The annual baseball offseason courtship is underway–the field of free agents is set, valuable stars are available, and players and teams are talking. The budget-conscious Kansas City Royals typically don’t pursue cream of the crop big league free agents, but there may be hidden–and cheaper–gems in the minor league free agent pool, including several former Royals the club might consider.
Unlike major league free agency, the minor league free agent process is unencumbered by difficult procedural considerations and decisions. Teams needn’t decide whether to extend qualifying offers to minor league free agents, thus freeing those players from agonizing over whether to accept a qualifying offer–and the guaranteed money it represents–or reject an offer and risk having to sign for less than the offered amount in the stark face of an unfriendly, unaccepting or thin market.