one of the best years of his career in St. Louis at the age of 35. Signing a 36-year-old journeyman is always risky, but Grudzielanek was able to deliver as a rare bright spot on otherwise poor Royals teams.

In his three years in Kansas City, Grudzielanek slashed .300/.339/.412, good for a 96 OPS+, which was better than his career averages. He was also impactful on defense, earning his only Gold Glove award in his first year in Kansas City.

Kendrys Morales

Signed in 2015 | 3.4 WAR | 2015 World Series | 1x Silver Slugger

Morales was signed to replace the departing fan-favorite Billy Butler, and he provided an instant upgrade at the DH spot. In 2015, Morales slashed .290/.362/.485 with a 127 OPS+, provided power in the middle of the order, and led the Royals with 22 home runs 2015. He deservedly earned his only career Silver Slugger that season.

Morales was a meaningful contributor during the Royals' postseason run, slashing .255/.304/.490 with four home runs. His biggest moment in the postseason came in Game 4 of the ALDS, when he hit the ground ball that induced a pivotal fielding eighth-inning error by Carlos Correa, tying the game and completing a dramatic comeback in the series.

In 2016, Morales was not quite at the same level as the previous year, with only a 110 OPS+, but he was still a power contributor with 30 home runs.

Rey Sánchez 

Signed in 1999 | 9.3 WAR

Sánchez was a steady but moderate contributor in his career, accruing 8.7 WAR in his first eight MLB seasons. During his three seasons in Kansas City, he more than doubled that total, with 9.3 WAR, which is the highest cumulative mark by a free-agent hitter in franchise history.

Sánchez was a consistent contributor, hitting for a decent average in the premium shortstop position, slashing .289/.321/.351. While not hitting for power, he provided elite defense, which provided the foundation for other emerging stars like Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, Carlos Beltran, and Mike Sweeney to lead the offense.

While Sánchez’s offense didn’t provide much impact, his consistency on offense and elite defense warrant inclusion on this list and perhaps also speak to the quality, or lack thereof, in free agents that the Royals have been able to attract in their history.

Honorable Mentions

Alex Gordon

Signed in 2016 | 4.1 WAR | 4x Gold Glove

Alex Gordon’s four-year, $72 million contract that he signed after winning the World Series in 2015 is still the richest free-agent deal in Royals history. While Gordon could still provide elite defense in left field, his offensive production declined sharply after signing.

Before 2016, Gordon slashed .269/.348/.435 with a 112 OPS+. After signing as a free agent, his production fell to .234/.318/.362, with an OPS+ of 82. Alex Gordon is an all-time Royal great, but his production after signing in 2016 was not good enough for the list.

Wally Joyner

Signed in 1992 | 7.7 WAR

While known more for his time with the Angels, Joyner enjoyed a productive four years in Kansas City. He consistently got on base and hit for decent power. While in Kansas City, he slashed .293/.371/.434 with a 113 OPS+. Joyner also hit at least 20 doubles in all four of his seasons in Kansas City.

While his time as a Royal was good, he was ultimately edged out by other hitters who either achieved higher peaks or a better body of work with the Royals.

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