Kansas City Royals: Looking at the International Signings

As July 2 was the beginning of the international signing period. the Kansas City Royals hit the market. On day one, they signed two players, both from the Dominican Republic.

The Kansas City Royals were expected to be very active in the international market. They were no longer in their penalty period for overspending in 2015. The first day was not particularly busy for them. Many teams already have found multiple players to sign.

They Royals have so far only secured two. Both players are shortstops from the Dominican Republic. The first is Wilmin Candelario, and the second is the eighteenth ranked prospect, Omar Florentino.

Wilmin Candelario

Wilmin Candelario is a player that has been linked to the Royals since December of 2017. He is a switch-hitter. The youngster is very athletic, and he is a smooth defender. While his bat is not yet the strongest, as he swings and misses more than he probably should.

Omar Florentino

Omar Florentino is the eighteenth ranked international prospect. He and Candelario have a lot in common. As mentioned above, they both play shortstop and are from the Dominican Republic. Plus, they’re both switch hitters. What sets him apart from Candelario is his plate presence.

He is better at making contact than Candelario is, and solid contact at that. And in the field, he has the athleticism and ability to do well as a shortstop in the big leagues. But, he’s young, so he will require more development, much like most international signings.

More to Come

By no means was that the end of the Kansas City Royals’ campaign in the international market. They are in Signing Bonus Pool A. So, they have $5,504,500 to spend on international players.

Next: How Mike Moustakas fits in St. Louis

The Kansas City Royals are in need of good, young talent to bolster their farm system. Trading away veterans and raiding other organizations farm systems will bode well. But, finding more young, international talent would help as well.