Where are they now? Finding former KC Royals as spring training begins

Spring training is almost two weeks old, the Kansas City Royals have won their first two Cactus League games, and the major league season begins on March 18 when the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in Tokyo. But while baseball is back, several former Royals — Whit Merrifield, Will Smith, Matt Duffy, and Jake Diekman — are still looking for places to play.

That's not the case, though, with other ex-Royals. Pitchers Brady Singer, Scott Barlow, and Josh Staumont are all Cincinnati Reds now. Brad Keller and Nicky Lopez recently signed deals with the Cubs. Relievers Luke Weaver and Tim Hill faced the Royals in last season's American League Division Series and remain with the New York Yankees. Carlos Santana and Jakob Junis are both now Cleveland Guardians, and will see their former club on March 27 when both the Royals and Guardians open the regular season at Kauffman Stadium.

All those players signed free agent deals or new contracts with their teams this winter, and there are plenty of others who used to make their baseball homes in Kansas City plying their trade in other teams' camps this spring.

Jorge Soler is back in the American League

Kansas City fans will remember Jorge Soler for three things. Firstly, he was the Chicago Cub for whom the Royals traded star closer Wade Davis after the 2016 season. Next, he broke Mike Moustakas' team home run record in 2019. Lastly, he won a World Series — and the Fall Classic's MVP award — two seasons later.

It took fans a while to forgive the Royals for dealing away Davis, but forgive they did when Soler belted 48 homers to lead the majors in his third season with the organization. His 39th — a three-run shot off Detroit's Daniel Morris without which the Royals wouldn't have beaten the Tigers on September 3, 2019 — also broke Moustakas' single-season club record of 38 set only two years before.

Ownership of that prestigious honor didn't last any longer for Soler than it had for Moustakas — Salvador Perez tied it in his marvelous record-breaking 2021 campaign. Ironically, Soler left the club that very same season via a trade deadline deal with the Atlanta Braves, became a World Series champion when his new club beat the Houston Astros in six games, and won the Series MVP after hitting three homers with six RBI and slashing .300/.391/.800.

Soler has played with three clubs since then, including a return stint with the Braves last season. Now he's back in the AL, since Atlanta traded him to the Los Angeles Angels this offseason.