KC Royals: Potential Replacements For Terrance Gore

Scott Dillon

Apr 9, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder Terrance Gore (0) signs autographs for fans before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The KC Royals optioned Terrance Gore to Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals yesterday. Someone is joining the big club on Friday.

The KC Royals made a roster move yesterday afternoon following their blowout loss to the Washington Nationals.

They sent down the pinch-running specialist, Terrance Gore, to Double-A ball and will make a move tomorrow prior to the start of the game against Cleveland.

Jeffrey Flanagan, who covers the Royals for MLB.com, offered some further insight via Twitter:

#Royals have optioned
Terrance Gore to Northwest Arkansas
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) May 4, 2016

#Royals will make a corresponding roster move before Friday's game in Cleveland
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) May 4, 2016

The Royals seemingly have many ways they could go when making their decision to call someone up. Aside from having a bullpen that’s been taxed over the past couple of days, they have a punch-less lineup right now also.

Let’s take a look at some of the most likely candidates to get called up to join the Royals on Friday.

Next: The Groomsman

Brian Duensing

The KC Royals added Brian Duensing to their roster this off-season on a Minor League deal. The veteran left-handed pitcher had long been familiar with the Royals after spending his entire career with the Minnesota Twins.

Duensing posted a 4.13 ERA in 649.1 major league innings with the Twins in his career. 2015 was a down year for Duensing, but he was highly productive as recently as 2014.

Never a big strikeout guy, he was still an effective option out of the bullpen for the Twins. He also moonlights as Alex Gordon‘s groomsman. The two played college ball together at Nebraska.

Duensing has had an impressive start with the Triple-A team this season. In 14.2 innings of work he has a 1.84 ERA.

He’s allowed just nine hits and three runs while allowing only two free passes. He’s also struck out 13 batters so far.

Duensing has the ability to opt out of his Minor League contract with the Royals on May 15th, if he hasn’t been added to the Major League roster. That makes him a likely candidate to join the squad.

The problem is, he’s not on the 40-man roster right now. Someone would have to be either placed on the disabled list or removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Duensing.

Next: A Different Lefty

Scott Alexander

Scott Alexander already made his Major League debut when he pitched for the KC Royals last season.

He only pitched six innings last season but showed some good things and some bad things. He had a 4.50 ERA but he also had a three inning outing in which he only allowed one base runner.

Alexander is already on the 40-man roster, so no special moves would have to be made to get him on the team.

He’s also a left-handed pitcher that would give the Royals an option other than Danny Duffy against tough left-handed bats. Ned Yost has never really played the lefty/righty match-up game so it may not be that big of a factor.

This season at Triple-A, Alexander has an ERA of 1.50 across 12 innings of work. He’s given up ten hits and four walks to go along with seven strikeouts. He’s also allowed no home runs which is encouraging for a team that has given up a lot of long balls of late.

Alexander has spent time as the closer for the Omaha Storm Chasers so he’s not new to dealing with high pressure situations. It’s only a matter of whether or not he can bring that with him to the next level that remains to be seen.

Next: The Next Yordano?

Miguel Almonte

Miguel Almonte is another pitcher who the Royals already have on the 40-man roster that could be added without much fuss.

The problem with Almonte is that he’s pretty unpredictable. In five starts with the Storm Chasers this season, he’s had very up and down performances.

His first start was an absolute train wreck. Then he sandwiched in some good outings before having a bad start in his last outing. He currently has an ERA of 5.00 on the year.

He does have impressive strikeout numbers with 23 of them in only 18 innings. He’s also given up two home runs.

In 8.2 innings of work at the Major League level last season, Almonte had an ERA of 6.23 with ten strikeouts and four home runs allowed.

Given the performances of Kris Medlen and Chris Young recently, the Royals may be open to giving Almonte a crack at a spot start here or there, but he seems better suited for the bullpen.

Next: Can We Even Say His Name Right?

Jonathan Dziedzic

Jonathan Dziedzic is another pitcher that the Royals would have to make some roster adjustments to get onto the 40-man roster. While he’s not easily attainable, it may be worth it.

Dziedzic has a 2.92 ERA in 339 innings during his Minor League career so far. This season alone he’s carrying a 2.49 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched.

Prior to last night’s start, Dziedzic had an ERA of 1.64 in 22 innings pitched so far this season. He has 26 strikeouts and has allowed 21 hits and 14 walks.

He started out this season on a tear but has now allowed 13 walks in his last three outings. He’s also given up six of his seven earned runs in his last 8.1 innings.

Dziedzic looks like he could be a valuable mid-rotation starter for the Royals at some point, but I don’t think they’ll make a move like this so early in the year.

He’s also got value as a trade chip later on in the season. The Royals traded young talent for a flag last year and it paid off, though it came at a big cost. Promising performances by Alec Mills and Matthew Strahm at the Double-A level make it look like the Royals have plenty of arm talent left.

Next: A Tall Order

Brian Flynn

Meet the other left-handed pitcher named Brian that the Royals could call on to join the big league club: Brian Flynn.

Brian Flynn nearly cracked the Royals 25-man roster to start the 2015 campaign. He was beat out by reclamation project Ryan Madson for that last spot on the roster and it paid dividends for the Royals.

While Madson put together a season that helped him earn a three-year contract, Flynn headed to the disabled list in only his first appearance in the minors that season. He missed the entire 2015 with a tear in his latissimus dorsi.

Flynn came into camp this season with a ton of expectations and hope that he would be able to impress in Spring Training and earn that spot this year. He didn’t have the results he hoped for and was relegated to the Minor Leagues to start this season.

This year he’s appeared mostly as a reliever and looked like he was being prepared for a long relief role. His results were mixed and he gave up runs in three of his first five appearances.

His last outing came in the form of a start on May second. In that game he pitched five innings in which he allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six. He also dropped his ERA from 5.73 to 3.94 in one game.

If his command is back on track then he could compliment Danny Duffy as another power lefty out of the pen for the Royals.

Next: Jack Of All Trades

Whit Merrifield

Whit Merrifield earned a lot of fans this Spring when he slashed .347/.389/.653, but he was passed over in favor of Reymond Fuentes who was already on the 40-man roster.

Merrifield is another player that the Royals would have to make concessions to get onto the squad. His versatility may make him worth it.

Brett Eibner

Meet the 2015 player that everyone wanted named to the big league roster. He walked into camp this season with a ton of expectations and an opportunity to make the team after Jarrod Dyson went down in his first at-bat.

What happened this Spring was that Brett Eibner blew it. He batted just .211 and struck out seven times in 19 at-bats.

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He then got off to a slow start this season after he had a career year in the minors during 2015. Last season he batted .303 and had 23 doubles with 19 home runs. It looked like his power and average were going to carry over.

After a rough start to this season, Eibner looks like he’s back to 2015 form. He now has four home runs on the season and all of them have come in his last five games.

He’s also got a batting average of .300 and an on-base percentage of .414. Perhaps the biggest flaw with Eibner is his inability to avoid striking out.

The Royals are already experiencing an increase in strikeouts this season, so finding a player who can get back to contact is key. He is on the 40-man roster and is capable of playing all three outfield positions, so he does add value, but may never be more than a fringe player. Think Shane Costa.

Next: Full Of Energy

Cheslor Cuthbert

Insert the player that may very well have more energy than Salvador Perez: Cheslor Cuthbert.

Last year, when the Royals won the World Series, there was a player who kept celebrating and going nuts by the dugout. I say he was by the dugout because it didn’t seem to be able to contain him. It was Cheslor Cuthbert.

If you look right behind Salvador Perez when the Royals basically clinched the World Series, Cheslor Cuthbert is out of the dugout celebrating and welcoming Jarrod Dyson in.

When Hosmer scored the game-tying run, it was Cuthbert right there whipping his towel around and giving Eric Hosmer a manly hug:

Cheslot Cuthbert brings with him a lot of energy and it’s something that the Royals could use right now. They’ve been in a slump and there is no denying the bats have been lethargic.

So far, Cuthbert has been doing nothing but producing runs for the Storm Chasers. Hes got 27 RBIs on the season which is more than a run batted in per game.

He’s also hitting for power with six home runs on the season while batting an impressive .322 with only 14 strikeouts in 89 at-bats. Plenty of time for him to come back down to earth, but why not go with the hot hand?

He’s already on the KC Royals’ 40-man roster and has already endeared himself to the fans.

Last year, it was Paulo Orlando who electrified the crowd and the team with a seemingly endless amount of triples. The Royals are still looking for that little spark and so far, Cuthbert looks like the best option.

With Mike Moustakas nursing an ailing thumb it may be nice to add him to the roster. Omar Infante has also apparently forgotten how to backhand a baseball and Cuthbert does have some very limited time at second.

Next: Who Do You Want To See Up?

May 3, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain (6) is tackled by teammates after hitting the game winning run in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 7-6. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The KC Royals have some options in regards to the direction the go with this selection.

There are a few other players who could be considered for this position as well.

Jorge Bonifacio has had a very strong start to the season, but he’s striking out at an alarming rate. He’s also been very streaky so far and doesn’t have a long track record of success.

Reymond Fuentes has already been with the team this season, but he’s currently on the seven-day disabled list. It’s unlikely the Royals would add him to the team when he’s hurting and unavailable to play.

Kyle Zimmer is heading to Wilmington soon to begin his season after being held in extending Spring Training with a balky right shoulder. It’s unlikely the Royals would rush him to the Majors at this point given his injury history. He’s still a young man and has plenty of years in him if he can stay healthy.

Next: Royals Top Rookies EVER

Mike Minor is another player that will likely slot into the Royals’ rotation plans later this year, but he’s nowhere near ready to come back. He’ll likely return after the All-Star break (be sure to vote!). Rumor has it he’s hitting the upper 90’s on the gun.

It’s early in the season and the Royals still have a winning record, but there is no question they’ll need to break out of this slump at some point soon to return the the playoffs for a third consecutive season. Well KC Royals’ fans, who would you like to see the Royals promote?

Scott Dillon

I was born into a family of Royals and Chiefs fans and wouldn't have it any other way. I lived in enemy territory (Bronco Country) for a while, but I'm back in the promise land now. Proud of my City, my teams, and my fellow fans.