What Brian Goodwin’s arrival with the Royals means for their future outfield

Outfielder Brian Goodwin broke off from answering a question at his Kauffman Stadium locker on Monday afternoon to gaze over the shoulders of reporters to see if he recognized any of his new Royals teammates.

None of the faces stood out.

“Uh,” he said, “Not exactly.”

For Goodwin, who spent his last seven years in the Nationals organization after being drafted 34th overall in 2011, joining this clubhouse in the middle of a season was a little jarring. He’d never been traded before.

But the Royals have welcomed more than a dozen players from outside their own club this season. They’ll have no trouble adjusting to Goodwin’s arrival — even if he didn’t yet have a name plate over his locker when he addressed members of the media for the first time.

These are the Royals now: A ragtag bunch that’s seen 10 players make starts in the outfield and six start at first base this season in the wake of the free-agent departures of Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer.

There’s opportunity for Goodwin, 27, to make the move to Kansas City count. He is under club control through 2022 and could figure into the Royals’ long-term outfield picture. He’s athletic and comfortable at all three spots; he’s demonstrated an ability to tap into power when playing consistently; and he can use speed to track balls and run the bases. What exactly Goodwin’s future in Kansas City holds, however, depends on Jorge Bonifacio and the injured Jorge Soler, both of whom have made defensive strides in the outfield. It’ll also depend, in part, on the progress of Bubba Starling, the Royals’ top pick of the 2011 draft who was sidelined with another injury last week.

For the time being, Goodwin will be mixed in at center field alongside Rosell Herrera.

“I enjoyed my time there, I enjoyed my teammates there, I enjoyed the competition in the outfield,” Goodwin said. “I think coming over here and not having so much to have to work through and sort through and so many people to have to come around — this is definitely a fresh start.”

Herrera, who’s batted .250 in 22 games with the Royals since joining them in mid-June, may also begin to play elsewhere. Manager Ned Yost said Herrera, who was primarily a shortstop coming up in the Rockies’ organization, has worked with coach Mike Jirschele taking ground balls in the infield during practice.

“I think (Herrera’s) got a nice skill set,” Yost said.

The Royals are intrigued by Goodwin’s, too. Unlike Herrera, who signed a one-year contract with the Reds before the Royals claimed him off waivers in early June, Goodwin is poised to stick around. He will not be arbitration-eligible until 2020.

“He’ll be provided opportunity here,” Yost said. “Take advantage of it, which I’m sure he will. It looks like he is focused and ready to go.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 7:52 PM.