Royals’ Moore praises ‘spirit of cooperation’ as Hahn, Junis, Cordero agree to deals
Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore said quite bluntly and honestly this week that his front office had “a lot of balls in the air right now” as the non-tender deadline crept closer and a bevy of arbitration-eligible players on his team’s docket.
Along with signing free-agent outfielder Michael A. Taylor and left-handed pitcher Mike Minor, the Royals took steps towards solidifying their major-league roster by signing a trio of their own players to deals that allowed them to avoid the arbitration process.
Right-handed pitchers Jesse Hahn and Jakob Junis as well as outfielder Franchy Cordero agreed to terms on one-year contracts to remain with the Royals. All three were arbitration eligible this winter.
Hahn, a right-handed reliever, agreed to a deal worth $1.75 million plus up to $350,000 in performance bonuses, while Junis agreed to $1.7 million. Cordero, acquired over the summer in a trade with the San Diego Padres, signed for $800,000 plus up to $25,000 in performance bonuses, according to a source with knowledge of the agreements.
Hahn, who was arbitration eligible for the third time in his career, pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. Junis has been one of the mainstays in the rotation that past three years, though he battled injuries and a bout with the COVID-19 coronavirus this summer.
Cordero, an often-injured 26-year-old outfielder with speed and power, figures to get a chance to play regularly in left field next season with Alex Gordon retired.
The Royals still have a lot of decisions ahead before Wednesday night’s non-tender deadline. Moore lauded the work of assistant general managers Scott Sharp and Jin Wong, who’ve been dealing with the arbitration-eligible players and their contract negotiations.
Designated hitter Jorge Soler, third baseman Maikel Franco, infielder/outfielder Hunter Dozier, shortstop Adalberto Mondesi and starting pitcher Brad Keller are all also eligible for salary arbitration.
“So far, the players that we’ve been able to consummate deals with have worked with us and have been very realistic about where they are in the market and how it fits with us financially,” Moore said. “So we’re thankful for the spirit of cooperation.”
