After putting together a strong season with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, Adrian Houser should have a number of suitors in free agency.
One of those teams should be the Kansas City Royals.
Since winning the World Series back in 2015, the Royals have failed to find much success. After being crowned champions, the Royals failed to make the playoffs again until 2024.
Then, once the Royals did make it to the postseason two years ago after winning 86 games, they fell to the New York Yankees in the ALDS. It would be one thing if the Royals built on that season, but they dipped right back down in 2025.
Last year, the Royals won 82 games and failed to make the playoffs. All of that is to say that the Royals need to go out and make some moves in MLB free agency.
One of them should be signing Houser.
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Adrian Houser Will Join The Kansas City Royals
Now, before we dive into why Houser could be a fit for Kansas City, here’s a brief breakdown of his player profile from a previous article:
“Houser started out on the Chicago White Sox before being traded to the Rays. On the year, Houser looked good with 3.3 WAR, an 8-5 record, and a 3.31 ERA…With the White Sox, Houser pitched in 11 games where he had 3.0 WAR, 2.10 ERA, and a 6-2 record. On the Rays, Houser pitched in 10 games but had 0.3 WAR, a 2-3 record, and 4.79 ERA.”
Beyond just that, Houser had a Pitching Run Value of 4 (54th percentile) on Baseball Savant, which isn’t bad at all.
Despite not having a ton of past success, last season’s performance should be enough for teams to want to make a bet on Houser for 2026.
How Adrian Houser Fits With the Kansas City Royals
At 32 years old, Houser isn’t exactly young, but he would be a perfect replacement at some point for Seth Lugo.
Lugo was extended last season, largely because of his sensational season in 2024, but at 36 years old, you have to wonder how much longer he can consistently deliver quality performances.
Last year, Lugo had a 4.15 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, and 1.7 WAR, and his Savant numbers further reflect his underwhelming production. Lugo had a Pitching Run Value of -15 (10th percentile), and when you look into his profile, his other numbers are very discouraging.
Outside of Lugo, Cole Ragans is coming off an injury, and adding Houser to take some innings could help the 27-year-old for the future. Last year, Ragans had a 4.67 ERA, 1.184 WHIP, 0.2 WAR, and Pitching Run Value of 2 (45th percentile), which isn’t what the Royals want to see.
Adrian Houser Contract Projection
Now, the reason that we’re not talking about Houser as a locked-in starter is because of what he’s done outside of 2025. Houser’s track record is far from established, so his projected contract isn’t massive, at two years, $20 million.
With that being the case, this would be a great fit for the Royals at cost. As for Houser, this may not be exactly what he wants, but it’s still not a bad option for him.