Kansas City Royals: What to do with Adalberto Mondesi

Adalberto Mondesi has had a great first two games in Spring Training. He has gone 3 for 4 with one of those hits being a home run. Right now it looks like all signs are pointing to him getting a spot on the Opening Day roster but the question is where.

This offseason the Royals signed long-time shortstop Alcides Escobar with the intention of starting him. That is where everyone presumed that Adalberto Mondesi would start in 2018. It does not appear that way now. He could push last year’s second baseman Whit Merrifield out of but Mondesi could find himself playing another position.

Another theory is the Royals could be trying to save his MLB service time, keeping him with the Royals a year longer. If he is not on the active roster this year they will buy more time with him on the team, which could mean he could be around for the next contending Royals team.

This is where the Escobar signing makes sense. You keep Escobar in Kansas City and send Mondesi to Triple-A to work with Nicky Lopez. This will help them get on the same page at second base and shortstop.

For those who are not a fan of Mondesi because of his numbers in the majors, remember he is still 22-years-old. He still needs time to mature. His talent is there he just needs to translate it to the major leagues.

Why did they rush Adalberto Mondesi?

The Royals brought Mondesi up in 2016 and 2017 and he was not impressive. He hit .181/.226/.271 in his major league career which is pretty terrible. So why was he called up when the Royals were trying to contend?

Mondesi got his first chance to showcase his talents when Merrifield was struggling in 2016. But that was short lived. Then, when Mondesi broke camp with the Royals 25-man roster after having a strong Spring Training in 2017. He looked like the best option for second base at the time. The Royals were contending and wanted the best on the field. Unfortunately for Mondesi, the results were different than the expectations and he was sent back to Triple-A and replaced by Merrifield.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of what happens, one thing everyone needs to do is have patience with Mondesi. He needs time to be successful in Kansas City. Mondesi had a strong year in Triple-A last year hitting .305/.340/.539 with 41 extra base hits, 13 being home runs. This was by far his best single-season performance and could be a sign of things to come. But we all need to be one thing when it comes to the 22-year-old. Patient.

What do you think? Is Mondesi the future? Do you have an idea as to where he fits with the current Royals squad? Should he be in Triple-A or on the 25-man roster? Let us know what you think of Mondesi on Twitter or in the comments below.