On the Hot Seat: The 3 most vulnerable KC Royals infielders

That the KC Royals have been surprisingly transactional this winter understates the matter. Under the guidance of general manager J.J. Picollo, who's efficiently disproving the skeptics who believed he'd be a carbon copy of Dayton Moore, the Royals have made a series of moves designed to effect meaningful, not just cosmetic, change.

Largely untouched by those free agent signings and trades has been the infield. Nothing Picollo has done, and nothing he's likely to do, alters what is sure to be its Opening Day starters — Vinnie Pasquantino at first base, Michael Massey at second, Maikel Garcia at third, and Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop. Only utility man Garret Hampson has been added to the mix this winter, but as a versatile backup, not a starter.

But that doesn't mean some infielders' roster spots aren't forfeitable. Three Royals infielders, in fact, are particularly vulnerable.

Who are they, and why are they in some jeopardy?

Nick Pratto could find himself out of a job this season

Pratto's position with Kansas City is fragile. Primarily a first baseman who occasionally dabbles with the corner outfield spots, he'll begin the season playing behind Pasquantino, the big first baseman who opted last June to solve his troublesome right shoulder issues with season-ending surgery.

His status as a backup is not, however, what puts Pratto in peril of losing his roster spot. It is instead his bat, and his inability to master it, that could seal Pratto's Kansas City fate. Two big minor league seasons — 2018, when he hit 14 homers and slashed .288/.343/.443, and 2021 when he homered 36 times, drove in 98 runs, and posted a .265/.385/.602 line, seemed to foretell a bright future.

But that minor league success doesn't guarantee big league stardom has proved true in Pratto's case. He hit seven homers in 49 games but struggled to a horrendous .184/.271/.386 line after Pasquantino beat him to the majors by a couple of weeks in 2021, then hit only .232 with seven homers in 95 games last season. None of those numbers will keep Pratto in the majors, especially if Pasquantino's return next season is a good one. The Royals are also using Salvador Perez more at first, which doesn't bode well for Pratto's chances should his own bat fail.

Who else should be nervous about his infield spot?

Nick Loftin's Kansas City job may also be in danger

Loftin's major league debut came late last season. The Royals called him up from Triple-A Sept. 1 and he went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI that night. And although he'll have to wait until 2024 to collect his first major league home run, he drove in nine more runs before his 19-game season ended, and finished with a .326 average and .368 OBP.

MLB Pipeline also rates him as Kansas City's fifth-best prospect.

How, then, could Loftin be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot? Why would the Royals consider moving such a good utility type when Garret Hampson, a good utility man in his own right but a player of less potential than Loftin, is more expendable?

Hampson is the kind of player capable of sticking with a lot of teams. He's dependable, plays a lot of positions competently, can handle the bat, and steals bases. Loftin, on the other hand, is the kind of player who'll stick or, through no fault of his own, not stick, because he's good enough to earn a long-term job but also good enough to attract trade partners willing to give a lot to get a lot. And that's why Loftin may be vulnerable.

After all, what Picollo has done so far this offseason makes the Royals, at least on paper, a better club than the one that just lost 106 games, and one some are bold enough to think might be able to contend in the soft American League Central. But Picollo has more work to do to make the Royals winners, and trading good talent for other good talent will be required to finish the job.

Picollo's trade arsenal may necessarily include Loftin, a high-ceiling player who many teams will covet if they don't already. The results of his brief introduction to the majors, his positional versatility, and the 42 homers, 184 RBI, .272 average, and .353 OBP he's put up in 306 minor league games are too attractive for other clubs not to press the Royals to trade. Whether he wants to or not, Picollo may need to deal Loftin away.

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