Ranking Replacements Within Kansas City Royals Organization

The Kansas City Royals are staring at an uncertain offseason. What is certain, though, is that the team will need some in-house options to step up in 2018. Here’s what we think of those options.

As you might have heard, the Kansas City Royals have several core players up for free agency this offseason in the form of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. General manager Dayton Moore and his staff will surely do everything in their power to retain as much of this group as possible, but there is a real chance that none of them will return for the 2018 campaign.

The last thing that any Kansas City Royals fan wants is for all four players to don new uniforms next season. So just for fun, let’s imagine a world where that happens!

In an article by the Kansas City Star‘s Rustin Dodd, it seems at the moment that if the Royals strike out on trying to retain Hosmer, they may opt for the more painful form of a rebuild, according to Moore. That would likely mean that the core four wouldn’t be replaced by external free agents but by cheaper guys already in the system.

In this article, we will look at the four players most likely to take over for the core and rank them from least to most ready to step in next year and make their mark. Regardless of how ready they may be, the time is now for these Kansas City Royals in this (hopefully) alternate dystopian baseball universe.

4.) Raul Mondesi

Raul Mondesi has long been the heir apparent to Escobar at shortstop, spending time as the top prospect in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was given a brief look at second base in both 2016 and 2017. He looked completely overmatched, hitting to the tune of a .181/.226/.271 line in 209 plate appearances while also striking out in his lone 2015 World Series at-bat.

The front office has always been high on Mondesi. That was evidenced by the questionable decisions to put him on the World Series roster, as well as handing him the starting second base job out of camp this season. They are going to give him every chance to succeed at the major league level starting with this upcoming season.

But that does not mean that he ultimately will.

While Mondesi definitely has the speed tool down and is capable on defense, his bat has never been anything special up until his stint with Omaha this past season. It may be a wise decision for Moore to try to move him while his prospect value is still relatively high for a player like Trevor Story, plus a pitching prospect. Or for a well-regarded young player at another position and let Ramon Torres man short for the time being.

As fun as that would be, there is no chance of that actually happening. Raul Mondesi will be at shortstop for years to come and will be given the full Esky treatment by Ned Yost next year, flailing away in clutch late-game situations.

Verdict: Not ready; maybe never will be

3.) Paulo Orlando

The hole that will be the hardest to fill in 2018 will be the one left in center field by Cain. The Kansas City Royals are stacked with capable corner outfielders with Alex Gordon, Jorge Bonifacio, Jorge Soler, Hunter Dozier and even Brandon Moss. Outside of the wild card that would be Bubba Starling, there doesn’t appear to be any young center fielders on the immediate horizon.

That is where Paulo Orlando comes into play.

The former Brazilian track star debuted with the Kansas City Royals during the 2015 season. He hit triples like they were going out of style and generally became a serviceable backup outfielder. In 2016, Orlando landed a semi-regular job as the right fielder. He put up what likely will be his career year with a .734 OPS in 128 games.

He also held his own defensively and has taken on Jarrod Dyson’s former role as a late-inning defensive replacement. His 2017 season didn’t start off great. Then he spent most of the year out with a broken leg before returning in September and getting a little hot at the very end of the season.

While Paulo Orlando is no long-term fix in center at age 32, he can man the position effectively and do so at a low price. Orlando has also shown that he can produce at the major league level, which is more than any other in-house replacement could say. Odds are, this job is his to lose. He will be perfectly decent for the Kansas City Royals next season.

Verdict: Ready; capable supporting player

1.) Cheslor Cuthbert

The Kansas City Royals are fairly deep at the third base position with potential replacements for Moustakas. The one that stands out the most—and is the most capable replacement on this list—is the always-happy Cheslor Cuthbert.

The Nicaraguan-born Cuthbert had an outstanding rookie season for the Royals in 2016 that was somewhat obscured by a tough September that saw him tire down the stretch. That is to be expected for a rookie, and this comparison, which shows Cuthbert’s peak on July 23, should really put his season into perspective:

Rookie seasons:

• Eric Hosmer: .293/.334/.465
• Mike Moustakas: .263/.309/.367
• Billy Butler: .292/.347/.447
• Cheslor Cuthbert: .302/.336/.472

He didn’t finish with that line (actually hit at .274/.318/.413) and does not have the pedigree or upside of those players. But Cuthbert was keeping pace with three future Kansas City Royals Hall of Famers as a mid-season injury sub. It also isn’t like the man is a non-prospect, as Cuthbert was Baseball America’s #84 prospect in 2011 and played in the Futures Game in 2015 for the World team.

It wouldn’t be unrealistic to see Cheslor Cuthbert hit 20 home runs with an average north of .270 in 2018. As players such as Gordon, Moustakas and Whit Merrifield have shown, there is always room to grow and improve your game. If he can work on his throws to first base and mature at the plate at the rate that he has, Cuthbert will be a highly productive player for the Kansas City Royals for years to come.

Verdict: Ready to be part of the new core

Next: Top 10 Moments from 2017 Season

So which of the in-house replacements are you most excited to see take the next step? What others players do you see stepping up in the coming seasons? Let us know in the comments or on social media.