Kansas City Royals Have Plenty of Options in Right Field
![Kansas City Royals right fielder Jorge Soler (12) -Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Kansas City Royals right fielder Jorge Soler (12) -Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/a89a0c15d1cd469910f92138f039b202e59264ee91a2f59f5855eb1304b4f3d0.jpg)
The Kansas City Royals acquired Jorge Soler in a trade this offseason, more than likely to play right field, but a recent oblique injury probably will land him on the disabled list. Fortunately, there are other options for the Royals to stick in right field.
Even though Jorge Soler‘s early months as a member of the KC Royals are off to a disappointing start, there’s no need to push him into a starting role just to have him out there. Soler isn’t the best defensively, and quite frankly, there are other decent options to have out in right field.
The most obvious one is Paulo Orlando, who right now is slotted in as the starting right fielder for Opening Day. Orlando is underrated and has been since his MLB debut back in 2015.
Last season, Orlando batted .302 in 457 at-bats. He was one of the most clutch hitters for the Royals and somehow still seems to be overlooked time and time again.
Orlando probably won’t be an every day starter in right field for the Royals and that’s okay!
The team acquired Brandon Moss this past season, who doubled as a first baseman and outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals over the past two seasons. He’ll likely spend most of his time at the designated hitter spot for KC, but he’s still an option for right field.
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Whit Merrifield, assuming he ends up making the roster over Christian Colon, has spent time in the outfield and would be a great option in right. Merrifield offers the ability to leadoff in the lineup and to play just about any position on the diamond.
Speaking of leadoff, Alex Gordon has experimented with playing in other outfield spots during Spring Training. Perhaps Gordon could be another option to slot in at right field while Soler is rehabbing from his oblique injury.
Some long shots could be Billy Burns, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Peter O’Brien. Burns was recently optioned to Triple-A, Cuthbert hasn’t played in the outfield before, but the Royals need to find a role for him, and O’Brien had a nice spring, but probably isn’t ready to be a major leaguer quite yet.
Jorge Soler will be the future in right field for the Kansas City Royals, but for the time being, there’s no need to panic that he isn’t contributing yet. There are plenty of other guys that can fill in for him and can do decently in the process.
Just be patient, Royals Nation.