Recapping the Kansas City Royals’ offseason additions as spring training nears
In less than three weeks from the end of November to the middle of December, the Kansas City Royals’ front office significantly reshaped their club. They added established first baseman Carlos Santana, left-handed pitcher Mike Minor and outfielder Michael A. Taylor, and re-signed reliever Greg Holland.
They augmented the roster further with Wednesday night’s trade to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi.
Spring training is now within shouting distance as pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout in Arizona on Feb. 17 with the first full-squad workout the following week.
The club’s largest overhauls since the start of spring training last February have been in the outfield, corner infield and starting rotation.
How those revamped units perform will likely play a large role in the team’s success this season.
Outfield
Additions: Andrew Benintendi, Michael A. Taylor, Edward Olivares
Departures: Alex Gordon, Brett Phillips, Franchy Cordero
Outlook: Alex Gordon’s retirement paves the way for a new starting left fielder for the first time in 10 years.
Franchy Cordero, acquired last summer from the San Diego Padres, appeared the first in line to take over the position until the Royals shipped him to the Boston Red Sox in a deal for Benintendi.
Benintendi instantly projects as the startling left fielder. In 485 career games, Benintendi has slashed .273/.353/.435.
The Royals aggressively pursued Michael A. Taylor to play center field. Defensive metrics regarded Taylor as one of the elite outfield defenders when he played everyday with the Washington Nationals. He also has shown off 15-to-20 homer power at the major-league level. The Royals believe there’s still offensive upside to Taylor’s game.
Taylor’s presence in center allows Whit Merrifield to slide over to right field, where Royals manager Mike Matheny believes he’ll excel. Merrifield remains the offensive catalyst at the top of the lineup. He led the AL in hits in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019, and he led the league in steals in 2018. Merrifield also belted nine home runs in 60 games in 2020.
Bubba Starling returned on a minor-league contract this offseason and provides another excellent outfield defender.
Edward Olivares, also acquired last summer from the Padres, has also flashed raw ability and a free-swinging approach at the plate mixed with some rough edges in the outfield. In 18 games, he slashed .274/.292/.419 with two homers, a double, triple and seven RBIs.
Corner infielders
Additions: Carlos Santana
Departures: Maikel Franco
Outlook: Hunter Dozier moved off of third base to clear the way for Maikel Franco to play everyday last season. Franco, who played approximately half the season hobbled by a leg injury, led the team with 38 RBIs and tied for third in the American League in doubles (16). He also recorded his highest batting average (.278), on-base percentage (.321) and slugging percentage (.457) since 2015.
The Royals non-tendered Franco, who was arbitration eligible, and added Santana, who torched them as a member of the Cleveland Indians. From 2011-19, Santana posted a .250/.366/.449 slash line and averaged 25 home runs and 83 RBIs per season. He earned All-Star and Silver Slugger honors in 2019.
Dozier figures to slot back in at third base, where he enjoyed a career year in 2019. That season included a .279/.348/.522 slash line with 26 homers, 10 triples, 29 doubles and 75 runs scored. He couldn’t duplicate that production in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His season never quite got on track after a COVID-19 infection sidelined him for the start of the regular season.
Kelvin Gutierrez, who showed promise in his first taste of the majors in 2019, could also figure into the mix at third base. Former Baltimore Orioles infielder Hanser Alberto, who excels at making contact and hitting left-handed pitching, has started at third base as well as second base in the past.
Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan McBroom went into last season as the leading candidates at first base. They’re both still in the fold.
Rotation
Additions: Mike Minor
Departures: Mike Montgomery
Outlook: The biggest change to the potential starting rotation this spring comes in the form of experience gained by young pitchers such as Brady Singer, Kris Bubic and Carlos Hernández. All three made their MLB debuts in 2020, and none had even pitched above Double-A in the minors prior to last season.
Last year, the Royals went into camp with four projected starters in Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, Jakob Junis and Mike Montgomery. Montgomery, a reliever with the Chicago Cubs, had been acquired at the deadline the previous season and stretched out late in 2019.
While Jorge Lopez and Glenn Sparkman had both also started games the previous season, both were viewed as bullpen pieces going into last year.
Duffy, Keller, Junis, Singer, Bubic and Hernández all made multiple starts last season. Add to that group the left-hander Mike Minor, who instantly becomes the most experienced member of the rotation.
A former All-Star with a pair of 200-inning seasons on his résumé, Minor gives the rotation a more established innings eater than it had going into last spring training.
Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar lead a group of young pitching prospects who’ll be in camp for the second consecutive year awaiting their opportunity to crack the starting rotation.
