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KC Royals non-roster invitees with Opening Day chances

By Jacob Milham |
Kansas City Royals player Matt Duffy
Kansas City Royals player Matt Duffy / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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The KC Royals are giving their fans a lot to be happy about this spring training. The Royals are 15-5 in Cactus League action, and their +51 run differential leads all MLB teams this spring. Fans are quick to dismiss pre-Opening Day performances, especially after previous years of promising Royals springs. But there is a different feeling about this spring, with so many new faces contributing right away. Some of the Royals' biggest contributors this spring have been non-roster invitees, or NRIs, who are players with everything to lose this spring.

The KC Royals Opening Day roster is beginning to take shape. How will non-roster invitees factor in to the mix?

NRI is a designator that doesn't matter after Opening Day. It describes a player who is not on the team's 40-man roster but is invited to major league camp and competes for a roster spot. This could be journeyman free agents trying to stay in the league, upper-level minor-league players, and everyone in between. These players are usually like lottery tickets: it is great if they work out, but if not, the team is not out much.

The MLB Glossary, a great resource for MLB jargon, has a Royals-specific example regarding an NRI.

In February 2015, the Kansas City Royals signed left-hander Franklin Morales to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Morales attended Spring Training with the club and won a roster spot with a strong performance. He went on to post a 3.18 ERA in 62 1/3 relief innings for the eventual World Series champions.
MLB Glossary

Morales is hardly a Royals legend but exemplifies the value an NRI could have on the major-league team. There are a handful of NRI players on the Royals right now, and a few could make the Opening Day roster. Who are these players, and how do they fit into Kansas City's 2023 plans?

Third baseman Matt Duffy

The Royals have had the battle of the Matts for a utility role this spring. Despite Matt Beaty's previous connections to Kansas City, veteran Matt Duffy has the best Opening Day roster chances.

This would be Duffy's fourth MLB team in as many years, exemplifying the journeyman role. He has .7 WAR in the past three seasons, with a contact-first approach at the plate and the defensive versatility teams want on their bench. Duffy has played all four infield positions in his career, plus a dash of left field. The righty provides depth at the hot corner, behind presumed starter Hunter Dozier. Royals fans were rightfully hopeful that prospect Maikel Garcia would factor into the third-base conversation, but Kansas City has focused on his outfield reps lately. Also, the team would rather Garcia see consistent playing time in Triple-A Omaha than occasional work in the majors. That is why the team brings in a guy like Duffy.

The 568th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft has carved out a great career as a bench bat in recent seasons. He has only played in more than 100 regular-season games twice in his career and none of the past three. That is important because the Royals need a guy who is ready to play off the bench and does not require a ramp-up or more development. Duffy is not going to mash home runs, with only 29 career home runs. But he finds a way to get on base. In seven games this spring, Duffy has a .429 on-base percentage and nine hits. He is just a steady player, and that is okay.

The Royals do not have a massive financial commitment to Duffy, but letting him go after the spring would be to their detriment. Kansas City could have one of the most competent benches in recent memory, and Duffy is the veteran presence that bench really needs.

Outfielder Franmil Reyes

Speaking of lottery-ticket players, there is no NRI with more boom-or-bust potential than designated hitter Franmil Reyes.

Reyes is a reclamation project after bouncing around the league in the 2022 season. He struggled mightily at the plate, and his glove is not going to keep him on a team. The Royals signed him to a minor-league contract, hoping the 27-year-old could regain some magic from his 2019 and 2021 seasons. It is worth noting that Reyes hits amazingly in Kauffman Stadium, with a .312 batting average and .896 OPS in 19 games there. Not a bad statistical line at all.

Reyes is strictly a designated hitter at this point in his career. The Royals tried him in left field this spring, but the reaction and speed are just not there for Reyes to succeed. He has 308 games as a team's designated hitter, compared to less than 200 games in any outfield position. But the Royals could certainly use some right-handed power off the bench to complement their contact-centric lineup.

FanGraphs projects Reyes to only appear in 52 games but hit 10 home runs and have an above-average wRC+. Royals fans would be hard-pressed to complain about that line, albeit in limited action. Plus, he leads all Royals hitters with 12 hits this spring and carries a 1.250 OPS. Those stats are coming against MLB-level competition this spring, according to Baseball Reference.

It would be surprising for the Royals not to have Reyes on the Opening Day roster at this point. The potential return on investment is too great for a middling Royals team to ignore.

Next. KC Royals Opening Day: When, where, and what time?. dark

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