Spring training battles: The bench

With just over a week to before the Royals open the season against the Cleveland Guardians, the regular season roster is beginning to take shape. The Royals have assigned a number of promising prospects to minor league camp including pitcher Noah Cameron, outfielders John Rave and Tyler Gentry, and the impressive slugger Jac Caglianone. But many roster battles remain, including who will be coming off the bench for the Royals.

Barring a trade, the starting nine will likely include Salvador Perez behind the plate, Michael Massey and Jonathan India at second base and DH with some time in the outfield, Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop and Maikel Garcia generally at third. The outfield will likely have MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, and Hunter Renfroe. This is still fluid and the Royals are gauging whether or not they can increase their positional versatility, but those nine will likely be in the starting lineup on most days.

Freddy Fermin will be the backup catcher, and we could see him increase his role as he has shown capable of more playing time. That leaves three additional spots for backup players. Who is jockeying for a bench spot?

The bench contenders

Cavan Biggio checks a lot of boxes the Royals like in a bench player. He’s a lefty hitter who can draw walks and play all over the infield or outfield. The son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Cavan had a terrific rookie year with the Blue Jays in 2019, but has been unable to recapture the magic since then. He has a career 13.5 percent walk rate – no Royals hitter has done that in a single season since Mike Sweeney in 2003. For a bench player that is really just asked to not get out to create more opportunities for the hitters at the top of the lineup, that’s a nice skillset to have.

Dairon Blanco will likely be on the team if he is healthy. He had a sore Achilles heel a few weeks ago but has been playing in games this week. He’s a terrific weapon late in games as a pinch runner, swiping 31 bases in 38 in attempts and was one of the top players in all of baseball in Baserunning Runs. He’s not a total zero at the plate either, hitting .258/.316/.422 over the last two years. His defense is subpar however, surprising for a player in the 97th percentile in sprint speed, so carrying him may require carrying another true ballhawk.

Harold Castro is a six-year MLB veteran who, like Biggio, is left-handed and can play all over the field. Unlike Biggio, he’s not one to draw a walk, although he has a higher career batting average with a career line of .278/.303/.366. The 31-year-old would not necessitate regular playing time, and should be happy to collect a big league check at this point, so he makes for the quintessential bench player. He’s played well this spring, but he seems likely to be ticketed to Omaha as needed. Both Biggio and Castro are non-roster invitees, which works against them a bit as the Royals would need to create a roster spot to add either.

Nick Loftin is a former first-rounder who the Royals have praised quite a bit, but has played sparingly at the big league level despite good numbers in the minors. In fairness, he hasn’t exactly seized the opportunities given to him, batting just .229/.307/.295 in 76 games over the last two seasons. Loftin plays all over the field and while he doesn’t excel in any one aspect of the game, seems to do everything well. He has hit the cover off the ball this spring, which could earn him a spot in Kansas City.

Nick Pratto smashed 36 home runs in the minors in 2021, earning him top 100 prospect status. But his career has stalled out after he hit .216/.295/.364 over 2022-23 in Kansas City, and it’s a bad sign he was not called up to fill in at first when Vinnie Pasquantino went down with an injury last September. Pratto was below league average in Triple-A last year, and at age 26, his ship may have sailed. He is out of options, so the Royals would have to pass him through waivers to send him to Omaha, which may not be a problem at this point considering his struggles in camp.

Nelson Velázquez is also out of options, and has not shown the kind of power he showed when he hit 13 home runs over 40 games late in 2023. There is no doubt he has plus power potential, but he hit just .200 with eight home runs with the Royals over 64 games last year. His exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hid rate were all down significantly, and if he’s not hitting for power, he’s not providing much value. He has failed to hit this spring and could soon find himself looking for work in another organization.

Drew Waters is another former prospect who has fallen off the radar. The Royals got a long look at him in 2023, but he hit just .228/.300/.377 in 98 games. Like Pratto, the Royals did not call on Waters much last year despite some obvious needs in the outfield, but unlike Pratto, Waters actually hit pretty well in Omaha. The switch-hitter is 26 now, and could still settle into a reserve role as a versatile outfielder, but it would not be a surprise to see the Royals move on from him.

Joey Wiemer was acquired from the Reds in the Jonathan India trade not long after Cincy acquired him from the Brewers. Wiemer is a former top 100 prospect that started for Milwaukee in 2023, hitting just .204/.283/.362 wtih 13 home runs in 132 games. He has terrific raw tools – good power, good speed, and a very strong arm. The fact the Royals acquired the 26-year-old right-handed hitter likely means he has a leg up on someone like Waters, although both players have options that could lead to them being stashed in the minors.

The longshots

Jordan Groshans is another former top 100 prospect who has fallen off the radar after some very poor performances in the upper minors the last few seasons. He primarily plays third, but can play some second or short if needed. He’s likely headed to Omaha, but he has some big league experience and could be an option later this year.

Luke Maile is a nine-year MLB veteran behind the plate and likely serves as insurance in case Salvy or Fermin gets hurt. Barring injury, it seems unlikely he would make the team, and the more likely scenario is the Royals trade him for cash or grant him his release if a better MLB opportunity opens up next week.

Tyler Tolbert has some elite speed and is capable of playing solid shortstop. He doesn’t provide much help with the bat and he’s already 27 year old, so he has lost his “prospect” status. But if the Royals are looking for a designated pinch-runner to replace Blanco, he would be a candidate.