3 KC Royals in need of reset following spring training

As Major League Baseball hits the pause button on spring training, it allows a few KC Royals players to forget their February and March performances.

Of course we would all love to know how the KC Royals would be shaping up the first couple weeks into the season at this point but current circumstances make this break necessary.  While much was not expected from the team this year, the development and promotion of hopeful future stars would bring hope.

As it is, there were some players that are probably glad they will get to reset their 2020 start.  Whether they were trying to make the roster, solidify their position in the pecking order, or looking for one more contract, the time in Arizona was not kind to them.

These players could truly benefit from a shortened season. Of course spring performances do not always equal results when it comes to games that count.  We have seen teams and players tear it up in the spring and then fall back to earth during the regular season.

You only have to go back to last season when the Royals left the Cactus League in third place with an 18-12 record.  Their winning percentage dropped 203 points when it mattered, securing their second straight 100 loss season.

Player-wise, Billy Hamilton and Chris Owings tore it up in Arizona last spring.  Hamilton slashed .294/.345./.431 and Owings .333/.404./.725.  End results?  Owings had an OPS of 10, not a misprint.  He had two more extra base hits in 51 spring training at bats then he did in 180 regular season ones.

Hamilton fared slightly better with an OPS of 46.  Kansas City rolled him out for 93 games before giving him his walking papers.

For a positive spin, the 2014 Royals went 12-16 in the spring but ended the season in Game 7 of the World Series.  Danny Duffy was a dumpster fire in Arizona that year posting an 11.45 ERA and giving up six home runs in eleven innings pitched.  Once games counted though, he was masterful.  Despite a 9-12 record, he posted career bests in ERA (2.53) and WHIP (1.11).

All this to say maybe the following players will rejuvenate themselves during the break and come out with guns blazing to produce a nice season.  Royals fans would certainly like to see that.

A low-risk signing by the KC Royals of a veteran player who could play in the infield or outfield could be a failed excursion.

He could be an insurance policy for an oft-injured Adalberto Mondesi, but if Matt Reynolds wants to earn a roster spot he needs to show better contact ability at the plate.  That could prove difficult as in three unimpressive seasons in the big leagues he has mustered a weak .223/.295/.340 line.

Last season Reynolds spent the entire year in the Washington Nationals organization at the Triple-A level.  There he produced his best minor league season ever but only his second where he batted over .270 and first with double-digit homers.

This happened with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Pacific Coast League, a notorious hitter friendly playground.  His 16 bombs only tied him for third best on the team with two other players and another just behind them at 15.

In 13 spring games, Reynolds hit only .143 and struck out 14 times in 35 at bats.  That tied him with Jorge Soler for most K’s on the team but Soler has the benefit of a 48-homer season giving him grace.  Once baseball reboots, Reynolds will need to have a much improved performance to pack his bags for Kansas City.

This is a low-risk deal because Reynolds is currently signed to a minor league contract.  If he does not make the team there is not a large financial hit.

The KC Royals made a savvy trade in December of 2017 and he delivered in his first season with the team.  Last year was a step back and this spring was brutal.

It was darn near a Cinderella story when Brad Keller was named Opening Day starter for 2019. The Cincinnati Reds selected Keller in the Rule 5 from the Arizona Diamondbacks and promptly traded him to the Royals.

As a 22-year-old he impressed with a 9-6 record, 3.08 ERA and only seven homers allowed in 140 frames.  Initially a long reliever he earned a spot in the rotation and ended up starting 20 games.

Ned Yost had enough confidence to name Keller as the first pitcher to take the mound in 2019.  This made him the second youngest Royal ever to do so.  Keller did not disappoint going seven strong innings with no earned runs allowed and five strikeouts.

The rest of the season was not as productive.  Overall, his ERA rose by 1.09 points, his WHIP increased by .05 and his ERA+ dropped by 27 points compared to 2018.

Spring 2020 was to be a reset and a chance for Keller to reclaim the magic he had the first year. That did not happen, in fact it was a miserable few weeks for the right-hander.  In three starts he posted a 14.85 ERA by allowing 11 earned runs in just six and two-thirds innings.  The only silver lining was six punch outs.

With a chance to rest his arm and forget about the way hitters pounded him during spring, Royals fans will be rooting for a solid return.  We do not need him as the number one starter, but a dependable middle of the rotation arm would be a plus for the franchise.