Kansas City Royals: What will the plan be for Nicky Lopez?
The Kansas City Royals have a young prospect in Triple-A right now by the name of Nicky Lopez. What will they decide to do with him when he finally gets his Major League call-up?
The Kansas City Royals drafted Nicky Lopez in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Creighton. It didn’t take long at all for Lopez to get a promotion from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to Triple-A Omaha and he’s currently doing quite well for the Storm Chasers, slashing .282/372/.447 in 188 at bats.
While Lopez is looking like a hot hitter at the plate so far, he’s not on the Royals 40-man roster, which makes him getting a September call-up seem unlikely. Also, as soon as the Royals bring Lopez up to the bigs, that service time clock starts ticking.
Fans might be tired of hearing that, but it’s true. Lopez could very well be a big part of this team’s future, so preserving him until the other key guys are ready might be what has to happen. Those other players are guys like Nick Pratto, Seuly Matias, and Kelvin Gutierrez who might not be ready for another two or three years.
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When the Royals do bring Lopez up, what will his role be on the team? He’s spent most of his time at shortstop in Omaha, but has also made several starts at second base. That could make things difficult when it comes to finding a spot for him in the majors.
As of now, the plan seems to involve Whit Merrifield playing second base and Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop. Where does that leave Nicky Lopez? Those are his two main positions and both appear occupied for the time being.
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Perhaps Merrifield could be moved to the outfield, but then you have to think about the other moving parts in the outfield. Brett Phillips was acquired in the Mike Moustakas trade and has already shown flashes of brilliance on defense. He’s played all but two games in center so far, so it’s tough to see the Royals moving him from a position where he’s looked good.
Nicky Lopez probably won’t get a shot in the bigs this year, but the Royals will need to start thinking about where they can plug him in at. Mondesi has shown promise at shortstop (and is finally improving at the plate) and Merrifield is beloved in Kansas City. Oh yeah, and he’s been a reliable second baseman for the organization, something they haven’t had in a long time.
Unless the Royals decide to trade Merrifield over the offseason or at next year’s trade deadline, it’ll be interesting to see what direction the Royals go in when it comes to Nicky Lopez’s future in the majors. Will he play shortstop, second base, or will the Royals have him learn another position?