Kansas City Royals: Two Key Changes Could Solve Many Problems
Kansas City Royals second baseman Johnny Giavotella (9) Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Change #2: Bring up Christian Colon Now
While the defense has committed more errors than expected, contributing mightily to some of the early season failings of the bullpen in close games, they continue to put on a nightly clinic in terms of their decision-making and ability to get to balls most defenders couldn’t.
In truth, the only real significant defensive problem aside from the uncharacteristic number of errors thus far, has been the lack of a true back-up middle-infielder.
It’s not hard to explain this one. Already, the Royals have lost a couple of games due to the lack of a true backup middle-infielder. Danny Valencia is fine as an insurance policy or platoon option at third base but he clearly is not able to hold down the middle-infield slots, particularly not if he’s needed to do so for an extended period of time.
Not having a true backup option at second or short screams of poor personnel management and highlights an inexplicable insistence by the Royals management team on carrying a 13-man pitching staff when they clearly don’t need one.
The Royals have two minor leagues options to fill the middle-infield backup role at the moment and they include either Johnny Giavotella or Christian Colon. Giavotella has long been coveted due to his offensive prowess.
He has consistently hit over .300 in the minor leagues while displaying the frequent ability to hit doubles, but he has yet to show he can hit at the major league level having posted a .241 average in 400 at bats.
In the past, the Royals could afford to be more patient with him but the team is ready to win now and patience is not a luxury they have.
Worse still, he is at best a mediocre defender thus, as a long-term backup middle-infield option, he is clearly not the best bet. Typically, you want your back-ups to be solid defenders who won’t lose you a game and if they happen to have some offensive skills as well, all the better. At the moment, Giavotella doesn’t really provide either.