KC Royals Lineup: Key questions remain unanswered

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(Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports) /

With spring training just weeks away, the KC Royals have important lineup questions.

With four prime free agents signed so far, an ongoing search for another lefthanded hitter, and feature prospects knocking on the major league door, the KC Royals are on a clear path to improvement. But as spring training draws near, the Royals still have uncertainties at several positions.

Spring camp is, of course, the time and place to resolve such issues and gives Kansas City over a month to sort out its lineup before the regular season opens April 1. The Royals must work hard to avoid starting the campaign with the kinds of personnel questions they had at the start of 2020 when first base was a toss-up between Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan McBroom, the outfield remained a puzzle, untested rookies held two rotation spots and no one knew whether the bets on Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal would pay off.

Now, free agent signings have addressed some issues. Although things could change, Mike Minor completes the rotation, Michael A. Taylor seems set in center, Carlos Santana puts first base questions to rest and Greg Holland is the presumptive closer. If all goes as planned, those moves will help stabilize the major league roster.

One spot the Royals aren’t worried about, of course, is the one behind the plate. Salvador Perez returned in style last season, turned in one of the best offensive efforts of his career, and reestablished himself as the team backbone. Other than catcher, though, unanswered questions remain almost everywhere. Let’s examine some of the issues.

Other spots have issues, but second base poses the KC Royals’ biggest infield question.

There’s an elephant in Kansas City’s infield room, and it’s Nicky Lopez. No one complains about how he fields his position—he probably should have won a Gold Glove last season, and no Royal glove has been better at second since Frank White. Lopez’s problem is his bat.

He hasn’t hit. He slashed .201/.286/.266 last year and stands .228/.279/.266 after two seasons. He has a bit of raw power, but rare or occasional homers aren’t what the Royals need from him. Base hits are far more important; he’ll also need to improve his distressingly low OBP. If the bat doesn’t come around, stellar glove work may not be enough to save him.

Shortstop: Will Adalberto Mondesi hit and stay healthy?

Critical to the KC Royals’ success is Adalberto Mondesi, a player frequently mentioned as the club’s future. His defense is, like Lopez’s, beyond reproach. Last season’s sizzling September (.356/.408/.667, six homers, 20 RBIs) strongly suggests his well-chronicled first month slump was likely an outlier. He won’t hit like that over a full season, but the KC Royals need him to at least flirt with .280-.290 and a high OBP. He played all but one game in 2020 after an injury-plagued 2019; if he stays healthy and hits, Kansas City will be better in 2021.

Third base: Hunter Dozier has the hot corner for the KC Royals, but for how long?

Kansas City’s acquisition of Maikel Franco to play third base last season forced Hunter Dozier to the outfield, but he ended up at first because Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan McBroom weren’t up to the task. The new position didn’t last long for Dozier: this winter’s acquisition of Carlos Santana solves all first base issues.

Dozier now seems destined for third, although his defense there can make the KC brass uneasy. It probably won’t be his glove that displaces him from the hot corner, though—if the lefthanded power bat General Manager Dayton Moore covets turns out to be a third baseman, Dozier will likely head for the outfield.

And the outfield has more issues than the infield.

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

The success of the KC Royals’ outfield depends in great part on a free agent signing.

As Michael A. Taylor goes, so goes the alignment of Kansas City’s outfield. Things there will be far better if Taylor fulfills the team’s center field hopes.

Despite a subpar career OPS+ (80) and disturbingly low OBP (.291 in seven seasons), the Royals appear ready to open center field to Taylor, suggesting he may well be their first preference. His defense is up to the task, and he’s displayed enough power for a typical KC center fielder but, like Nicky Lopez, Taylor needs to find more ways to get on base.

Taylor succeeding in center field resolves the issue there that remained unresolved when last season ended; it also frees Whit Merrifield for right field, a position exacting less physical toll on the club’s best all-around player, and would leave only the other corner slot in question.

Left field: Does left belong to Franchy Cordero…or someone else?

Internet chatter seems to favor Franchy Cordero for the left field job. But the Internet doesn’t fill out Mike Matheny’s lineup card, and Dayton Moore’s desire to secure a lefty power bat suggests Cordero doesn’t yet own the property Alex Gordon vacated when he retired. All things considered, left is the most likely destination for that lefthanded hitter…if Moore can find him.

Cordero bats lefty, but Moore probably wants more than his .236/.304/.433 career slash. It’s that line, and other Royals’ lack of power, that will cause the Royals to make a move if someone with more punch comes along.

KC’s pitching slots seem fairly set; the question is how long they’ll stay that way.

The KC Royals began last season with serious pitching issues. Brad Keller’s 7-14 2019 campaign raised questions about his true potential and made Danny Duffy ace by default, Mike Montgomery was a disappointing 2-7 after joining the Royals the previous July, and prized prospects Brady Singer and Kris Bubic hadn’t thrown a major league pitch.

In the pen, reclamation projects Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland had good camps, but good camps don’t guarantee good seasons. Could Ian Kennedy repeat his excellent first season as a reliever, or did the acquisitions of experienced closers Rosenthal and Holland signal uneasiness with Kennedy, or a willingness to move him in the last year of his contract? Young relievers such as Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow and Richard Lovelady had promise but not much experience.

The questions are different for 2021.

Starters: Will the KC Royals’ rotation stay intact?

Keller’s 5-3, 2.47 2020 suggests he’s back on the beam. Mike Minor’s signing completes the starting five and gives the young starters another veteran mentor. But whether the rotation holds as presently configured depends primarily on Duffy, Singer and Bubic.

This will be the final year of Duffy’s five-year mega-contract; while he’s been serviceable, he hasn’t pitched up to the deal. He’ll stay in the rotation if he pitches passably and will likely find himself in the bullpen if he doesn’t. Pitching well, on the other hand, will push his name into midseason trade discussions.

Circumstances pressed Singer and Bubic into service last season and, although they weren’t wildly successful (Singer went 4-5, Bubic 1-6), both displayed big league fight, stuff and poise. They’ll stick if that continues, but may head to Omaha for more seasoning if it doesn’t.

Bullpen: Is there another lockdown trio brewing in the KC Royals’ relief corps?

Greg Holland became Kansas City’s presumptive closer as soon as he agreed to return to the club last month. After the Royals traded Rosenthal to the Padres last summer, Holland capably resumed the role he knew so well from closing for the Royals’ great 2014 and ’15 teams.

With Holland back, the club might have the ingredients for the kind of back-of-the-pen triumvirate not seen since Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Holland formed “H-D-H” several seasons ago. Davis, who’s struggled the past couple of years, is back with the Royals on a minor league deal; if he recaptures his once-dominating form, he’ll likely set up Holland, or Holland will set up him. The club shows no signs of pursuing free agent Herrera, but Rosenthal is still on the market (although he may prove too expensive). Staumont, Scott Barlow and Jesse Hahn are also possibilities.

The Royals appear in good shape elsewhere in the pen with Jake Newberry, Barlow, Hahn, Kyle Zimmer, and Staumont all coming off good years.

Next. Lefty bat Brian Goodwin is available. dark

Important questions remain as the KC Royals prepare for spring training. How the club answers them will be interesting.

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