Kansas City Royals: 2020 free agent options, Part II: Batters
By Cullen Jekel
Who else?
Will Alex Gordon return? He has a $20 million mutual option for next year that should be declined on the team’s end. Doing so still nets Gordon $4 million. After that, he and the team can hammer out a one-year deal with a much smaller guaranteed salary plus incentives. He could instead retire. But if he returns, will he continue to regularly man left field?
Ryan O’Hearn and Cheslor Cuthbert are two more infielders who will probably return. In the outfield, Brett Phillips deserves a shot after raking in the minors this season. Hopefully he has a fine rest of the season at the plate. He’s a star in center field; he just needs his bat to come around.
Then there’s Ryan McBroom, the slugging first baseman acquired from the New York Yankees, where had had been absolutely mashing in Triple-A. In his first six games for the Royals, he’s slashing .316/.381/.421 for an OPS of .802, which is 13 percent better than the league average. (Let’s clarify here that he’s had 21 at-bats.)
That’s 11 batters right there. Other positional players fighting for the final spots will be: Nicky Lopez, Bubba Starling, Kelvin Gutierrez and Humberto Arteaga.
Based on the above, and in no particular order, it looks like the Royals need help at:
- Third base (if Dozier sticks in right),
- Right field (if Dozier sticks at third),
- Left field (depending on what happens with Gordon),
- Second base, and/or
- Center field (depending on Phillips’ bat).
And, as always, depth–well, Major League depth–looks to be a concern.
Now to the main player I believe the Kansas City Royals should target in free agency.