4 key things to watch after KC Royals make 2 big roster cuts

The KC Royals tied the Angels 8-8 Wednesday night. That only-in-spring-training result notwithstanding, they've won 13 Cactus League games and lost 11 with five exhibition games left to play. But only the regular season counts, and that begins March 28 when Opening Day starter Cole Ragans throws the first pitch of the club's 2024 campaign.

Don't think, though, that those five games are meaningless. They're not. The Royals still have questions to answer and issues to resolve before the season begins, and manager Matt Quatraro, his coaches, and general manager J.J. Picollo will rely in part on data points those contests provide to finalize Kansas City's 26-man Opening Day roster.

The Royals took care of some personnel business after Wednesday evening's game, but in the process left open a burning rotation question — who will be their fifth starter?

Who's the final starter after KC cut Daniel Lynch IV and Anthony Veneziano?

The club announced it's sending Lynch and Veneziano to Triple-A Omaha. Lynch was clearly in the running for the fifth rotation spot and, considering his 2.77 ERA in five games, seemed well-positioned to land it. Veneziano wasn't as close — he pitched for the Royals late last season, but had given up seven runs, seven hits, and walked four in 6.1 innings this spring.

The moves probably improve Jordan Lyles' chances to retain his starting job, although Alec Marsh, who's struck out 17 and yielded only three runs (1.93 ERA), and has a 0.86 WHIP, could edge him out. And Lyles, troubled by a back issue this spring, has pitched only twice.

Deciding between Lyles and Marsh, or perhaps a third candidate, won't be easy.

Moving on to three other issues confronting the Royals...

Will the Royals carry three catchers on the roster?

In a certain sense, the immediate answer to this question could be "Yes" because MJ Melendez, the club's presumptive left fielder, was primarily a catcher until a couple of seasons ago. He hasn't caught a regular season game since last April, but could fill in behind the plate in an emergency.

The real question, of course, is whether Kansas City will decide to begin the season with Salvador Perez as its No. 1 catcher and Freddy Fermin as his only backup, an arrangement that seems the most logical and beneficial considering the plethora of players competing for the team's scarce bench spots.

But the Royals also have two big league veteran backstops in camp — Sandy León, who's playing on a minor league contract and a non-roster spring training invitation, and Austin Nola, who the club signed to a major league deal a few days after camp opened. León making the Opening Day roster has been a long shot from the beginning and, barring injuries to Perez and Fermin, isn't going to happen.

Nola has an outside chance, though. He's caught rotation newcomers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo before, and their mutual familiarity might help, at least in the early stages of the season. But because roster room is at such a premium, and Nola has a minor league option left, look for him at Triple-A Omaha to open the season, with Melendez staying ready to catch if necessary.

Next issue...

What's happening at second base?

Until quite recently, second base wasn't a huge issue for the Royals. Michael Massey, who's owned the position almost since the day he broke into the majors two seasons ago, was doing precisely what he needed to do to keep his job — despite continuing concerns about his bat, Massey's average was .300 after he went 1-for-3 against Oakland March 10. But his average has plunged 67 points to .233 since then, and his OBP unfortunately matches that troublesome average.

Add to that the health issue that made news Tuesday. What the team characterized as back tightness kept him out of that night's game against the Giants and Wednesday's with the Angels, and he's not engaged with actual baseball activity as of this writing.

So, where does Massey stand a week before the season starts? As far as positional decisions go, his back will probably force a change at the keystone before his hitting does. As we've previously projected, only an epic meltdown at the plate this spring would have moved the Royals to make a change at second, and Massey hasn't had that.

But if Massey's back doesn't improve, look for Adam Frazier to start Opening Day, unless his veteran status gives way to Nick Loftin's sizzling bat — after filling in for Massey at second base Tuesday night and going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and his second homer of the spring, and playing second again and getting another hit Wednesday, the versatile infielder who MLB Pipeline says is the club's second-best prospect is slashing .343/.452/543 in 14 games.

The next thing to watch?