KC Royals: 3 players who need to be on the bubble

It’s no shock longtime KC Royals baseball executive J.J. Picollo hasn’t made any major moves since taking the reins last week from Dayton Moore. Seismic change makes little sense this late in the season and Picollo needs time to determine who, and who won’t, return next year.

Some decisions will be more complicated than others. Pitcher Zack Greinke, for example, is on a one-year contract and eligible for free agency; whether he wants to pitch another year in Kansas City, move on to another club, or retire, is unknown, at least publicly. Even if he’s contemplating another season as a Royal, it won’t happen unless the team wants him back. Picollo must also decide how much farther to go with injury-plagued Adalberto Mondesi.

Then there are “bubble” players, those middle-zone Royals who are neither locks nor totally out of the picture for 2023.

Not including Ryan O’Hearn, with whom the Royals simply need to part, who are three (but certainly not all) of them?

A slumping outfielder may not make it back to the KC Royals next season.

Kyle Isbel made a bit of a splash when he made Kansas City’s 2021 Opening Day lineup and went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, then collected two more hits and another RBI in the club’s second game.

Isbel soon slumped, going hitless in eight of his next 10 games, and found himself back in the minors before May. He returned in September, hit .286 down the stretch, and has been with the Royals most of this season.

But all hasn’t been good for Isbel. His soft bat consistently overshadows his good glove—he’s hitting .211 and hasn’t been above .220 since Aug. 15. The 242 at-bats he’s collected in 100 games suggest his woes don’t stem from lack of playing time. He may require corrective action at Triple-A Omaha, or a complete change of scenery.

Put Isbel on Picollo’s bubble.

KC Royals fans who want the club to let Hunter Dozier go might get their wish.

Two Decembers ago, and consistent with their long history of settling with arbitration eligible players, Kansas City sidestepped the process with Hunter Dozier by signing him to a one-year contract. Then, in a move just short of shocking for the usually frugal Royals, they turned around two months later and gave him a four-year deal reportedly worth $25 million.

So far, Dozier hasn’t been worth it. Although he hit 16 homers last season, he batted .216, struggled to a .285 OBP and 83 OPS+, and struck out 154 times (28.4 K%). He’s heated up recently, hitting .333 with a pair of doubles and two homers in his last eight games, but has just a .240 season average and 12 homers. He was also fanning at a 24.8% rate going into Wednesday night’s game at Detroit.

His poor performance and continuing social media cries for his departure notwithstanding, simply letting Dozier go and eating his contract as a consequence seems improbable for the Royals.

But not inconceivable. Or impossible.

For one, the Royals are overpaying an underperforming Dozier, a less than ideal situation made worse by the fact they’re running out of places to play him regularly. Rookie Vinnie Pasquantino has taken over first base. Third base will be manned next season by Nate Eaton, Bobby Witt Jr., or perhaps Nicky Lopez or Adalberto Mondesi unless the club trades for or signs an established veteran. MJ Melendez seems set in left and Edward Olivares could (and ought to) squeeze Dozier out of right field.

And within KC’s financial context and philosophy, Dozier is too expensive to relegate to a reserve role.

So it is Picollo should be considering relocating Dozier. Some teams will entertain trying to turn him around, especially if the Royals agree to pay part of his salary.

At least three Royals should be on the bubble this winter. We’ll discuss more soon.