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Kansas City Royals: Drew Butera doesn’t need to be playing every day

By Leigh Oleszczak

MINNEAPOLIS, MN- JULY 11: Drew Butera #9 of the Kansas City Royals looks on against the Minnesota Twins on July 11, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 8-5. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- JULY 11: Drew Butera #9 of the Kansas City Royals looks on against the Minnesota Twins on July 11, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 8-5. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Royals are going nowhere this season yet Drew Butera is still receiving more than enough playing time. Why is that the case for a team that is in rebuild mode?

The 2018 season has been historically bad for the Kansas City Royals, but that isn’t stopping them from continuing to give Drew Butera playing time. The backup catcher is slashing .185/.263/.281 in 135 at bats, which are not good enough numbers to merit playing someone every day. Not to mention he will not be a part of the Royals’ future at all.

Not only is Butera getting time as the backup catcher over Cam Gallagher, but he’s spent two games at first base this week. That is simply inexcusable for a team that needs to be playing their young players and giving them much-needed experience.

The Royals are more than 40 games under .500 and next year isn’t going to be any better. I understand there are “righty” and “lefty” match-ups to consider, but Butera isn’t even batting .200. He’s not hitting anything at the plate, so why is he continuing to take at bats away from players who will actually be with the team past 2018?

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Going back to the monstrosity that is Butera playing first base, the Royals need to not do that anymore. They have more than enough options at first base, including rookie Ryan O’Hearn, Hunter Dozier, and Lucas Duda.

Duda and Butera are both going to be free agents at the end of the season, but at least Duda has a batting average over the Mendoza line. O’Hearn needs to be getting as much playing time as possible because he’ll probably be the answer at first base until Nick Pratto gets called up in a few years.

Butera is also still the backup catcher and that’s irritating. Gallagher not getting opportunities to catch on Salvador Perez‘s off days really bothers me. Maybe Gallagher isn’t the answer at catcher after Perez is no longer a Royal, but he’ll probably be the backup next year, so why not give him key playing time in a season that is meaningless?

Gallagher is slashing .261/.328/.365 in Triple-A Omaha right now with four home runs and 35 RBI. He’ll get called up in September, but he could have been starting games instead of Drew Butera for this season.

The Kansas City Royals don’t seem to know what they’re doing this season and it’s beyond frustrating. Any other team would realize Butera has no value with the team anymore and they’d be giving younger guys playing time, but the Royals aren’t doing that. They’re giving both Butera and Alcides Escobar far more time on the diamond than what they deserve.

The good news here is that Drew Butera will hit free agency after this season and the Royals hopefully won’t retain him. There’d be no logical reason to with Perez as the franchise starter and Gallagher waiting in the wings.

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