The Royals Should Steal This Free Agent Away From the Guardians

MLB free agency is back underway and one of the clubs look to add a few pieces ahead of Opening Day is the Kansas City Royals. Improving the bullpen is one of the Royals' goals, especially after their relievers finished with a 4.22 ERA (No. 19) in 2021.

One name that the Royals should pursue is veteran right-handed reliever Blake Parker. Not only could he help bolster the bullpen but signing him would hurt the rival Cleveland Guardians in the process.

Royals Free Agency

Somewhat of a journeyman, Parker found success with the Guardians last season. He made a total of 47 appearances, tallying a 2-1 record over that stretch along with a 3.09 ERA and 1.305 WHIP in 43.2 innings pitched.

Parker was solid at limiting home runs in 2021, averaging just 1.0 allowed per nine innings. He also allowed 2.9 walks per nine, which could be attractive for a Royals team whose bullpen allowed the ninth-most walks last year.

Kansas City's pitching unit as a whole is fairly young, so adding a 36-year-old veteran to the mix could bring in some much-needed experience. After all, the young pitchers need to learn from someone.

The Royals are a longshot to win the 2022 World Series, clocking in at +10000 odds (No. 24) on FanDuelSportsbook. Even though adding Parker may not be enough to put them over the top, his presence will at least help the team take one step forward while taking a valuable piece away from the rival Guardians.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.