What to watch for as Royals get into full swing this spring
Spring training begins in earnest on Monday, with the Royals holding their first full-squad workout in the Grand Canyon State.
As they get set to begin their fourth season since the 2015 World Series run, the Royals remain a club in transition. They’ll attempt to sort through which players will be building blocks for their future as well as keys to improving immediately.
“There’s a lot of questions that have to be answered,” Royals manager Ned Yost said recently, “but that’s the beauty of spring training. You get to answer those questions.”
After enduring an 104-loss season last year, the Royals’ brain trust would much rather get things turned around at the major-league level sooner than later.
“We’ve got to be performing at a peak level right out of the gate if we’re going to create some momentum into the second half of the season to put some pressure on this front office to go get some talent to put us in a position to compete in the second half,” general manager Dayton Moore said during FanFest in Kansas City.
“That’s what we want, but the players have to go out there and do that. Ned and the coaching staff, I know, will have the right plan in place in spring training then it’s up to guys to go perform.”
Finding five
The Royals have no shortage of candidates for the starting pitching rotation. Ten pitchers will likely get stretched out and receive consideration for starting spots, but there are only five openings, and several incumbents will be among those in the fray.
Veteran starters Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy remain on long-term contracts. In 2018, Duffy (8-12) recorded his worst ERA (4.88) since 2011, while an oblique injury plagued Kennedy — he went 3-9 and spent a significant chunk of time on the disabled list.
Keller, Rule 5 pickup a year ago, tied for a team-high nine wins last season despite making more relief appearances (21) than starts (20) in his first year with the organization.
Jakob Junis (9-12, 4.37) and Heath Fillmyer (4-2, 4.26) have both shown potential, but each has pitched in the majors for two years or less. The Royals signed veteran Homer Bailey earlier this month, while pitchers like Jorge Lopez, Scott Blewett, Scott Barlow, Arnaldo Hernandez and Trevor Oaks could all also warrant consideration.
Covering Kauffman
One of the lasting impressions the 2018 season made on the Royals’ decision-makers was that they didn’t have the defenders to adequately cover the outfield at Kauffman Stadium the way they had when they’d enjoyed success in the past.
Billy Hamilton’s signing addressed a void, defensively, in center following Lorenzo Cain’s departure. Alex Gordon provided the Royals Gold Glove defense in left field. But right field remains a rotating cast of characters.
Brian Goodwin (acquired in July from the Washington Nationals), Brett Phillips, Jorge Soler, Jorge Bonifacio and Terrance Gore will all jockey for roster spots as right fielder/designated hitter/extra outfielder.
Musical bullpen chairs
The worst bullpen in the American League in 2018 has undergone a facelift since the end of the season. While Wily Peralta and Kevin McCarthy proved effective last season, the Royals have put an emphasis on adding experienced arms who’ve had success in the closer role or as back-end options.
Brad Boxberger, Jake Diekman and Drew Storen have all been signed in an attempt to add depth and options to a bullpen that could also include Richard Lovelady, who has been impressive in the minors, as well as Rule 5 additions Sam McWilliams and Chris Ellis.
Someone who gets squeezed out of the starting rotation could also factor into the bullpen mix, and the Royals have even floated the idea of Kennedy moving to the bullpen, though they’re clearly not wed to the notion.
Corner quandary
The Royals decided to get corner infielders Ryan O’Hearn and Hunter Dozier the lion’s share of the playing time at first and third base, respectively, at the end of last season. While each made progress, they’re not proven enough to have those positions on lockdown as everyday players.
The depth of options on the infield — which could also include jack-of-all-trades Chris Owings — could mean O’Hearn platoons in some fashion at first base. Dozier may see significant time at first base.
Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert and first baseman Frank Schwindel, one of the organization’s top hitters in the minors, will also try to force their way into consideration this spring.
Mondie’s next move
Last season, Adalberto Mondesi showed that he’s a potential superstar at age 23. The shortstop has a mixture of speed, power and defense that sets him apart on this roster.
He finished last season batting .276 with a .306 on-base percentage, .498 slugging percentage, 14 home runs, 13 doubles and 32 stolen bases in 75 games.
How he sets himself up for an encore performance will be worth watching by both fans and members of the Royals organization.
“I really expect Mondi to come into spring training and really continue his development and continue to move forward,” Yost said last month. “I just think that he made such great progress last year. I was really proud of him at the end of the year. When he first came up to the big leagues from Triple-A, I was really nervous about overusing him because he’s always been a little bit injury-prone.”
Down the stretch in the final month of the season, Mondesi proved to Yost he could stop handling him with kid gloves and that he’d be ready to go every day.
This story was originally published February 17, 2019 at 6:54 PM.
