Kansas City Royals right field situation is disastrous
By Joel Wagler
The Kansas City Royals did nothing to solidify their right field situation during Spring Training despite having three players vying for the starting role.
The hope was that one of three candidates would emerge in Spring Training as the starting right fielder for the Kansas City Royals in 2019.
Unfortunately, none of those players did enough to earn a major league roster spot this spring. Brett Phillips and Jorge Bonifacio were sent to minor league camp earlier this spring, and today the other candidate was released.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Royals added Lucas Duda to the roster and will release Brian Goodwin.
"The Royals announced Monday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran first baseman Lucas Duda and requested unconditional release waivers on outfielder Brian Goodwin."
Now the Royals will try to make do with Jorge Soler, Chris Owings, and Terrance Gore in right field. Soler has 193 games in right under his belt but according to Fangraphs, his Ultimate Zone Rating in those games is negative 8.8 and this Defensive Runs Saved sits at negative 16. He seems much better suited for the designated hitter role with an occasional start in right rather than a regular starter.
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Chris Owings is better suited than Soler in right with a UZR of .7 and seven DRS in 68 games but is slated to be more of a super utility player than an everyday right fielder.
Terrance Gore is also an option for some starts in right, but he has only 19 Major League plate appearances in 63 games over five seasons and has just one hit – ever! Gore’s whole career in the Majors has been as a pinch-running specialist.
The Royals have to be disappointed that Phillips hasn’t shown he can hit against Major League pitching yet. He has the most upside. A UZR of 3.2 in right in only 25 games, coupled with five Defensive Runs Saved in limited opportunities indicates he has the skills to be a plus defender. His paltry career hitting slash – .222/.291./362/.653 – shows no indications he can hit at the highest level.
There is another solution, as Leigh Oleszczak suggested earlier in the spring – that Nicky Lopez man second and Whit Merrifield take over in right field. Lopez might have a better chance at being an everyday player than Phillips or Bonafacio.
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It seems crazy that the Royals would be adding Duda to the 25-man roster and cutting their starting right fielder three days before their first game of the season, but they did. This is nothing against Duda but for a team trying to build for the future, but it feels like a failure and a huge step backward.
It seems the Royals were merely hoping one of the three candidates would take a step forward instead of proactively looking to fill this spot with a legitimate right fielder.
The Royals are going to need Soler’s bat every day so he will be in the line-up as either the DH or right fielder, with Duda and Owings filling the other spot most days. Gore will probably be on hand as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.
Maybe the Kansas City Royals will get lucky and either Phillips or long time farmhand Bubba Starling might find their swings in the minors and can hit their way onto the Major League roster.
Right field is certainly a position the Kansas City Royals need to address as they continue their rebuilding process. Maybe Phillips will be the guy, but things have taken a bleak turn on that front this spring. Hopefully, if Soler can stay healthy and in the lineup, he will improve his defense along the way.