The Royals are coming into the 2024 season with elevated expectations after the membership spent greater than $100MM in free company this winter on high of an enormous 11-year extension for franchise shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. With that inflow of free agent expertise comes elevated competitors for spots on the membership’s Opening Day roster. That extra of expertise is especially clear within the outfield, the place supervisor Matt Quatraro just lately indicated to reporters (together with MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that the membership’s logjam is more likely to consequence within the membership carrying 5 outfielders on its roster to open the 2024 marketing campaign.
Kansas Metropolis signed veteran outfield Hunter Renfroe to be the membership’s common proper fielder, and Rogers means that glove-first heart fielder and former high catching prospect MJ Melendez are the favorites to obtain common enjoying time on the grass alongside him. That leaves two spots on the bench out there for a bunch that features Drew Waters, Nelson Velazquez, and Dairon Blanco. A former high prospect within the Braves farm system, Waters was shipped to the Royals midseason again in 2022 and has since slashed an honest .231/.306/.402 in 130 video games with the membership. Velazquez, in the meantime, joined the membership eventually yr’s commerce deadline in a cope with the Cubs and displayed prodigious energy down the stretch with 14 house runs in simply 40 video games. Blanco, 31 subsequent month, is by far the oldest of the trio however carried out effectively in a part-time function final season, going 24-for-29 on the basepaths whereas slashing .258/.324/.452 in 69 video games that noticed him spend time in all three outfield spots.
With the membership anticipating to hold 5 outfielders on the roster to open the season, that considerably limits the paths to an Opening Day roster spot for different bench choices. Veterans Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson each signed main league offers this previous winter and seem locked into utility roles on the bench, and with Melendez now a full-time outfielder the Royals should enter the season with Freddy Fermin on the roster because the backup to veteran backstop Salvador Perez. That might seemingly depart little room on the membership’s roster for Nick Pratto, the membership’s first-round choose within the 2017 draft and a former high prospect. The primary baseman has 144 huge league video games beneath his belt however has but to determine himself within the majors, slashing simply .216/.295/.364 in a mixed 527 journeys to the plate throughout that point.
Extra from across the American League…
- Astros supervisor Joe Espada introduced to reporters (together with MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that right-handers Justin Verlander and J.P. France will throw bullpen periods tomorrow. Espada indicated last week that Verlander’s subsequent bullpen would decide not solely whether or not or not he would then progress to reside hitting but additionally his readiness for Opening Day. If Verlander begins the season on the shelf, it’s attainable his spot within the rotation might go to France, assuming that the 28-year-old avoids an injured listing stint of his personal. The righty impressed with a 3.83 ERA in 136 1/3 innings of labor with the large league membership final yr, nearly fully out of the beginning rotation. Ought to Verlander be wholesome sufficient to make his Opening Day begin, France would seemingly be left to compete for the fifth spot within the membership’s rotation with the likes of Ronel Blanco and Brandon Bielak.
- Rays southpaw Brendan McKay made his first skilled look since present process Tommy John surgical procedure late within the 2022 season right this moment, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times spoke to the lefty following the looks. Per Topkin, McKay expressed satisfaction along with his progress, indicating that his curveball is “getting higher” whereas his fastball, which Topkin provides sat at 90 whereas touching 91, is “in a great place” to achieve extra velocity going ahead. McKay sometimes sat at 94 along with his heater when he final pitched within the majors in 2019, although the previous high prospect and fourth-overall choose of the 2017 draft has handled each Tommy John surgical procedure and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome since then. As soon as a consensus top-30 prospect within the sport, it’s simple to think about McKay impacting the membership’s pitching employees sooner or later this season if he can stay wholesome.
