KC Royals: A Look At Internal Options For Right Field

The KC Royals general manager Dayton Moore looks like he intends to fill the team’s hole at right field with internal options rather than seeking help on the free-agent market to replace the departed Alex Rios.

Such a decision would  make sense given the Kansas City Royals budget constraints and the wealth of internal options capable of playing right field. Further, Alex Rios was hardly stellar last season and the KC Royals still had the best record in the American League. Whether a single player emerges as the right field regular, or manager Ned Yost ends up deploying a platoon, they won’t have to meet a high performance bar to replace last year’s production.

Filling right field with internal options not only makes sense from a fiscal standpoint, it also fits the goal of player development. While the Kansas City Royals are in “win now” mode after taking the American League pennant the last two seasons, the team needs to give some of their minor league prospects the chance to establish themselves at the major-league level.

Franchise stalwarts Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, and Wade Davis all stand to become free agents after the 2017 season. If the KC Royals are to have any hope of maintaining their success, they will need to develop young talent today so that they can be ready to take over as lineup mainstays when many of the current cornerstones figure to leave.

If none of the below options show they can do the job, Moore can always seek a deadline deal to fill a hole. Of course, he hopes such a trade won’t be needed because he’s already compromised his prospect pipeline with last season’s Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist deals.

Opening up one spot for prospects should not kill the Kansas City Royals title hopes, while developing cost controlled talent.

Next: The Incumbent Speed Demon

Jarrod Dyson

Jarrod Dyson has been one of the best fourth outfielders in baseball the last three seasons, amassing 6.8 Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) in less than 300 at bat per season. That’s a pretty impressive total when you consider the average major-league regular earns about 2.0 WAR per season.

Just what can the 31-year-old Dyson do if he played full time?

The answer might just be that he’d be less productive in 600 plate appearances as a regular than in 300 plate appearances coming off the bench. Coming off the bench allows his manager to deploy him in situations that make the best use of Jarrod Dyson’s range in the outfield and his speed on the basepaths. Playing full time will force Dyson to utilize his weak hit tool much more often.

Jarrod Dyson has slashed a mere .255/.320/.343 over his six-year career, for an OPS+ (On Base Plus Slugging adjusted for park factors) of 83 (17% below a league-average hitter. The big problem is that Jarrod Dyson doesn’t get on base enough and has next to no power (six career home runs).

On the other hand, Jarrod Dyson could be a terror on the basepaths in a full-time job. He’s racked up 126 steals the last four seasons (averaging more than 30 per year) as a part-time player. Ned Yost could expect more than 50 stolen bases—or even 60—from Dyson as a full-time player.

Dyson is also outstanding in the field. His career Ultimate Zone Rating/150 (UZR prorated over 150 games) is an impressive 20.3 (meaning he saves an estimated 20.3 runs over a league average fielder). With Dyson in the field, the KC Royals can deploy what Grantland called “The Ultimate Outfield” in 2014. This group of Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, and Dyson figures to be one of the best defensive outfields in baseball history.

The concern is that Dyson’s speed and range might wear down with regular use, especially considering that both are on the downside given his age (31). Second, Dyson’s bat might degrade as pitchers see him more often and get more incentive to suss out the holes in his swing.

Next: The Brazillian Track Star

Paulo Orlando

Paulo Orlando is almost as athletic as Jarrod Dyson, but has significantly more pop at the plate.

As a rookie last season, the right-handed hitting Orlando slashed a credible .249/.269/.444 with 14 doubles, 6 triples, and 7 home runs in 251 plate appearances. Orlando’s 27 extra base hits dwarfs Dyson’s 16 in a similar amount of opportunities (251 PA for Orlando vs. 225 for Dyson).

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The most telling fact is that Ned Yost used the 30-year-old Orlando as the regular left fielder when Alex Gordon went down in July rather than Dyson, even though Orlando was a rookie. Though Orlando possess the speed of the track star he was as a youth in Brazil, he’s nowhere near Dyson as a base-stealer with three stolen bases and three caught stealing in six attempts in 2015.

Paulo Orlando also doesn’t appear to have Jarrod Dyson’s range in the field. He posted an outstanding 14.0 UZR/150 appearing at all three outfield positions last season, but doesn’t compare to Dyson’s career 20.3 UZR/150.

Since Dyson bats left-handed and Orlando is right-handed, Yost could decide to platoon the two players. This possibility is why Dayton Moore should be confident that he can fill the KC Royals right field hole with internal options.

Next: An Indy League Find

Brett Eibner

Athletic and versatile outfielder Brett Eibner was a second round draft pick in 2010, just behind shortstop Christian Colon. 

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Brett Eibner was known to be a project who both pitched and played centerfield for the Arkansas Razorbacks. While many teams were interested in him as a pitcher, the right-handed hitting Eibner wanted to become a position player which was fine with Kansas City Royals scouts.

Eibner possesses a nice combination of speed, pop, and patience at the plate, but his hit tool has been slow to develop. At age 26 in 2015, Eibner finally dominated at AAA with a 303/.364/.514 triple slash with 19 home runs, 81 RBI’s, and 10 stolen bases (0 caught stealing).

While Brett Eibner did not have the season that teammate Jose Martinez enjoyed in 2015, Eibner has a better prospect pedigree and overall athleticism. Eibner also has more patience at the plate than most Kansas City Royals farmhands, but also strikes out more frequently than most KC prospects.

Next: The Kansas High School Hero

Bubba Starling

Bubba Starling was a multi-sport star from Gardner, Kansas when the KC Royals made him the fifth overall pick of the 2011 draft. Starling was considered the most complete athlete in the draft, and a possible five-tool talent.

Kansas City Royals scouts knew that Starling would be a project, however, due to the low level of competition he faced in high school and the fact that he did not focus on the sport (he also earned a football scholarship to play quarterback at Nebraska). The right-handed batting Starling would go as far as his hit tool would take him.

As it turned out, Bubba Starling struggled with both his vision and a hitch in his swing. But, he finally broke through at the plate at age 22. Starling slashed .386/.471/.614 at High A Wilmington, .254/.318/.426 at AA NW Arkansas, and .274/.330/.440 in the Arizona Fall League.

Now, Starling will get a real shot to earn a major-league job this spring. His defense is already plus major-league quality at all three positions. He’s a plus base-runner without being a big base-stealing threat. Though he has come a long way in the past season, the KC Royals personnel department indicates that he most likely won’t be ready for a full-time job in Kansas City until 2017.

Next: Miguel Almonte Deserves Look In Rotation

These five are the favorites to win the right field job with the KC Royals this spring, though dark horse candidates include Jorge Bonifacio and Reymond Fuentes.