Royals interested in Gerardo Parra as possible replacement for Gordon

The hot stove has begun to heat up with Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo penning a column full of juicy tidbits on a number of teams including the Royals. Cafardo mentions the Royals interest in Jackie Bradley that was reported last week, writing that the Royals were willing to give up a bullpen piece to get the 25-year old outfielder. He writes that Bradley is high on their list of replacements for Alex Gordon, who the Royals concede is very likely gone.

The concern is losing Alex Gordon and Ben Zobrist. The feeling is that Zobrist could re-sign, but Gordon is likely gone. The Royals are looking not only at Jackie Bradley Jr. but free agent Gerardo Parra as possible replacements. They don’t feel they need to replace Gordon with a power hitter, given the dimensions of Kauffman Stadium, but rather a run preventer. Parra and Bradley would fit that description.

Parra is one of a number of outfield free agent targets the Royals could pursue, but he might best fit their defensive philosophy the best. The 28-year old Venezuelan hit .291/.328/.452 with 14 HR 51 RBI and 36 doubles last year for the Brewers and Orioles. He is a lifetime .277/.326/.404 hitter in seven Major League seasons and has won two Gold Gloves. His defense did fall off a lot last year according to the metrics, although some of that may have been related to him playing more centerfield than he had in the past. Parra hardly walks at all, and has an average strikeout rate, so he should fit into the team philosophy of putting the ball in play.

Parra should probably expect a two- to three-year contract worth around $9-10 million per year. Signing Parra to those numbers instead of a potential $100 million deal for Alex Gordon would free up more money to address other needs in right-field, starting pitching, and possibly re-signing Ben Zobrist.