Should the Royals target Jesse Chavez?


Kansas City baseball this season was one of those seasons fans would love to forget. The pitching side of the game is where the Royals really struggled. The front office's main target as free agency gets closer needs to be the bullpen. Kansas City's bullpen ranked fourteenth out of fifteen in the American League behind the Athletics. Across the league, the boys in blue ranked twenty eighth out of thirty in bullpen ERA and only saved 28 games. In a nutshell, the bullpen was a dumpster fire following the departures of Scott Barlow and Aroldis Chapman. Unfortunately, I don't believe the team has all the right pieces to make a push for the postseason next season, but I do believe that they could improve quite a bit if they make the bullpen their top priority this coming offseason. Like last season, the team won't spend crazy money on free agents; but the bullpen was so bad last season, almost any signing could boost the pen. And I believe an old friend could be a good piece to add to the bullpen next season. That's right, Jesse Chavez. The right hander last pitched for the Royals in 2011. Now twelve years later, the veteran reliever could be a good addition to the pen. The 40-year old is currently a member of the Atlanta Braves postseason roster. During the regular season, Chavez owned an incredible ERA of 1.56 in 36 games. Although the veteran reliever only pitched in 36 games, Atlanta believed in Chavez enough to add him to their roster for the postseason. At the beginning of the season, Braves manager Brian Snitker praised Chavez during an interview with The Athletic for his great production on and off the field: "He’s amazing." Snitker continued about how Chavez was a reliable arm in their bullpen: "I just admire those guys, and a guy like Jesse and everything he’s been through and all the teams he’s played for,” Snitker said. “And how he’s hung on and just keeps adjusting and adapting, and keeps himself going. Still a very productive pitcher.” The Royals don't have too many contracts on the books that will restrict them from making attractive offers to relivers on the market this offseason. And Chavez won't be one to make the team open their wallet very much if at all. The Braves signed the reliever to a minor league deal last offseason, and if he looks to play next season, he will probably land another minor league deal. Don't let Chavez's age (40) allow you to write him off as a potential Royals’ target. Kansas City's general manager J.J Picollo made it clear that the team will be looking to add arms to the bullpen this offseason according to Fox 4 Kansas City: "There’s no question our bullpen has to be addressed,” Picollo said. “We have some guys that are capable that need to be more consistent. (Quatraro) needs to be able to rely on four to five guys on a nightly basis that can hold a lead. We didn’t have that this year so we need to get more talented and consistent in that area.” With that being said, Chavez marks off many of those questions surrounding the bullpen. As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the team won't be a playoff contender but has the potential to be a good team if they add a bat and a bullpen arm or two like Chavez this offseason.

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