James Shields, the top MLB free agent still on the market, has a chance to return to the Kansas City Royals in 2015 according to Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star.
From the due diligence department: Dayton Moore says KC is still monitoring James Shields' free agency, but "I'm not sure there's a fit."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) January 26, 2015
The latest reports on Shields previously indicated the strongest link was with the San Diego Padres, who have been among the busiest clubs in baseball this offseason. New general manager A.J. Preller has splurged on a completely new outfield featuring All-Stars Matt Kemp and Justin Upton as well as 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers. Shields reportedly prefers to pitch on the West Coast, and is currently living in San Diego. The Miami Marlins have also been a rumored landing spot despite sources near the team saying there is "zero chance" the Marlins will pursue him. ESPN's Jim Bowden reported last week that Miami is "closely monitoring" his free agency.
The Marlins continue to be involved and are closely monitoring James Shields Free Agent situation according to a source - Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) January 22, 2015
Shields' biggest question marks are his age and postseason woes. He will start the season at 33 years old, a precarious age for a starting pitcher seeking a long-term contract. Secondly, despite the moniker "Big Game" James, he has been terrible in the playoffs.
The Royals reached the 2014 World Series in spite of his postseason starts, and for his career he owns a 3-6 record with a 5.46 ERA.
In the regular season though, Shields has been ace quality. He's topped 200 innings for eight straight years, and last season went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.
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