KC Royals: Five Biggest Weaknesses At The Break

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May 3, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals second basemen Omar Infante (14) turns to make a throw to for first for an out against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

4. Second Baseman Omar Infante

Let’s face it, second baseman Omar Infante just hasn’t cut it this season.

Infante is slashing a terrible .236/.247/.308 with 17 doubles, 2 triples, and 0 home runs. He’s the 4th worst qualified hitter in the major-leagues with a wRC+ (runs created) of 48. While Omar Infante’s defense makes his overall play slightly better (16th worst Wins Above Replacement Value in MLB at -0.3), he’s still not getting the job done.

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The issue, however, isn’t as simple as we fans would like to think.

Omar Infante has struggled with a bone spur on his right elbow all season. Infante, however, has heated up a bit in the last couple of weeks, slashing a more tolerable .270/.308/.297. He’s currently in the second year of a 4-year, $32 million dollar deal, with $17.75 million remaining on the contract.

That would be a lot of money for the KC Royals to eat.

Of course, not wanting to write off Infante’s contract doesn’t stop the Kansas City Royals from bringing in help for the stretch run. Dayton Moore could address the Infante situation by acquiring a utility player that can help out at multiple positions.

Oakland’s Ben Zobrist is the primary name that’s getting bandied about as such a solution, since he can play every defensive position except catcher. The 34-year-old Zobrist is also a switch hitter with a bit of pop (119 career home runs).

Zobrist is currently hitting .261/.346/.429 with 5 dingers. The best part is Ben Zobrist is a patient hitter (career 12.1% walk rate) who would help the free-swinging KC Royals wear down pitchers.

Next: Scoring Against Left-Handed Pitching

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