Who are all these catchers in KC Royals spring camp?

After a winter away from the grind, the business of baseball once again consumes the days of KC Royals catcher Salvador Perez. Winner of five Gold Gloves for his work behind the plate, Perez is busy getting himself, and his pitchers, ready for a regular season that begins in less than a month.

MJ Melendez, Perez's primary backup, has only worked behind the plate so far this spring but will play left field this season when Perez catches. But before they head north for the March 30 opener at Kauffman Stadium, they'll temporarily leave spring training for the World Baseball Classic, where Perez will play for Venezuela and Melendez for Puerto Rico. How long they and other Royals on Classic rosters absent themselves from camp depends on how long their clubs survive; the WBC title game is set for March 21, just a week before the Royals wind up exhibition play against Texas.

The absences of his two top catchers won't leave new Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro in a lurch. That's because he has at least six other backstops available for work. But just who makes up this half-dozen?

A familiar face is in spring training camp and catching for the KC Royals

Royals fans know the name Freddy Fermin. He's been in the Kansas City organization since 2015 when he signed as an international free agent, and made his big league debut in Toronto last season as part of the minor league contingent that replaced 10 Royals whose vaccination status prevented them from playing there. He went hitless in seven at-bats but hit .270 with a .365 OBP and 15 homers in 87 games at Triple-A Omaha.

Fermin was a late-inning replacement for Perez against Seattle Sunday and threw out two Mariners who tried to steal against him. He's expected to make the club as its third catcher.

What other catchers are in camp?

A veteran backstop is making his presence known in KC Royals spring training

Don't be embarrassed if Jose Briceno's name doesn't ring an immediate bell. Briceno, 30, has played only once against the Royals, a 2018 appearance for the Angels in which he replaced Jefry Marte in the final inning but didn't bat.

And don't be fooled by his lack of time against Kansas City, or the fact he's played in only 48 major league games, all with the Angels. He's been around pro ball for 12 seasons, knows his way around the diamond, and hit .252 with four homers at Omaha last season after the Royals signed him as a free agent in May.

His longest exposure to big league pitching came in 2018; in 46 games, he hit .239 with five homers and 10 RBIs. He's since played only twice in The Show. In three Cactus League appearances this spring (twice behind the plate and once as a pinch hitter and DH), he's 3-for-7 with a double and two RBIs.

Briceno, though, might make it to Kansas City this season if injuries strike Perez, Melendez or Fermin, but will stay only so long as circumstances require. Unless the Royals let him go during or after spring training, look for Briceno to start the season at Omaha.

(By the way, that's Briceno in the photo accompanying this story).

This may be a make-or-break spring for KC Royals prospect Logan Porter

Kings of Kauffman readers have seen Logan Porter's name in this space before. We wrote extensively about his excellent minor league career after Kansas City left him off its 40-man roster, and thus exposed him to the Rule 5 Draft, last November, and more recently explained why he's at the core of one of the club's three big catching questions this spring.

Nothing has changed our opinion of Porter, who boasts a .293/.428/.497 line, 37 home runs, and 160 RBIs in 268 minor league games since signing a free agent deal with the Royals after no one chose him in the 2018 amateur draft: he's a prospect deserving of a legitimate shot at the majors, whether it be in Kansas City or elsewhere if the Royals deem him expendable. Considering the club didn't protect him from the Rule 5, he may need a superb spring to avoid being moved to another organization.

Porter can catch, play first base, or serve as a designated hitter. He's behind other Royals at each position, but could prove to be a valuable utility man and solid bat off the bench.

He's played in all but one of Kansas City's Cactus League games so far and caught once; he's 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs.

That leaves two other backstops.

A top KC Royals prospect and another catcher are also working in spring camp

Currently ranked as Kansas City's 15th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, Luca Tresh is getting his first taste of the big league atmosphere this spring. He's played twice and is 2-for-3 with a double.

Tresh, however, hasn't been playing professionally for long. He signed soon after the Royals picked him in the 17th round of the 2021 draft; he immediately reported to Rookie ball and hit .389 (7-for-18) with a home run and three RBIs in six games before moving up to Low-A Columbia, where he dropped to 5-for-35 in 10 appearances.

Despite his less-than-stellar showing at Columbia, Kansas City bumped him up to High-A Quad Cities to begin last season. He adjusted quickly and hit .273 with a .360 OBP, 14 homers, and 54 RBIs in 80 games.

Suitably impressed, the Royals promoted him again, this time to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he added five home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games. Although his average dropped to .253, he posted a good .358 OBP.

Tresh, 23, won't make it to Kansas City this season. He'll probably begin the year back at Northwest Arkansas, but decent hitting will almost guarantee him a mid-to-late season promotion to Omaha. He could contend for a big league role in 2025.

Also in camp is Tyler Cropley. The Royals signed him as a free agent after the Washington organization released him in 2020. Unfortunately, he spent almost two months on the minor league Injured List last year and hit only .176 in 36 games, including .163 at Northwest Arkansas.

Cropley went 0-for-1 during a 2022 spring training stint with the Royals. He's also 0-for-1 this spring.