Royals Rumors: Yovani Gallardo and Scott Kazmir Still Targets

Royals rumors have the KC Royals still targeting starting pitchers like Yovani Gallardo and Scott Kazmir to bolster their rotation for next season.

‘Tis the season for Royals rumors and the team hasn’t disappointed. The Kansas City Royals are evidently not willing to stand pat with their rotation and have apparently maintained contact with the agent for Yovani Gallardo. Scott Kazmir remains a target as well.

The KC Royals have several rotation candidates already. Edinson Volquez and Yordano Ventura are surely set, but Danny Duffy Kris Medlen, Chris Young are all in the running, and Jason Vargas may return late in the season as well.

Jon Morosi or MLB Network and Fox Sports tweeted out the Royals interest in both Gallardo and Kazmir.

#Royals presently in contact with representatives for Yovani Gallardo, sources confirm. Scott Kazmir is also on their list. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 23, 2015

Gallardo and Kazmir and names that have appeared in Royals rumors in previous weeks. Gallardo has been on the Royals radar for at least a week, and Kazmir has been a target since at least early in the month. It is good to know the Royals’ interest hasn’t waned.

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Gallardo is a nine-year veteran who turns 30 in February. He has never won fewer than eight games in a season (discounting 2008 when he only made four starts) and has nailed down double-digit wins six times.

He has been a workhorse, pitching at least 180 innings seven straight years. His career Earned Run Average is 3.66, but he has only recorded one season with an ERA over 3.85 (4.18 in 2010). He also averages 187 strikeouts a year.

The right-hander is predominantly a ground ball pitcher. In his career, he has induced a ground ball on 46.7 percent of all batted balls against him.

Kazmir is a lefty who turns 32 in January. He hasn’t been as durable or consistent in his career as Gallardo but seems to have improved with age. In the last two seasons, he has an ERA of 3.33, winning 22 games.

Kazmir is neither a fly ball or a ground ball pitcher. His numbers for each are both right at 40 percent.

Of the two, Gallardo is younger, with a long history of consistency and health. Still, he has nearly 200 more innings of mileage than Kazmir.

Kazmir is left-handed, and Duffy is the only southpaw candidate the KC Royals have, at least until Vargas returns to the rotation. It would be helpful to have a strong lefty in that rotation, especially if Duffy is unable to solidify himself as a reliable starter.