The Kansas City Royals are considering free agent Ryan Goins, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The infielder was not tendered a contact by the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline for arbitration-eligible players.
Goins, a strong defensive player who’s struggled to hit consistently in the majors, became a redundant piece on Toronto’s roster following the acquisition of infielder Aledmys Diaz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 29-year-old batted .237/.286/.356 in 2017, but did produce a career-high 62 RBI, resulting from a .330 average with runners in scoring position that included a 10-for-14 mark with the bases loaded.
The Royals, Heyman notes, have always liked the infielder who has spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays.
Kansas City’s free agents include Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, but the club is reportedly pushing to re-sign the latter two players.
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Indians intrigue
The Cleveland Indians are open to moving right-hander Danny Salazar, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old has showed much promise during his time with the Indians, but has missed time over the past two seasons due to various injuries.
The right-hander owns a 3.82 ERA and 3.56 FIP, to go along with a 10.5 K/9 rate over 108 career games, 104 of which are starts. He made $3.4 million in 2017 and is eligible for arbitration this year, but is under team control through the 2020 campaign.
Red Sox say no to Puig
The Boston Red Sox quickly rejected an offer that would send Jackie Bradley Jr. to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for fellow outfielder Yasiel Puig, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Bradley is an elite defender whose modest bat has lagged behind. However, the 27-year-old made just $3.6 million last season and is under team control through 2020.
The 27-year-old Puig, meanwhile, enjoyed a career renaissance in 2017, launching a career-high 28 home runs and 15 stolen bases, while posting an .833 OPS. He’s two years from free agency.
The Red Sox are still pursuing free agent slugger J.D. Martinez, recently offering him a five-year deal, according to reports. The 30-year-old outfielder would solve the club’s power woes, as he hit 45 homers and led MLB with a .690 slugging percentage in 2017.
