KC Royals: Getting To Know Veteran Infielder Clint Barmes

The KC Royals signed Clint Barmes to a Minor League deal a few weeks ago. We got a chance to interview the veteran infielder as he vies for a spot on the roster.

Clint Barmes has spent time with the Rockies, Pirates, Padres, and Astros in his career. While he has spent time at multiple infield positions, his primary positions are shortstop and second base.

He’ll look to make the team as the utility infielder, backing up at shortstop and second base. He could even play third base in a pinch.

With Christian Colon not doing much in Spring Training and Omar Infante still recovering from an injury, there is at least a chance he could crack the roster. Colon is 0-12 so far this spring. Barmes meanwhile, is 2-6 with two doubles. That’s a small sample size, but it’s still a good start.

I got a chance to do a phone interview with the Royals’ new infielder and get to know a little about his experiences with the team.

“Thanks for taking the time to take my phone call today. I know Spring Training is a busy time. What were the main reasons that led you to sign with Kansas City?”

"“Well at this point in my career, becoming a free agent after playing last year with the Padres, I had an option this year. They turned the option down and they talked about keeping in touch going into this season. It didn’t work out. Then there were a couple other teams that showed a little bit of interest but there were no guaranteed roster spots. Honestly, after I talked to Dayton Moore, he let me know how interested they were and their situation and it made for a pretty easy decision for me on this end. After talking with him, I know they’d pursued and tried to get me there for the last couple years which made me feel pretty good too. It would’ve been nice to be a part of that last year, but it didn’t work out. But I’m very fortunate and very happy with the opportunity to come in this year and compete for a spot.”"

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