Royals DFA Humberto Quintero, Option Francisley Bueno

The Royals calmed some angry voices today by announcing that they have designated catcher Humberto Quintero for assignment. Yes, that .232/.257/.341 line couldn’t save him, and his defense was, well, not all it was cracked up to be, to put it lightly. With “Savior” Salvador Perez back in Royal blue, the team was comfortable letting one of its three catchers go. As Brayan Pena is a team staple at this point, Quintero exited stage right.

So, we all got what we wanted and hoped for, and now the team has an opening, to be filled by outfielder Jason Bourgeois. Bourgeois spent some time in Kansas City earlier in the year and brings in a .294/.323/.357 line from his MLB time last season and a .214/.267/.286 line from 15 plate appearances with the Royals earlier this year. While at Omaha, Bourgeois hit .205/.262/.269 in 168 plate appearances. It’s not as if he’s a home run king or likely to help much beyond what the Royals already have in the lineup, but he’s a warm body that can fill space.

On the other side of the ball, the Royals also optioned 31-year old left-handed pitcher Francisley Bueno to Omaha in exchange for lefty Everett Teaford, who will see his second stint in Kansas City this year as the pitching merry-go-round continues to whirl. Bueno only pitched two innings in his time as a Royal, allowing one run and three hits. Earlier in the season, Teaford threw 11 innings, allowed seven runs and two home runs, walked seven, and struck out four. However, he blazed through lineups in Omaha, pitching 24 innings and allowing four total runs with eight walks and 25 strikeouts. It seems like it’s time for Teaford to return to Kansas City, as AAA batters are offering little challenge.

Basically, the Royals made two logical moves on one day. Quintero wasn’t helping anything and the team doesn’t need three catchers on its 25-man roster. It’s always good to have five outfielders if necessary, even if Bourgeois doesn’t add much to the team.

Still, that raises an interesting question. If Bourgeois is in Kansas City, why couldn’t Wil Myers be there instead? Neither Jarrod Dyson nor Mitch Maier pose much of a threat to taking his playing time, but it’s possible the Royals are waiting for a corner outfield spot to open. Nonetheless, this could be the precursor to a change that sees Myers wearing Royal blue. Because he’s not currently on the 40-man roster, a player would have to be removed, and that could well be Quintero. Once Quintero is off the roster, there will be a hole in the 40-man and the Royals don’t have to worry about removing another player they might actually want to keep. Enter Wil Myers.

Keep an eye on the announcements in the near future. We may see Myers in Kansas City before we know it.