Results mixed for former KC Royals battling for roster spots on other teams

With the first round of spring training roster cuts well underway — the Kansas City Royals recently trimmed their roster for the first time — many former Royals anxiously await their fates with new teams. Some, like Brady Singer with the Cincinnati Reds and Jorge Soler with the Los Angeles Angels, are Opening Day locks, while others' immediate baseball futures are far from certain.

Here's a look at some of those players and how they're faring in the Arizona and Florida spring training camps.

Nicky Lopez and Brad Keller — Chicago Cubs

Former Royals rotation mainstay Keller signed a minor league deal with Chicago just before spring training began, then held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless for 1.2 innings in his first spring appearance. But his last effort, a 2.1 inning stint against the Cleveland Guardians on March 1, wasn't as good — Cleveland scored all four of its runs off Keller on four hits, including two homers.

Now 1-0 in four games, and after pitching a scoreless frame against the Royals on March 6, he's surrendered four runs in seven innings, but has six strikeouts and walked only one. Consider him a long shot to break camp with the Cubs.

Utility infielder Lopez, though, may be close to landing a big league roster spot. Chicago's infield situation is a bit uncertain, and Lopez's seven-game .474/.565/.579 line — he's 9-for-19 with a pair of doubles and four walks — has him in the running.

Jorge Soler — Los Angeles Angels

The Angels kicked off their surprisingly busy offseason by picking up Soler in an October trade with the Atlanta Braves. They have to like what they've seen so far from their new slugger — in eight games, he's driven in six runs, homered twice, and is slashing .444/.545/.833. He'll make the club.

Aroldis Chapman, Liam Hendriks, Nate Eaton — Boston Red Sox

Chapman joined Boston on a free agent deal in December. Almost certain to be on the Opening Day roster, he's struck out four (but also walked four) in 2.2 scoreless innings.

Hendriks' status is more murky. A Royals reliever for part of the 2024 season, he spent most of last year rehabbing from elbow surgery and has given up four runs and eight hits in three spring innings. He could begin the season on the Injured List.

Utility man Eaton played 72 games over two Kansas City seasons before venturing into free agency in November and signing with the Sox. A non-roster invitee, an 0-for-4 March 6 performance against the Toronto Blue Jays dropped his average to .211, but he has a homer and four RBI in 12 games. His chances of making the final cut aren't great, but he has minor league options left.

Logan Porter — San Francisco Giants

The popular Porter spent almost six full seasons in the KC organization before the Royals shipped him to the Giants for cash last June. A decent minor league hitter, he was batting .319 for Triple-A Omaha at the time but, after slumping to .253 for San Francisco's Sacramento Triple-A club, found himself released in July. He caught on with the New York Mets and played briefly in their minor league system.

Now, he's back with the Giants after signing a new deal in November. But at 1-for-8 in six games, Porter isn't making a strong case for a big league roster spot.

Will Klein, Gabe Speier, Collin Snider, Jesse Hahn — Seattle Mariners

Speier, who pitched 98 games over the last two seasons with the Mariners after spending parts of four years with the Royals, has yielded a run and struck out three in three innings. He'll likely make the M's Opening Day cut.

Klein, a fighter of control issues throughout his four-season professional career, has walked three — but fanned five — in his four Cactus League innings. He's also given up four runs, although two were unearned. He pitched five times for the Royals and three times for the Athletics last season.

After appearing in 62 games for KC across the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Snider went 3-4 with an excellent 1.94 ERA in 42 games for the Mariners last year. Likely to make the roster, he has three strikeouts and surrendered two runs in three spring innings.

Hahn's chances of making the club are currently the worst of the Mariners' ex-Royal pitchers. Opponents have scored six times against him in 3.2 innings. To his credit, he's struck out six and walked just one.

Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont — Cincinnati Reds

Ex-Royal starter Brady Singer is an absolute cinch for Cincinnati's rotation, and Barlow is pitching well enough to join him on the Reds' Opening Day roster. The former Kansas City closer has four scoreless frames and four strikeouts spread across four appearances, and hasn't issued a walk.

Staumont has a scoreless inning and two strikeouts in one game.

Paul DeJong — Washington Nationals

Kansas City picked up DeJong from the Chicago White Sox at last season's trade deadline, but after helping the Royals make the playoffs headed for free agency when the campaign ended. He signed with Washington recently and, slashing .278/.381/.611 with two homers and six RBI in seven games, has a decent chance to make the club.

Richard Lovelady and Amir Garrett — Toronto Blue Jays

Count former Royal relievers Lovelady and Garrett among the more minor additions of Toronto's major offseason roster overhaul. Whether either breaks camp with the Blue Jays remains to be seen.

Lovelady has given up three runs in 2.1 Grapefruit League innings after going 3-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 28 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last year. Garrett yielded three runs in just two-thirds of an inning in the one game he's appeared in since signing with the Jays after spring camp opened.