Five Potential September Callups for the Royals

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

5. Johnny Giavotella

Recently, there has been some talk that Johnny Giavotella could be on the way out, losing his spot on the Royals 40 man roster to such players as Brandon Finnegan and/or Christian Binford. While Giavotella has not turned into the player that the Royals may have expected when he was drafted in the second round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, he would still likely be claimed by a team that feels that a change of scenery is all he needs.

What Giavotella has appeared to be thus far is a AAAA player, someone who can perform quite well at the AAA level, but cannot bring that success to the majors. His numbers throughout his career lend credence to that thought, as Giavotella has posted a .310/.381/.441 batting line with 31 home runs in his career with the Omaha Storm Chasers, but has only hit at a .235/.275/.329 rate with four home runs with the Royals.

So why could Johnny Giavotella, with this track record of not producing at the major league level, be a factor in September? Quite simply, Giavotella could end up facing similar competition to what he did in Omaha. Teams such as the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox, who the Royals face ten times during September, are likely going to give the younger players a chance. Facing minor league players, Giavotella could deliver for the Royals.

Having added the ability to play third and left field with relative competence, Giavotella brings more versatility to the Royals bench. That defensive flexibility, along with the potential of feeling more comfortable in facing players of a similar caliber, could help Giavotella make an impact on the Royals.