Royals' Drew Waters decision officially vindicated after Sunday news drop

The Kansas City Royals had an obvious roster crunch after leaving Surprise, Arizona, and that crunch had a name and a lot of unrealized potential.

Outfielder Drew Waters came to the organization as a hopeful boost to the outfield corps, but ultimately fell out of the Royals’ plans over the past two seasons. With no minor-league options remaining and no room to spare on the Opening Day roster, the Royals designated the 27-year-old for assignment. That move ultimately gave Kansas City a chance to have its cake and eat it too.

No team moved for Waters, whether via trade or by simply claiming him while he was available. The Royals ultimately outrighted the Georgia native back to Triple-A Omaha, where he can help round out a thin outfield group for the Storm Chasers.

Drew Waters time in the Royals organization continues on after latest roster update

The Triple-A season is just getting underway, and Waters has yet to make his return to game action. He spent most of the past two seasons at that level, accumulating 163 games in Omaha compared to 79 with the Royals.

He is only the fourth primary outfielder currently rostered by Omaha, joining fellow former first-rounder Gavin Cross and 40-man members John Rave and Kameron Misner. Waters could certainly get a chance to make his case for a return to Kansas City with a strong showing in Omaha, but that would push back against a concerning trend from the former top Atlanta Braves prospect.

Waters played only 54 games in Omaha last year, but posted a disappointing .713 OPS and struck out 67 times in 208 at-bats. That came out to a career-worst 29.0% strikeout rate, an area where Waters has shown little to no meaningful improvement over the past four seasons.

The tantalizing power-speed combination was always there in the back of fans’ minds, especially after he flashed it during his 2022 run. But the actual production never followed, and the downward trend became impossible to ignore.

With that open spot on the 40-man roster, Kansas City selected the contract of pitcher Eli Morgan and optioned him to Omaha as well. The MLB veteran was a non-roster invitee to spring training after some volatile years between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians.

But Morgan capitalized on his opportunity, throwing 10.1 innings with 12 strikeouts against four walks, seven hits, and just one earned run allowed. Morgan’s best years also overlapped with Brian Sweeney’s time in Cleveland, which only fueled the idea that Sweeney might be able to help turn things around for him again.

So far, so good for Morgan in Omaha. He made his Storm Chasers debut and tossed 1.1 hitless innings while striking out three of the four batters he faced. Morgan may end up being a more valuable part of Kansas City’s roster puzzle as the season goes along, especially since he allows the club to keep other pitchers stretched out in Omaha. He is also one of only three true relievers on the 40-man roster currently stationed there.

Fans may not remember Waters’ performance in Royals blue all that fondly, seeing him more as part of the outfield problem than a solution. But the outfielder will likely still be suiting up and playing affiliated baseball for now, waiting in the wings for another chance.