Royals rumors: Kyle Lohse, Anibal Sanchez

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Kyle Lohse and Detroit Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez, are believed to be the Kansas City Royals’ top two free agent targets, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star:

Lohse and Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez are believed to be the top two free agents on the Royals' off-season list in seeking to bolster their rotation.

Over the summer the Royals said they would be seeking a "real" starting pitching this offseason. A Royals source characterized the potential acquisition as someone that would not be a fifth arm in their rotation, but a true starting pitcher.

Free agent-to-be Shaun Marcum has been tied to the club, and former Royals’ starter Zack Greinke will also be available this winter. However, Dutton believes the team’s focus will be on Lohse and Sanchez.

Lohse maintained an ERA of 2.86 over 33 appearances spanning 211 innings this season. The 34-year-old has a career ERA of 4.45, but posted a mark of 3.90 over the past five years with the Cardinals.

At 28 years old, Sanchez is considerably younger than Lohse. He’s maintained an ERA of 3.86 this season over 31 starts with the Tigers and Miami Marlins. The right-hander owns a career ERA of 3.75 over seven years at the major league level.