KC Royals: Top Five Highest Paid Players In 2014
By Joel Wagler
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jason Vargas – Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Vargas. 5. player. 7. $7 million. SP. Royals
The Royals signed Jason Vargas to a four-year, $32 million deal before the season. He made $7 million of that in 2014. He turned out to be well worth the dollars spent in his first full season with the Royals.
- 30 Starts, 11-10 record
- 187 Innings
- 3.71 ERA
- 1.27 WHIP
- 128 K, 48 BB
Despite missing a month because of an appendectomy in July, Vargas still racked up 30 starts and nearly 200 innings for the Royals. He was very consistent all season, though he struggled down the stretch in September.
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Over the course of his last four starts, Vargas’ ERA jumped from 3.14 to 3.71. He pitched just 18 innings in those four starts, allowing 18 earned runs. Without this brutal stretch of games, Vargas’ numbers would have been much more impressive.
He also pitched well in his three post season starts, going 15.1 innings, with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.109 WHIP.
Jason Vargas easily earned his $7 million in 2014, and hopefully, he will be a consistent performer over the next three seasons. He needs to be a cornerstone in the KC Royals rotation, even if he isn’t the flashiest pitcher ever.
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