Former KC Royals utility man looks for second chance with Diamondbacks

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Garrett Hampson's offensive production — or lack thereof — for the Kansas City Royals is one thing about the 2024 season that many fans would prefer to forget. When the utility man joined the team on a one-year, $2 million deal last winter, he was coming off one of the better offensive seasons of his career with the Miami Marlins, but that consistency at the plate certainly didn't move with him to the Royals.

Now, Hampson has signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to a social media post by the organization's Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces. The announcement — posted on January 31 — also stated that Hampson's deal includes a non-roster invite to major league spring training, where the 30-year-old will presumably attempt to redeem himself after his abysmal offensive campaign in 2024.

Diamondbacks sign former KC Royals utility man Garrett Hampson to minor league deal

Having slashed an impressive .276/.349/.380 line in 252 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2023, Hampson was signed by the Royals before the 2024 season, but he didn't fare even close to as well in Kansas City. In 231 plate appearances last year, the 30-year-old slashed a disappointing .230/.275/.300 with no home runs and 16 RBI, marking career-worst numbers in both on-base percentage and slugging.

While he certainly didn't offer much to the Royals at the plate, Hampson provided extreme versatility at a fielder. The utility man played in every position but catcher during the 2024 regular season, clocking 52 games in center field, 28 in left field, 24 at second base, 8 at first base, 8 at shortstop, 7 in right field, and 2 at third base, while also appearing in 22 games as a pinch hitter, 6 as a pinch runner, and even one as a pitcher.

His defense was good, too. In 2024, Hampson posted 8 Outs Above Average (OAA) to rank in the 93rd percentile of all qualified fielders, and a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 8 to rank in the 87th percentile. He's also one of fastest players in MLB, with Baseball Savant recording his top sprint speed at an impressive 29.8 feet per second to rank in the top 1% of players.

Still, with the Royals looking to add offensive production to their outfield — as well as to their lineup overall — there was no chance that Hampson would land another deal in Kansas City. He became a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, and now, he's joining the Diamondbacks organization.

As well as another chance to prove himself worthy of a spot in the majors, the new deal offers a reunion of sorts for Hampson, as the Reno Aces pointed out in their announcement of his signing.

Born and raised in Reno, Hampson was a varsity player at Reno High School, winning the Northern Nevada 4A Region baseball championship in both his junior and senior years. After finishing high school, he was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 26th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but decided to play college baseball at Long Beach State University. Hampson returned to the MLB Draft in 2016, and was selected by the Coloardo Rockies in the third round.

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