Nick Loftin would be a good fit for the 2025 KC Royals

The Kansas City Royals included veteran utility men Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson in last winter's wildly successful roster reconstruction. Although neither provided much punch at the plate, both gave the club what it needed defensively at several positions. But because both are free agents now without much chance of returning to Kansas City, how to replace them should rank high among the club's offseason priorities.

General manager J.J. Picollo's search could lead to the return of Nicky Lopez, whose glove and versatility check key boxes. But his offense — weak for all but the .300 season he enjoyed in 2021 that now looks more like a one-off than anything else — falls short.

Perhaps another "Nick" could fit the bill.

The KC Royals should consider making Nick Loftin their top utility man

Nick Loftin, who Kansas City chose with a Competitive Balance pick between the first and second rounds of the 2020 amateur draft, has what it takes to satisfy the Royals' utility needs. His defensive versatility in the minors has been second to few — he's played every infield position and left and center fields in four minor league seasons.

Loftin also knows how to get on base. He posted an excellent .409 OBP at Triple-A Omaha in 2024, with a career-high .302 average and seven home runs 58 games, and those numbers would have been better had he not spent two months with the Royals. Loftin owns a career .276 average and .362 career OBP.

What about the majors? His .229 average across parts of the 2023 and 2024 big league seasons suggests he might be a better role player than a regular. Still, his minor league stats — including 17 home runs over stops at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha in 2022 and 14 at Omaha (and one during a short Arizona Complex League stint) in 2024 — hint at better things to come.

And if his performance against major league pitching improves and Maikel Garcia's doesn't, Loftin could give KC manager Matt Quatraro a viable alternative at third base.

Loftin also gives the Royals a bit of an added luxury. Because he's already a member of Kansas City's 40-man roster, the club can promote him without having to create a 40-man space.

Will Loftin be at The K when the Royals open the 2025 season against Cleveland in late March? Time will tell, but he should be.