Royals Rumors: Jason Vargas to sign with New York Mets
By Joel Wagler
Royals rumors have Jason Vargas, a former starter for the Kansas City Royals, agreeing to a deal with the New York Mets.
It’s no surprise, but Royals rumors have Jason Vargas moving on. The Kansas City Royals didn’t show much interest in re-signing their veteran starting pitcher this offseason, and now it is being reported that Vargas is heading to New York.
Vargas will forever be a part of the great postseason run the club made in 2014, and though he did not participate in the 2015 World Series due to injury, he will be remembered as an important cog in the Royals’ rise to prominence.
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports is reporting, via Twitter, that Vargas is going to sign a two-year deal with the Mets, pending a physical.
Sources: Mets and Jason Vargas have a deal pending physical
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 16, 2018
Vargas deal is 16m for two years with mets plus incentives
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 16, 2018
Eight million dollars a year for two years is a pretty good haul for a 35-year old lefty with declining numbers.
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Vargas had a solid 2014 for Kansas City, winning 11 games and recording a 3.71 WHIP. Then pitched in just 12 games over the next two seasons and had to have Tommy John surgery.
He bounced back in 2017 by leading the Majors in wins with 18 and making his first All-Star game. He was magnificent in the first half, going 12-3 with an Earned Run Average of 2.62.
He fell apart in the second half, going 6-8 with an ERA of 6.38. In both July and August, his ERA was well over 7.00.
Despite his first-half performance, the way Vargas crumbled in the second half was enough for the Royals to know they weren’t going to be interested in re-signing him.
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Overall, Vargas was 34-23 for the Royals with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.295 WHIP. He struck out 300 and walked 114. He was a steady, if unspectacular performer in Kansas City and provided a calm demeanor from which pitchers like Danny Duffy and the late Yordano Ventura could learn.
The Royals will go into Spring Training in 2018 with three locks on their rotation – Duffy, Ian Kennedy, and Jason Hammel. There are a slew of eagers youngsters vying for the last two spots.
Duffy, Kennedy, and Hammel will all three need to have bounce-back years if the revamped Royals have even a glimmer of hope to compete. The offense will not be strong enough to recover from early deficits s the starting pitchers need to be on the top of their game more often than not.
Royals rumors have been quiet on Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas of late. Maybe there will be some news on those two players soon!