Kansas City Royals’ Moore and Matheny have big decisions ahead, but lineup isn’t one
In one calendar year the Kansas City Royals have gone from multiple battles for starting positions to the biggest roster decisions having to do with rounding out the bench.
On paper, the addition of left fielder Andrew Benintendi via trade certainly appeared like the final piece necessary to solidify the everyday lineup. Well, general manager Dayton Moore gave voice to that very sentiment on Tuesday afternoon.
“There’s competition in some ways in this camp,” Moore said. “But as far as the starting lineup, it’s pretty much set. The rotation. It’s pretty much set. There’s seven or eight guys that you know are competing for one of the final spots in the rotation. The core group of the bullpen is set.
“That’s a good feeling to have when you enter camp, that your team is pretty locked-in at certain positions.”
In 2019 — the most recent full-length regular season — eight Royals position players made their first starts in the majors.
The offseason additions of first baseman Carlos Santana, center fielder Michael A. Taylor and Benintendi in left field — and Hunter Dozier returning to his former post at third base — created a fairly static lineup of experienced everyday players.
Returning starters Salvador Perez at catcher, right fielder Whit Merrifield, shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, second baseman Nicky Lopez and designated hitter Jorge Soler round out the projected lineup.
The bigger question marks Royals manager Mike Matheny, his staff and the front office will wrestle with include how the Royals will fill out their bench. It could be more difficult this year for younger players to break in.
“Historically we don’t think it’s in the best interest of the player or the success of the team to have a young player as a part-time guy or bat off the bench or just an extra pitcher,” Moore said. “You want to make sure that they’re developing in a way that when they do come up, they’re being impactful.”
Infielder Hanser Alberto signed a minor-league deal this offseason, but he’s had success in the majors. Alberto started for the Baltimore Orioles at second base, and he has hit extremely well against left-handed pitching (.394 batting average the past two seasons). Matheny described Alberto as a “sneaky good signing” earlier this week.
Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan McBroom remain in the fold as potential power bats off the bench. McBroom led the majors and set the franchise record with three pinch-hit homers last year.
Corner infielder Kelvin Gutierrez’s injury history has kept him from making an extended push for a spot on the big club, but he has shown potential in limited chances.
Bubba Starling returned to the organization on a minor-league deal this offseason after having been non-tendered this offseason as did infielder/outfielder Erick Mejia. Starling provides an elite defensive option in the outfield both with his range and arm.
Outfielder Nick Heath has elite speed that could serve the Royals in a particular role, however, a case could be made that he’d benefit from regular playing time at Triple-A. He’s played just 21 games at Triple-A.
Edward Olivares flashed intriguing potential in his stint in the majors in 2020, but he also showed the need to polish his defense in the outfield. He jumped from Double-A to the majors with both the San Diego Padres and Royals in 2020.
“When you start talking about the major-league roster, we’re not necessarily in the development business,” Matheny said. “Who is going to give us the best chance to win ballgames?”
At the same time, Matheny also cautioned against discounting the idea of players benefiting from being around a major-league environment, getting the proper work, being exposed to the culture, teammates.
There are arguments both ways, he acknowledged.
The conversations with the front office are constantly taking place, including designating certain players as guys who should come up when Matheny and his staff are “ready to use him a lot.”
The organization’s long-term approach to development must ultimately be balanced against what gives the major-league club the best possible shot right now.
“Whether it’s using speed and a guy that can potentially run, you have to go look at your roster,” Matheny said. “How many of these guys are we going to actually run for? You start to talk about a potential bat. OK, let’s be realistic. On this projected roster, how many of these hitters do you see us hitting for? How many of these guys would be in the conversation for a defensive replacement?
“It’s just all over the map. It’s all these different ideas.”