Royals Rumors: Peter Moylan agrees to one-year deal with Braves
Royals rumors are steady now, as the latest free agent to sign elsewhere is reliever Peter Moylan. Moylan is returning to the Atlanta Braves on a one-year deal.
Peter Moylan was someone who I really wanted the Kansas City Royals to retain for the 2018 season. No, he’s not a flashy name and isn’t going to be an All-Star caliber reliever, but he’s reliable and was one of the Royals’ best bullpen arms a season ago.
Before Moylan had come to Kansas City in 2016, he had spent the majority of his major league career with the Braves and he’ll be heading back to Atlanta for the 2018 season. What likely prevented Moylan from getting more than a one-year deal is his age. He’s 39 years old and will turn 40 in December.
The Royals are in the midst of a rebuild, so adding free agents isn’t really in the cards, but they couldn’t have shelled out $625,000 to keep Moylan in their pen? They could use some veteran leaders in that bullpen and Moylan would have been a great guy to keep around.
Peter Moylan receives $575,000 in deal with #Braves and $625,000 bonus for first day he’s added to 25-man roster
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 19, 2018
Peter Moylan, 39, posted a 3.49 ERA (4.00 FIP) and led the American League with 79 appearances while pitching for the #Royals last season. Right-handed hitters batting just .163/.246/.238 in 191 PA against him. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) February 18, 2018
Moylan spent two years with the KC Royals and had respectable numbers through 104 innings with a 3.46 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts. The fact that Moylan had spent eight years of his major league career in Atlanta might have played a factor as to why he’s rejoining them, but this seemed like a deal that the Royals could have swung.
Moylan was tremendous against righties (as the tweet above mentions) and that was certainly where the Royals liked to use him. His submarine delivery was always fun to watch and obviously it was hard not to love that Australian accent of his.
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When looking at the Royals bullpen at the moment, it’s completely understandable to worry. Scott Alexander, Ryan Buchter, and Joakim Soria have all been traded while others like Kelvin Herrera could still be dealt. Brandon Maurer was awful last year, so I really HOPE the Royals trade him.
For those keeping track, six of the Royals’ nine free agents have now signed with teams. The three who are still looking for a new team are Mike Moustakas, Melky Cabrera, and Trevor Cahill. Moylan joins Eric Hosmer and Jason Vargas as three former Royals to sign in the last few days.
From his accent to his delivery to the nickname he put on the back of his jersey for Player’s Weekend (“Sledge”), Peter Moylan was a fun guy. I’ll miss the energy and production he brought to the Kansas City Royals in 2016 and 2017.
Best of luck in Atlanta, Sledge!