Royals: Infielder Matt Reynolds signed to minor league contract

As the offseason and free agency gets into full swing, the Kansas City Royals have made a move to add an infielder to their minor league system.

As the Kansas City Royals, and the whole MLB, move deeper into the offseason, fans should start to expect moves and changes coming out of the organization. For the Royals, there has been a lot of talk concerning how aggressive the team will, or will not, be during the free agency.

Yesterday, the Royals announced a small move that was made, the signing of infielder Matt Reynolds to a minor league contract.

Reynolds didn’t see any major league time in 2019 but managed 111 games in the Washington Nationals minor league system. During the 2019 season in Fresno, Reynolds recorded 65 runs, 111 hits, 29 doubles, 16 home runs, 55 RBIs and slashed .295/.401/.521.

Though he didn’t see any major league time in 2019, Reynolds did see portions of the 2016, 17, and 18 seasons in the big leagues, 2016-17 being with the New York Mets, and 2018 with Washington.

His 2018 season consisted of only 12 games and doesn’t provide a very good sample with only 14 plate appearances. In 2017, though, Reynolds saw 68 games, with 130 plate appearances. In this time, he recorded 12 runs, 26 hits, 5 RBI’s and slashed .230/.326/.301.

Compared to what the Royals already have offensively, Reynolds looks as though he may be the odd man out if he makes it to Kauffman.  If he can continue the production he saw in the minors in 2019, though, Reynolds may be able to find himself a place in the lineup in 2020.

The interesting point with Reynolds comes when looking into his defensive stats, both for his time in the majors and in the minors. While Reynolds is definitely better defensively in some positions over others, it’s hard to place where exactly Reynolds should be on the field.

Reynolds is listed on baseball-reference.com as a shortstop, second baseman, and outfielder. This definitely holds true as in most seasons, Reynolds has seen at least a few games at each position, excluding catcher and pitcher.

This is likely the quality that most caught the Royal’s eyes when looking for possible signings. While Reynolds looks to be better defensively in the outfield, the Royals are entering a season in which they are still unsure where some players will be, including players some thought were set, such as Dozier and Whit’s experiments in the outfield in 2019.

If Reynolds can continue to show progress offensively and refine some of his defensive skills, he could become a good weapon for the Royals. With a player who can move around the field like Reynolds, the Royals could have one of the most versatile teams, full of players who can move around the field without any issues.

The free agency is starting off quiet, but fans can only hope the Royals will follow up the signing of Reynolds with a bang, and hopefully with a pitcher. Now that the ball is rolling, though, there is no telling where the Royals will go and when they will stop.