KC Royals: Terrance Gore Could Crack The Roster

The KC Royals have had questions and speculation about who would be manning right field throughout the off-season. It may be taking shape.

Heading into Spring Training it appeared that Jarrod Dyson was finally going to get a chance to start for the Royals. He was primed and ready to go until after his first swing in a Spring Training game.

Dyson swung the bat and earned himself a strained right oblique that is going to likely sideline him for the first two weeks of the season. The good news for Dyson and the Royals is that it didn’t happen later. He’s going to have plenty of season to prove that he belongs in right field.

Trying to figure out who was going to replace Dyson created a lot of speculation. The Royals had several options when it came to choosing a player or even a platoon. Brett Eibner, Jose Martinez, Bubba Starling, Jorge Bonifacio, and Travis Snider all appeared to have a shot at earning time.

When asked by Royals’ beat writer Rustin Dodd what his plans for right field were, Ned Yost answered in a very politically correct way.

Not only are they going to play some guys out there, it appears they may already be set on a platoon between Paulo Orlando and Reymond Fuentes.

It’s great to see former top-prospect Reymond Fuentes poised for a potential breakout. Carlos Beltran is his cousin so it would be great to see two great outfielders from the same family patrolling Kauffman Stadium’s outfield.

He’s done everything he possible can in Spring Training this year to prove he’s ready. He’s got 16 hits with three home runs and three doubles. He’s slashing .444/.524/.778 and has 10 RBIs and seven runs scored also.

It’s a good bet that Fuentes is going to make the opening day roster. He’ll also have a couple of weeks to show he needs to stick around even after Dyson comes back.

Filling the final spot on the 25-man roster could be an interesting decision for Ned Yost.

Choosing Terrance Gore for that spot over the versatile Whit Merrifield would be a very decisive move by the Royals’ skipper. Gore is already on the 40-man roster so no moves would have to be made to accommodate his addition to the opening day squad.

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While Merrifield would require a corresponding roster move to be added to the 40-man roster, Tim Collins just learned that his season was over. The Royals could easily add him to the 60-day disabled list which would create an opening for Whit Merrifield.

His versatility would allow him to play anywhere but catcher for the Royals. While Gore’s speed is enticing, Merrifield’s versatility could prove to be a valuable commodity.

The Royals have played two extra months of baseball in each of the past two seasons. They’ve played more games than anyone in that time frame and Ned Yost may want to give some guys days off, especially in the early goings.

Next: Projecting The 2016 Opening Day Roster

At the end of the day, all of this roster talk is mere speculation. The good news is, with only nine days left until opening night, Royals’ fans won’t have to wait long to find out what the answers are.

So what do you think KC Royals’ fans? When will the Royals make their final roster decisions. Would you rather have Gore or Merrifield on the roster? Is Reymond Fuentes the real deal? Let me know your thoughts in the comments’ section below.