KC Royals Roster: Who'll make the cut for Opening Day?

Editor's Note: The original version of this story published before news broke that the KC Royals have optioned Nick Pratto, Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia to the minors. The story has been edited to reflect those moves.

Not since the spring of 2006 have the KC Royals assembled an Opening Day roster without Dayton Moore. But that's the task facing Royals manager Matt Quatraro and general manager J.J. Picollo as next week's season opener looms.

The decisions will be tough, the choices hard. Spring camp still bulges with players working diligently to claim the 26 spots available on the active roster. Some players, Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr., Brady Singer, Zack Greinke, Jordan Lyles, MJ Melendez, Scott Barlow, Aroldis Chapman and Hunter Dozier among them, are, for varying reasons, roster locks. Others have almost certainly won spots, still more are on the bubble, and many have no chance.

Who will be Royals when the club opens at home a week from Thursday?

CATCHER: Look for the KC Royals to open the season with a trio of backstops

Predicting who'll start behind the plate is easier than easy. Salvador Perez. Period. That's what seven All-Star berths, five Gold Gloves and a club-record four Silver Sluggers will do.

Choosing Perez's backup isn't as simple. Despite his defensive rough edges, that KC still likes him as a catcher means MJ Melendez will catch when Perez needs a day off or DH's. But because Melendez is also the left fielder, Kansas City should carry a "just in case" third catcher. Freddy Fermin seemed to be the club's top choice but the club optioned him, Nick Pratto and Maikel Garcia late Wednesday morning. If the Royals stick with a third catcher, it could be Logan Porter, who's hitting .381 with a .480 OBP this spring.

INFIELD: It's an inexperienced infield for the KC Royals ... almost

It might not prove to be the best arrangement, but the Royals will open with three second-year infielders, two of whom, Michael Massey and Vinnie Pasqantino, haven't played a full major league season, and a veteran who isn't the best available at his position.

Such is life, though, when infield decisions depend on where Bobby Witt Jr. and Hunter Dozier play, which will be shortstop and third base to begin the campaign. Witt wasn't as good at shortstop as he was at third base last year, while Dozier's never been a particularly good defender of the hot corner and hasn't hit well since 2019.

The Royals would be better off with Witt at third and Maikel Garcia at short; Garcia, KC's third-best prospect per MLB Pipeline, is slashing .355/.375/.516 this spring with a homer and six RBIs in 13 games, and hit .318 in nine games for the Royals and .285 with 11 home runs in the minors last year, and Witt is simply better than Dozier. But Garcia's option to the minors Wednesday (he needs to play every day), means Dozier will play third because that's where the Royals, perhaps giving him one more chance to live up to his overpriced $25 million contract, want him to play.

As we've said before in this space, Massey earned the second base job last season and will start there next week. Ditto Vinnie Pasquantino, but at first base, where he'll play until Nick Pratto proves he's ready to improve his distressing .184/.271/.386 2022 Kansas City line. (Dozier can fill in at first base if necessary).

Matt Beaty and Matt Duffy have excelled on minor league contracts this spring (more on both in a moment), but four-season Royal Nicky Lopez's better defense and greater versatility make him the better choice for utility infielder.

OUTFIELD: Two of the three KC Royals outfield spots are spoken for

When he isn't catching, which barring serious injury to Salvador Perez will be most of the time, MJ Melendez appears to be KC's choice for left field, a decision that first became apparent last season when former manager Mike Matheny started playing him there. He could end up in right, but left is more likely.

Like Maikel Garcia, Melendez won't realize his offensive potential without playing every day. He homered 18 times and drove in 62 runs after the Royals called him up last May and, despite his unsightly .217 average, still had an OPS+ (99) just a click below league average.

The offseason trade of Gold Glover Michael A. Taylor, an oblique injury that will sideline Drew Waters until at least late April, and Kyle Isbel's own play make center field Isbel's position to lose. Striving to prove he can adequately handle big league pitching after struggling to hit .211 in 106 games last year, Isbel boasts an impressive .471/.526/.647 14-game line this spring. And his defense is certainly good enough.

Who'll play right field isn't as clear. But because Kansas City just can't seem to get entirely comfortable with Edward Olivares no matter how well he hits, Nate Eaton may well be the choice. He performed serviceably at the plate (.264/.331/.387) last year and is 10-for-28 (.357) with a .400 OBP in 12 Cactus League games. His versatility is a plus—he played all three outfield positions and third base in 2022.

And Olivares? The Royals need a backup outfielder who can play the corners; that's Olivares. (For good measure, don't be surprised to see veteran center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., another non-roster invitee playing on a minor league deal, make the club, at least until Waters returns, but he isn't a lock).

STARTERS AND RELIEVERS: Five in the KC Royals rotation, eight in the bullpen

Their pitching staff poses the most difficult roster decisions for the Royals, but that's what happens when a club's hurlers were, with few notable exceptions. among the majors' worst last season.

The rotation locks belong to Brady Singer, Zack Greinke, and Jordan Lyles. Never were there questions about Singer and Greinke (except, of course, which of the two will start Opening Day), and Lyles' decent spring (13 strikeouts and a 3.52 ERA in five games and 15.1 innings), solidified the claim to a spot in the rota his two-year contract rendered all but certain.

Rounding out the club's starting five will be Brad Keller and Daniel Lynch; the former is a bit of a surprise, the latter a bit of a risk.

The Royals banished Keller to the bullpen late last season and there wasn't much reason to believe he'd pitch his way back to the rotation when spring camp opened last month. But a brand new curveball, something missing from Keller's big league arsenal until now, some encouraging Cactus League outings, and the lack of other viable alternatives have bolstered his rotation credentials.

Lynch hasn't overwhelmed many hitters this spring; in fact, he's surrendered seven earned runs in 13.1 innings. Take away the three earned runs he gave Colorado Saturday, though, and his 4.73 ERA suddenly becomes a more palatable 3.60. And the club's belief in him, together with a dearth of ready starters, mean he'll take up the tail end of the rotation.

The bullpen also has its share of locks. Scott Barlow, set up by Aroldis Chapman and Josh Staumont, will close. Notwithstanding the control issues he'll probably always have (5.02 career BB/9), Amir Garrett's slider, his fierce competitiveness and popularity with teammates, and his 0.00 ERA this spring give Matt Quatraro reason to give him plenty of middle-to-late inning work. Although he's walked eight in six innings this spring, Dylan Coleman's 5-2, 2.78 performance in his first full year with the Royals last season secures his Opening Day seat in The K's bullpen.

That leaves three spots for Quatraro to fill. Because they can start or relieve, count on Carlos Hernández landing one and Kris Bubic the other. And the final relief spot? They may be tempted to let lefty Richard Lovelady continue his work back from last year's Tommy John Surgery at Omaha, but the club's medical staff is in Kansas City; more importantly, he's proving this spring that he's probably ready to return to the majors—in seven innings, he's struck out seven, walked no one, and given up not a single run.

(Expect Taylor Clarke and Ryan Yarbrough to join the roster at the first significant sign of pitching trouble).