Ian Kennedy is among the top arms still available in free agency, but his time on the open market may not last much longer.
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Royals Among Teams Pursuing Kennedy
Wednesday, Jan. 6
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the reigning World Series champion Kansas City Royals have showed some interest in signing the veteran righty.
With Johnny Cueto leaving KC in favor of the San Francisco Giants, Kennedy could fill what is currently a considerable hole in the Royals rotation.
The 31-year-old Kennedy is set to enter his 10th MLB season after stints with the New York Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres.
After winning 13 games and posting a 3.63 ERA in 2014, Kennedy’s numbers dipped a bit in 2015 with the Padres, as he went just 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA, although he did manage to strike out 174 batters in 168.1 innings pitched.
Kennedy’s best season came in 2011 with the D-backs when he went 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and finished fourth in the National League’s Cy Young Award voting. While he hasn’t come close to matching those numbers since, he is a workhorse who has made at least 30 starts in six consecutive seasons.
The Royals boast a deep and talented lineup as well as a dominant bullpen, headlined by Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar and Joakim Soria.
Starting pitching may be Kansas City’s one question mark with the likes of Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura and Chris Young leading the way, but adding Kennedy would give it a much-needed power arm and the depth that it currently lacks.
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