KC Royals: Questions abound for Spring Training 2.0

The KC Royals resume their 2020 training camp workouts Friday. Several questions face the club in Spring Training 2.0.

KC Royals baseball, something seen only in television reruns for over three months, returns to Kauffman Stadium Friday when the club reopens spring training. This long-awaited resumption of the game’s annual rite of preparation–now almost universally referred to as Spring Training 2.0–marks the beginning of three weeks of searching for answers to the abundance of personnel questions left unresolved when COVID-19 shut down camps in mid-March.

Those unanswered questions, and more raised by the historic and unfortunate pandemic-forced baseball hiatus, must be addressed by new Kansas City manager Mike Matheny, his coaching staff and general manager Dayton Moore and other key members of the club’s front office before the club’s late July Opening Day.

Will Salvador Perez, returning after missing 2019 following Tommy John surgery, and Adalberto Mondesi, working his way back from two shoulder injuries and offseason surgery, be ready for Opening Day?

Will Ryan O’Hearn keep his first base job, lose it to Ryan McBroom, or will the two Ryans platoon?

Are Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier ready to begin a new, albeit shorter, season in their new positions in the Royals’ outfield?

Can Bubba Starling win an outfield reserve job? What about Brett Phillips? Will Starling and Phillips both win outfield reserve jobs? If they don’t, who will?

Who will be the fifth member of Kansas City’s starting rotation? Will Greg Holland land a spot on the active roster? What will the bullpen look like, and will it be stronger than in the recent past?

The Royals named their 60-man Player Pool Sunday. Who among those players are most likely to contribute this season?

Such are the main questions Matheny and the rest of the Royal personnel brain trust need to answer. Let’s take a closer look at the questions and issues and confronting them.

Spring Training 2.0 should tell us whether two KC Royals stars will be ready to play, who will win the first base job and what the outfield will look like.

Hanging over the heads of the KC Royals when spring training started was the uncertain status of two lineup staples. Veteran catcher and team backbone Salvador Perez suffered a UCL injury before 2019’s spring training ended and missed the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery; Adalberto Mondesi, an emerging star at shortstop, hurt his shoulder twice and required offseason surgery.

The club moved cautiously with both as spring training progressed. Perez appeared as a DH but was preparing to catch, and Mondesi was scheduled to play for the first time the day MLB shut down spring training.

Perez appeared in 13 games and was batting .250 with a home run, six RBIs and a .717 OPS. Although Mondesi just missed playing, that the Royals deemed him ready bodes well. Both should be ready for full action after over three months of additional recovery time.

Ryan vs. Ryan.  The uncertainty clouding first base also haunted the club when camp opened in February. Incumbent Ryan O’Hearn won the job with a good 2018 rookie season, but a disastrous 2019 (.195/.281/.369 and a remedial trip to the minors) hurt his chances to keep it. KC acquired first baseman Ryan McBroom from the Yankees in late August; he played himself right into the Royals’ first bag picture by hitting .293 in 23 games.

Spring training did little to resolve the matter–O’Hearn slashed .343/.395/.857 with a 1.252 OPS and hit five homers in 13 games while McBroom was .314/.368/.657 with a 1.026 OPS and three homers in 15 games.

Whether O’Hearn and McBroom will take up Friday where they left off in March remains to be seen. If they do (or even if they don’t), Matheny will have a tough decision to make. Only one can play first at a time, but there’s been talk of a platoon. If the players don’t give their manager a clear choice, O’Hearn’s incumbency may give him the upper hand.

New outfielders.  Whit Merrifield moves to center field this season and the winter acquisition of former Philadelphia third baseman Maikel Franco forced Hunter Dozier to right. Both were struggling at the plate when spring training stopped, Dozier at .192 in 10 games and Merrifield at .172 in 11. Neither, however, should slump long or have trouble adjusting to the outfield–Merrifield saw plenty of outfield action in the minors, and 148 games in the outfield (47 in center) since debuting with KC in 2016, and Dozier has 29 big league games in right.

Starling and Phillips.  With the returning Alex Gordon joining Merrifield and Dozier in the outfield, only the question of backups remains unanswered. Utter 2019 disappointments Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips were battling for at least one spot when baseball stopped. Starling had the edge with three homers, a .367 average and 1.208 OPS in 12 games; Phillips hadn’t homered in 13 games and was hitting .269.

The club needs to finally determine both players’ futures, although the short season may give them a reprieve. And with the expanded roster, both may make the team…at least until the cut-down dates.

Player Pool members Nick Heath, Khalil Lee and Kyle Isbel have shots at reserve roles if Starling or Phillips fail.

Like all other clubs, the KC Royals have identified 60 players who’ll be eligible to play for them this season. Who among the extra players could contribute?

The pandemic shortened season requires special roster rules. The KC Royals will break camp with a 30-man roster which must be reduced to 28 after 14 days, then to a final 26 after another 14 days. Sunday, the Royals identified their initial 60-man “Player Pool”–their 40-man roster plus 20 more players–they may use during the 60-game campaign. Obviously, each active roster player will see action, but what Player Poolers are most likely to contribute this season?

Backup catchers. Cam Gallagher will be Sal Perez’s primary backup, but expect Meibrys Viloria to see some action. Whether Pooler MJ Melendez gets playing time remains to be seen; his 60-man spot may derive more from the club’s desire to get him regular work in the absence of minor league play.

(Major league clubs can travel with three-man taxi squads that must include one catcher; if the Royals choose that option, Melendez or Nick Dini are the most likely picks).

Infielders.  Headlining the list of extra infield Player Poolers is 2019 first-round draft selection Bobby Witt Jr. But don’t look for him to make his major league debut this year–like Melendez, the Royals probably want to keep him close by for development purposes.

Kelvin Gutierrez and offseason acquisition Matt Reynolds are likely to get time on the active roster as utility infielders. Gutierrez played 18 games at third base for the KC Royals last year but has played every infield position except second in the minors. He hit .242 in 15 spring contests and had a homer and five RBIs. Reynolds, never a good hitter in two seasons with the Mets and one with the Nationals, struggled at .143 in 13 spring games, but has played every infield position and left and right fields in the majors.

Outfielders. Fans eager to see hot outfield prospects Nick Heath, Khalil Lee and Kyle Isbel may get their chance, especially if Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips still can’t hit. Heath may well be big-league ready, Isbel had some good spring moments and Lee is promising.

An abundance of questions face the KC Royals when Spring Training 2.0 workouts start Friday. The answers will come in the three weeks leading up to Opening Day.