Royals’ Raul Mondesi focuses on baseball, not family issues back home

Raul Mondesi has had a difficult year. In January, he grieved the loss of Yordano Ventura, his dear friend and Royals teammate. In the months that followed, club officials learned that Mondesi’s father, the former major-league outfielder of the same name, was facing criminal corruption charges back home in the Dominican Republic.

The case came to an end Thursday, when the older Mondesi was convicted of embezzlement connected to his term as mayor of San Cristobal, a city west of the capital of Santo Domingo. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay a $1.3 million fine, according to reports.

Yet, amid the tragedy and uncertainty back home, Mondesi, a 22-year-old shortstop, crafted the best season of his career, brushing off a demotion in April and excelling at Class AAA Omaha. In 85 games, he batted a career-high .305 with 13 homers and an .879 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging). He added 20 doubles and eight triples while starting 69 games at shortstop, his natural position.

He sought to block out any off-field distractions, he said, including his family situation back home.

“I didn’t pay attention to that,” Mondesi said. “I’m here for baseball. I’ll have time go back home, but right now it’s baseball.”

Mondesi politely declined to answer questions about his father’s case. He did not say when he first learned about the charges, though he said he found out about the conviction last week, when others did.

“I’ll just keep concentrating on my baseball stuff,” he said. “I’ll have time to go home and I’ll figure (all that) out when I get home.”

Mondesi has appeared in six games, all off the bench, since being called up at the beginning of September. Still, he has attempted to make the most of his time. He remains an important piece of the Royals’ future and would like to stick here for the long term.

“I know what I need to do to play at this level,” he said.

He didn’t always feel that way. As the season began, he won the starting second base job in spring training, beating out Whit Merrifield and Christian Colon. Mondesi lasted just 14 games, batting .103 (four for 39) before earning a demotion. He returned for one game in May, but spent much of the season working on his offensive game at Omaha.

There are still questions surrounding his plate discipline. In 2017, Mondesi struck out 86 times while drawing just 18 walks. Yet the Royals viewed the at-bats as a valuable learning experience.

“When I started up here, I wanted to do too much,” Mondesi said. “I just went back to Omaha and played more relaxed.”

And now, he will look to the future. Royals shotstop Alcides Escobar will hit free agency in the offseason, and Mondesi is positioned as the heir apparent. But the situation is not without its question marks. The club could attempt to re-sign Escobar on a short-term, club-friendly contract, offering insurance at a premium position. Royals general manager Dayton Moore has also floated the idea of using Mondesi in center field, though, for now, the idea is mostly just due diligence.

The Royals believe that Mondesi’s athleticism, speed and arm could play in center field. They could also need a replacement in center if they do not re-sign Lorenzo Cain. Royals manager Ned Yost said the idea to move Mondesi there has rarely been discussed thus far.

“Could he do that? Yeah,” Yost said. “It’s been mentioned. But have we sat down and talked about, ‘Hey, do we need Mondi here?’ No.

“I’m already going through in my mind: Next year, in spring training, Mondi will play some short, he’ll play some second, he’ll play some outfield.”

The Royals also return outfielder Paulo Orlando, who projects as an internal option in center. They could pursue other free agent possibilities this winter. But in the interest of versatility, they believe Mondesi possesses the tools to play in center field.

For now, Mondesi said the club has not approached him about the idea. But he remains open to anything. He has played shortstop all his life, he said. But if there was a need in center, he would gladly help out.

“You know, if that’s my chance, I’ll play,” Mondesi said. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2017 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Royals’ Raul Mondesi focuses on baseball, not family issues back home."