KC Royals: Grading the team’s offseason additions

A pair of established players the KC Royals were counting on earned C’s.

Facing a season with a predominantly young starting rotation, Kansas City went hunting for a veteran arm last winter. The best on the market apparently exceeded the Royals’ financial parameters, but the club obviously believed Mike Minor was an answer when they signed him to a two-year contract.

The decision seemed reasonable. Minor’s reputation as an innings eater was well-earned, he’d had a couple of excellent seasons with Texas (12-8 in 2018 and 14-10 in 2019), he’d pitched for the Royals before (2017), and at 32 he certainly wasn’t washed up.

The results probably aren’t what KC anticipated. Yes, Minor’s eight wins tied Brad Keller for the club lead, but he lost 12 and posted the second-worst ERA (5.09) among the Royals’ regular hurlers. He also surrendered 26 home runs.

Minor gets a C.

Despite his 50-game A, a C also goes to Carlos Santana. His second half explains why.

The Royals signed Santana for two years to get on base, hit homers, drive in runs, and fill the first base void left by Eric Hosmer. He was doing all four things at the All-Star Break with a .368 OBP, 15 homers, 50 RBIs, and good defense.

But the 12-year veteran’s bat disappeared in the campaign’s second half. He hit .176, homered just four times, and drove in only 19 runs. Santana finished with a miserable .214 average.

A former Oriole and a returning pitcher get B’s for their KC Royals season.

Kansas City’s offseason needs were no secret. With Alex Gordon gone and Nicky Lopez’s bat still soft, the Royals required a new lefthanded hitter. Solidifying an inconsistent pitching staff was another priority, and the outfield was unstable.

But with only a couple of weeks to go before spring training, the club signed a righthanded hitting infielder. The surprise move paid off. Former Baltimore second baseman Hanser Alberto made his mark as a valuable utility man—he played third, second, and shortstop, DH’d 10 times, and pitched once. His versatility was just what the Royals needed considering Adalberto Mondesi’s almost season-long absence and Mike Matheny’s decision to frequently deploy Hunter Dozier in the outfield.

And Baltimore’s former regular second baseman hit .270, a nice mark for a role player.

He deserves a solid B.

Ervin Santana, another surprise winter acquisition, also gets a B.

A spot in the rotation seemed far-fetched for former Royal Santana, especially because the club had already added Minor, Santana hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2019 (and then only three times), and his age (38) didn’t seem to fit the KC Royals’ gradual move toward youth.

So, his almost complete lack of experience out of the bullpen notwithstanding—he’d started all but three of his 387 major league games—KC turned Santana into a reliever and, although the numbers aren’t stellar (2-2, 4.68 ERA in 38 appearances), he took well to a job he’d never really performed. Santana ate innings when the Royals needed it most, pitched nicely in long relief, and, as Mike Matheny told mlb.com KC beat writer Anne Rogers in late August, helped the younger pitchers and set an example.

Two outfielders get the best grades of the KC Royals’ offseason additions.

Kansas City’s outfield was a mess when baseball’s winter began. Left fielder Alex Gordon had retired, no one had earned the center field job, and Whit Merrifield moving to right was mere conjecture.

What a difference a year makes.

Michael A. Taylor signed in late November to bring an excellent glove, but a much weaker bat, to Kansas City for a year. His lack of plate prowess suggested he’d be a stop-gap in center, a placeholder until one of the club’s many hot outfield prospects reached big league readiness.

Taylor, though, turned heads with his defense—he made only three errors, led American League center fielders in DWAR (2.3) and Defensive Runs Saved (19), and just might win a Gold Glove.

His hitting still leaves something to be desired for a regular center fielder, but he managed 12 home runs and his .244 average was seven points better than his .237 career mark before the season started.

And at the end of the year, the Royals decided they like Taylor and the stability he brought to center so much that they’re bringing him back. The club signed him to a new two-year deal last week.

Taylor deserves a B+.

But do any of the Royals’ primary offseason acquisitions deserve an A?

Yes. Step to the head of the class, Andrew Benintendi.

Time will tell whether Benintendi’s defense will ever equal Alex Gordon’s, but he proved to be more than an adequate replacement for Gordon at the plate. Although he started slowly, hitting just .225 in April, missed time with a rib fracture and had a couple of rough slumps, he finished with 17 homers (second best of his career), 73 RBIs (third best), and a .276 average (also third best).

Benintendi’s best stretch was September and the three October games that concluded the season—he slashed .342/.398/.570 and drove in 29 runs in 31 games.

Benintendi was in 2021 everything the KC Royals wanted him to be when they traded for him in February, and gets an A. He’s arbitration eligible and under team control through next season, but the club might want to consider an extension.

The KC Royals added some key players last winter. Some had excellent seasons; some didn’t.