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Jeff Passan, ESPN
The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms with right-handed starter Michael Wacha and outfielder Hunter Renfroe on Friday, sources told ESPN, pushing Kansas City’s guaranteed free agent spending over $100 million as the team tries to scrape itself from the bottom of the American League Central.
Wacha, 32, agreed to a two-year, $32 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources said. The San Diego Padres had an option on Wacha for two years and $32 million but declined it, and Wacha hit free agency coming off a season in which he went 14-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 134.1 innings.
He rejoins his teammate from San Diego, Seth Lugo, whom Kansas City gave three years and $45 million earlier this week. The Royals’ rotation was among the worst in baseball last season, though adding Lugo and Wacha to high-ceiling 26-year-old Cole Ragans and right-hander Brady Singer makes the Royals a far more formidable team than the one that went 56-106 last year.
Renfroe, who agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with an opt-out after the first season, will slot into an outfield or designated hitter slot and join a lineup with star-in-the-making Bobby Witt Jr., slugging first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez. He’s the second position-player signing of the winter, joining utilityman Garrett Hampson, who received a one-year, $2 million deal.
The 31-year-old Renfroe hit .233/.297/.416 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs last season, splitting his time between the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds.
The Royals have been the most active team in free agency in terms of volume, signing six players in total, including right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to a two-year, $8 million deal and left-handed reliever Will Smith to a one-year, $5 million.
In total, Kansas City has guaranteed $105 million to free agents – and it could spend far more than that if the pursuit of a contract extension with Witt is successful. The Royals are pursuing public money for a new stadium, and signing Witt would be the clearest sign to voters that the team’s attempts to contend are not perfunctory.