Latest Royals signing won't bring seismic shift to Kansas City lineup

Kansas City Royals fans can be absolved of all guilt if they know nothing, or very little, about the team's latest player acquisition.

After all, the signing of Connor Kaiser, revealed by the club Saturday afternoon, came close on the heels of Friday's big news that Bobby Witt Jr. had won a Silver Slugger and added a Platinum Glove to the Gold Glove he grabbed earlier in the week, and amid full slates of college football and basketball.

So it is that the move, which brings the infielder into the Kansas City fold on a minor league contract, probably didn't make more than a short-lived ripple on the weekend sports waters.

And don't expect the newest member of the organization to move mountains — nothing on Kaiser's professional baseball résumé suggests he'll be a game-changer.

What does Connor Kaiser bring to the Royals organization?

Good question. Kaiser hasn't hit much after Pittsburgh drafted him in the third round of the 2018 amateur draft — his seven-season minor league line is .220/.330/.354, he averages less than seven homers per year, and his all-too-small-sample-size big league numbers across three games with the Rockies in 2023 and 11 with the Diamondbacks this season aren't much to go on. (More on that in a moment).

The most obvious commodity Kaiser, who turns 29 late this month, offers to his new baseball home is some versatility. It doesn't compare to the kind of versatility the Royals could get from Dodgers free agent Kiké Hernández, or by bringing back Adam Frazier, but it's still versatility. And that's important to a franchise that puts such high value on that asset.

Although Kaiser is primarily a shortstop, he's played every other infield position in the minors, and nine of his 14 major league appearances have come at second base. Not surprisingly, and considering his versatility, his defense is serviceable. The Royals have no pressing needs at shortstop, of course, but Kaiser can definitely move around the infield.

It's the bat, then, that could hold Kaiser back and keep him in a reserve-only role if he makes it to Kansas City. His minor league numbers don't commend him to a great big league career, and he has only a double, single, and two RBI in 22 major league at-bats. He's shown a propensity to get on base in his last three minor league seasons, posting OBPs of .353 in 2023, .343 in 2024, and .345 this year, ... but he's also hit only .238, .221, and .236, respectively, in those three campaigns.

At the end of the day, then, it's his ability to adequately field four positions that Kaiser brings to the Royal table. That, and the fact he'll have a ready-made fan base in Kansas City — born in nearby Shawnee Mission, Kansas, he played his high school ball at Blue Valley West in Overland Park, Kansas.

Don't be surprised to see Kaiser in Kansas City's spring training camp as a non-roster invitee, but look for him to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Omaha.