3 KC Royals prospects who should be on the 2025 Opening Day roster

Cam Devanney could be a good Opening Day roster fit

Feeding Kansas City's historical hunger for versatile players, Picollo's almost magician-like Royal roster reconstruction included the winter acquisitions of utility players Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson. Both filled their defensive roles well — Hampson saw action everywhere but behind the plate, and Frazier did everything except pitch and catch.

Their offense was another story. Playing on a one-year deal, Hampson hit .230, never homered, and drove in just 16 runs in 113 games. At .202, Frazier barely broke above the Mendoza Line and had only four homers in 104 games — numbers that suggest the Royals probably won't pick up their half of his mutual option for 2025.

Can the Royals do better? Yes, and it starts with Cam Devanney, a potential big-league utility man who the Royals picked up last December by trading Taylor Clarke to the Milwaukee Brewers for him and pitcher Ryan Brady.

Devanney — who clubbed 23 homers two years ago in a season split between Double-A and Triple-A, and 11 homers in 103 games at Omaha in 2023 — enjoyed a good 2024 campaign with the Storm Chasers, hitting 19 homers with 77 RBI and slashing .254/.336/.445. Defensively, he played second, third, and shortstop, though he's also played first and left field during his minor league career.

If given a chance with the Royals, it's likely Devanney can fare better at the plate than Hampson and Frazier. But is there another utility type who could join him and render Hampson and Frazier dispensable?

Yes...