KC Royals: 3 players to ditch, 9 to add before season’s end

1B/OF Matt Beaty

I threw out Beaty's lackluster pitching performance this season, but the Royals don't need him for the bullpen. They need the veteran's glove at first base or the corner outfields in a pinch.

Beaty was a 48th-round pick by the Royals back in 2011, so his finding his way to Kansas City at 30 years old is poetic in a sense. But his production has been anything but out of a storybook. He has appeared in eight games for the Royals since returning from San Francisco, posting a .646 OPS in eight games. It is not terrible production for a bench player or spot starter, but does he warrant anything more than a spring training invite next season, at best? I do not think so.

There is value in a veteran off the bench, but Beatty doesn't move the needle much. After all, he has a negative WAR in his career, albeit a measly -.1. He just... isn't inspiring, you know? There are times when looking down a Royals lineup, and I react to seeing a player at a certain spot in the lineup. That reaction varies, depending on that player's ceiling, and impact on that day's game, or the future seasons. I understand that Beaty is an above-average batter for Kansas City, with a 113 wRC+, but that comes off of six total hits. He produces, but if the Royals want to see what the depth looks like at first base or the corners, there are better options.

Replacement players: Logan Porter, Devin Mann, CJ Alexander