Many analysts believed Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore significantly overpaid when he signed 31-year-old Ian Kennedy to a five-year, $70 million contract this past winter. I was among them. I thought the KC Royals had overpaid for a mid-rotation pitcher with a career adjusted OPS (OPS+) three percent worse than league average (97 OPS+).
Dave Cameron at Fangraphs.com was much more blunt, writing:
“Royals throw money at an innings eater”
As is usual the last couple of years, the Kansas City Royals keep doing Kansas City Royals things which end up working out better than anyone outside the building expected.