Kansas City Royals: Protected roster moves for 2019 offseason
By Cody Rickman
Added to 40-Man Roster
Nick Heath, Outfielder (soon to be 26-years-old)
Nick Heath will turn 26 later this month. He possess some of the best speed in the Royals organization, stealing 60 bases in 2019 between AA and AAA.
In his four-year minor league career, Heath has stolen 160 bases (200 attempts), averaging 40 stolen bases per year. Heath has put together consistent numbers the last two seasons hitting above .250 and generating a walk rate above 10%. He showed exceptional potential in his 2018 Arizona Fall League campaign generating a .338/.427/.442 with six extra base hits and 13 out of 17 stolen base attempts.
Heath has exceptional athleticism and projects to have above average range in the outfield. I don’t expect much out of his arm and he may be limited to a fourth outfielder role. His speed off the bench will also be an asset to future teams.
If Heath is able to consistently reach base in the MLB then his best tool, his speed, will be a major weapon for the Royals.
Jeison Guzman, Infielder (21-years-old)
Jeison Guzman is a 21-year-old middle infielder and won’t turn 22 until next October. Guzman had a horrible April in 2019, then hit .284 in May, .270 in June, .279 in July, .280 in August and .375/.444/.667 with two home runs in the 2019 postseason.
Guzman has been the shortstop on back to back championship Lexington Legends teams in single A ball. He has the athleticism, range, and arm strength to play shortstop.
If he continues to mature physically, his hitting could improve into a plus category. Guzman still needs to work on his patience at the plate and will likely remain around a 20% K rate. If Guzman can mature physically to generate more power and get his walk rate up to 7.5%, there’s a chance he could project as an average every day starter.