For example, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.com referred to the deal as “Royals throw money at an innings-eater” while rating it the third worst move of the 2015-16 off-season. Other analysts were hardly any kinder—including my initial take on the deal.
In the six weeks since signing Kennedy, I’ve come to a certain amount of peace with the deal. Part of it is the fan in me trying to come up with reasons why the signing could work out for the Kansas City Royals. But, I do think there are some solid reasons why the KC Royals front office put a higher value on Kennedy than most other teams.