KC Royals roster reconstruction continues after ending failed free agent experiment

Another struggling bench bat is out of the picture in Kansas City.
Kansas City Royals v Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals v Houston Astros | Jack Gorman/GettyImages

J.J. Picollo and the rest of the Kansas City Royals front office have been busy in recent days, as they continue to cut the loose ends off the big league roster in hopes of achieving of optimal production.

Last Sunday reliever Chris Stratton was shown the door, followed by catcher Luke Maile the very next day, as he was sent back to Triple-A. Then that made way for Hunter Renfroe's inevitable DFA this past Friday.

But the Royals didn't stop there, as upon Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Twins Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that utility man Cavan Biggio was optioned to the minor leagues.

The team confirmed those reports ahead of Monday's Memorial Day matchup with the Cincinnati Reds, officially ending Biggio’s short-lived and less than ideal tenure at Kauffman Stadium.

KC Royals roster reconstruction continues after Cavan Biggio optioned

It's no secret that the writing was on the wall for this move, as after somewhat defying the odds and cracking the Opening Day roster off a minor-league contract, Biggio struggled to find his footing at the plate this season.

The 30-year-old only managed to slash .174/.296/.246 with one home run, four RBI, a 59 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR.

Well his ability to play a majority of the infield and both corner outfield positions likely kept him around this long, it's very hard to justify keeping numbers like this in a major league lineup.

Biggio however is no stranger to being cut from organizations having bounced around three separate teams last year in the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

Due to accumulating five or more years of big league service time, the veteran utility man does have the option to decline his option to Triple-A in the coming days and elect to test his luck in free agency instead, but that's a story for a different day.

KC Royals select John Rave to take Biggio's spot on the roster

In a corresponding move, the Kansas City Royals filled one of three available 40-man roster spots by selecting the contract of thriving Triple-A outfielder John Rave and calling him up ahead of Monday's game.

Rave, a former fifth round pick for the Royals back in 2019, will get his first taste of Major League Baseball, as he’s finally lived up to the fan-favorite status he's held in Omaha this season and proven he’s ready for the next (and ultimate) step in his pro career.

In 202 plate appearances across 44 games this season, the 27-year-old is slashing .301/.382/.549 with nine home runs, 25 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 141 wRC+.

And he won't have to wait to get his first shot in the Royals’ lineup, as he'll be starting in right field and hitting sixth in his debut on Monday.