The Kansas City Royals have remained busy this offseason wheeling and dealing, especially addressing their outfield and the lack of power they've had available. With the additions of Jorge Soler and Peter O'Brien, Kansas City has now shipped off speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson and in exchanged, landed someone who can slide into their rotation to begin the season.
Nate Karns arrives in Kansas City after a down season with the Seattle Mariners. Karns has bounced around between teams having spent 2014 and 2015 with the Tampa Bay Rays before he was shipped to Seattle last year and posted a 5.15 ERA and 4.29 BB/9.
The 29-year-old has certainly shown potential, more specifically the ability to miss bats. Last season he had a 9.64 K/9 and he had a 9.75 K/9 in 2014, so there are certainly signs of a pitcher who can make MLB hitters swing and miss. He did surrender roughly a home run per inning last season and carries a 1.2 HR/9 across his career. It isn't a big factor but he leaves one pitcher's park for another, so there's no gained advantage.
He will put up enough strikeouts and have a quality defense behind him to support closer to his 4.05 FIP from last season. He'll make for a nice back-end starter for Kansas City who can sit around a 4.3 ERA with 100-140 Ks. It's a good real life movie but Karns is a fringe fantasy pitcher