Kansas City Royals: 2020 free agent options, Part I: Pitchers

Realistic Targets: Pitchers, Part II

Ivan Nova, RHP (33)

Here’s a pitcher who will likely get squeezed by the market despite a pretty solid season for a woeful White Sox club. Nova, who will be entering his 11th season in 2020, has tossed 153 innings in his first season with Chicago’s second son after spending the previous three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s 9-9 with 103 ERA+, but more importantly, he eats innings. Of his 26 games started, he’s completed two, which, sure, is not a high percentage, but in today’s game, that’s a rarity.

This season, he’s making a shade over $9 million. The Royals should be able to get him for less than that, and for a shorter-term deal. Honestly, with his consistent track record, signing Nova to a multi-year deal wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Greg Holland, RHP (33)

OLD FRIEND ALERT.

Holland’s had quite the ride since leaving the Royals. First he landed with the Rockies for whom he dominated–for half a season. Still, he turned that into a nice contract with the Cardinals. That didn’t go as well. In fact, that went rather terribly.

St. Louis cut ties with him after 32 appearances of 7.92 ERA baseball, and he eventually landed in Washington for the end of 2018. With the Nationals, he excelled, appearing in 24 games with a FIP of 2.97 while striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings and keeping his WHIP at a microscopic 0.891.

His Cardinals performance withstanding, his 2018 numbers earned him a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks for just north of $3 million. In the Desert, he pitched very averagely–his ERA+ is exactly 100, or the league average. With the team going nowhere this season, Arizona cut him loose, and he’s now once again with the Nationals as they attempt to reach the postseason.

The question is, just who exactly is Greg Holland today? He’s definitely not the final initial of the vaunted trio of HDH from back in 2014 and 2015. But is he the pitcher that flamed out with the Cardinals? The one who dominated in a non-closer role with the Nationals? Or the mediocre closer he was with the Diamondbacks?

The Royals should kick the tires to find out. He’d be a welcome sight for the sore eyes of the Royals faithful who’ve stuck with the team these past two ugly seasons. He shouldn’t cost much, and the potential reward is considerably higher than the risk.

Jerry Blevins, LHP (36)

Killer name, right?

Blevins is a 12-year vet who’s on just his fourth Major League team of his career. As a lefty reliever, it feels like he should have pitched for at least another two or three teams. Regardless, he’s holding his own in Atlanta this year, his first season there after four with the Mets.

The southpaw, who’s just two appearances shy of 600 for his career, has a career 3.54 ERA, which is 14% higher than the league average during that time. This year, his FIP’s a little high at 5.11, and he’s thrown just over 25 innings, his least since back in 2011 with the Athletics.

He turns 36 in September, and while he’ll have more opportunities than most free agent relief pitchers (because he’s a lefty), the Royals should still target him. If they offer him something in the one-year, $5 million range, that could get the job done.

Kyle Gibson, RHP (32)

The former first-round pick out of Mizzou is enjoying his second straight solid campaign after five years of mediocrity. Last season, Gibson, who has only ever pitched for the Twins, went 10-13, but his ERA+ was 118 as he earned a 4.13 FIP to go with a 1.302 WHIP. He’s followed that up with a record of 11-6 with a 104 ERA+, 4.08 FIP and a 1.309 WHIP.

Those numbers aren’t spectacular, and with Gibson being 32 once he finally hits free agency, a lucrative long-term deal will be hard to find, that despite probably avoiding a QO from Minnesota. He might have to bite the bullet and settle for a one-year, incentive-laden prove-it deal before hitting the open market again for 2021.

If that’s the case, then the Royals should make a pitch to him: come back to the state where you pitched in college and lead our young pitchers by example.

Then again, of the six starting pitchers mentioned, Gibson has the best shot at landing a multi-year deal this offseason. For his sake, I hope he gets it.

For the Royals’ sake, I hope the market dries up and forces him into Edgar Yost’s outstretched arms.