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Kansas City Royals dealing with crowded outfield in 2019

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 6: Alex Gordon #4, Whit Merrifield #15 and Rosell Herrera #7 of the Kansas City Royals stand in the outfield as they wait through a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Kauffman Stadium on August 6, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 6: Alex Gordon #4, Whit Merrifield #15 and Rosell Herrera #7 of the Kansas City Royals stand in the outfield as they wait through a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Kauffman Stadium on August 6, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Royals have a plethora of outfielders heading into the 2019 season. How will they get all of these guys playing time, or will they all get playing time?

When the Kansas City Royals signed Billy Hamilton last week, it was surprising on a few levels. For one, he’s not a great offensive player. Secondly, the Royals already have tons of options in their outfield next year and beyond.

Hamilton is one of the many outfielders, but the options don’t stop there. They also have Alex Gordon, Jorge Bonifacio, Jorge Soler, Brian Goodwin, and Brett Phillips. There’s also some minor league names to keep an eye on this year too, but with all of that major league depth, those guys might have to wait a few more years before even getting a crack in the big leagues.

When looking at these names, it appears that Gordon, Hamilton, and Soler would probably be the main starters. Bonifacio could potentially split time in right field with Soler and the other one could be the designated hitter on certain days as well.

The Royals might have added Hamilton because they don’t think Phillips is ready to be an every day contributor yet, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him spend at least the first half of the season in the minors.

As for Goodwin, where do the Royals put him? He batted .266 last year in 101 plate appearances and has mostly been a center fielder throughout his career. If Phillips goes to Omaha to start the year, perhaps Hamilton and Goodwin tag team it in center field.

I have failed to mention that Whit Merrifield is yet another outfield option for the Kansas City Royals, but more than likely, his outfield appearances will be limited in 2019 due to the depth. Also, there’s really not a decent second base option behind Merrifield unless the Royals decided to call Nicky Lopez up and have him get some starts there.

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It’ll be interesting to see how Ned Yost and the Royals manage all of these outfielders in 2019. While we don’t want Brett Phillips to get blocked by Billy Hamilton, if he’s not ready to play every day at a high level, starting the season in the minors might be the best move for the former Brewer.

Brian Goodwin will probably be the odd man out a lot of the time, which is too bad. The Royals obviously saw something they liked when they acquired him from the Nationals last year, but at 28 years old, Goodwin more than likely isn’t going to be a part of the rebuild.

Jorge Bonifacio is someone who could be a part of the rebuild, but with his disappointing 2018 season that was limited due to a suspension, the leash might not be all that long for Boni. Hopefully he gets back to his rookie numbers he put up in 2017, but if not, Bonifacio might not be long for Kansas City.

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How do you see the Kansas City Royals handling their crowded outfield next season?