There’s irony for the Royals as the nonwaiver trading deadline, which occurred Sunday, retreats in the distance. They could be far more active this month in reshaping their roster than at anytime during the July countdown.
For example: General manager Dayton Moore admits the organization’s “goal” is for second baseman Johnny Giavotella, a top prospect, to get “100 to 150 at-bats in the major leagues” before the end of the season.That suggests a summons is likely to occur by mid-August at the latest.Giavotella, 24, appears to have little left to prove offensively in the minors. He was batting .341 through Sunday at Class AAA Omaha in 106 games, including a .391 mark in 60 games since June 1. The Royals want to promote Giavotella, in part, because he must be placed on the 40-man roster over the winter to avoid exposing him to the Rule 5 draft. There is no benefit therefore, in terms of roster flexibility, in keeping him in the minors until next season.Whenever Giavotella arrives, he will be on what manager Ned Yost terms the Eric Hosmer/Mike Moustakas plan. That means regular duty; Giavotella won’t be a reserve or a platoon player.The trade Saturday that sent Mike Aviles to Boston for utilityman Yamaico Navarro and minor-league pitcher Kendal Volz was, in a sense, a preemptive move in an anticipated Giavotella promotion.Navarro has two options remaining after this year.But Giavotella’s arrival also puts Chris Getz’s future in doubt. Getz is a solid defensive second baseman, but his ability to shift to a utility role is suspect. Scouts say he lacks the range to play shortstop and the arm strength to play third for any extended period.Getz does have options remaining, though he should qualify this season for arbitration. Keeping him in the minors in future years will come at a cost.Calling up Giavotella would also, at this point, fill the only vacancy on the Royals’ 40-man roster. That suggests other moves are coming because club officials want to take a look at other prospects before the end of the year.That’s easy enough to do with first baseman/DH Clint Robinson, 26, and outfielders Lorenzo Cain, 25, and David Lough, 25, because all three are already on the 40-man roster. The Royals need only wait until September when the big-league rosters expand.Other decisions are stickier.The Royals recalled catcher Manny Piña on Sunday to replace injured Matt Treanor in large part because Piña is on the 40-man roster. But Salvador Perez, who recently replaced Piña as Omaha’s starter, is widely viewed as the club’s catcher of the future.Since Perez, 21, must be added to the roster this winter, he seems a likely promotion candidate before the end of the year — though the Royals appear content to let him finish the season at Omaha.Right-handed reliever Kelvin Herrera, 21, took part in the All-Star Futures Game in a breakout year after battling minor arm ailments over the two previous seasons. He also must be placed on the 40-man roster over the winter and, thus, is in line for a look.Left-hander Mike Montgomery, 22, doesn’t have to go on the roster this winter and, at 4-6 with a 5.37 ERA in 21 starts at Omaha, hasn’t earned a promotion.But Montgomery entered the year generally regarded as the organization’s top pitching prospect. A strong finish could prompt the Royals to give him a taste of the big leagues in anticipation of having him compete next spring for a spot in the rotation.There’s also a wild card in the mix.Right-hander Luis Mendoza, 27, showed little over the previous four seasons in short big-league stretches for the Rangers and Royals. But he currently leads the Pacific Coast League with a 2.37 ERA while compiling a 7-4 record at Omaha.The Royals are wary of letting Mendoza get away.“We’ve got to find out,” Moore said. “I don’t want another Philip Humber situation.”That situation still rankles.Humber flashed some long-anticipated promise last season for the Royals and Omaha, but the club lost him last December in a waiver claim. And now? Humber is 8-7 with a 3.44 ERA for the White Sox.The Royals also hope to take another look at right-handers Vin Mazzaro and Sean O’Sullivan before making tough offseason roster decisions. Both can return through a simple recall if space is available on the 25-man roster — or by waiting until September.Much could depend on which players the Royals are able to move through waivers since those players can still be traded. That could take a week or so to determine, though that information isn’t generally available to the public. “There are still some things we want to do in August and September,” Moore said. “Would we like to get Giavotella up here? Yes. Would we like to get Mazzaro, O’Sullivan or even Mendoza up here?“We probably can’t get them all up here, but we’d like to get some of those guys up here. To do that, we may end up moving some guys to free up space. But we’re not going to give anyone away.Orioles at Royals •WHEN: 7:10 tonight•TV: FSKCRead more Royals
Posted on Mon, Aug. 01, 2011 11:09 PM
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Royals could be busier than ever in coming weeks
To reach Bob Dutton, send email to bdutton@kcstar.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Royals_Report.
