Royals Former Batting Champ, Gold Glove Winner Among 'Most Intriguing' Moves
The Kansas City Royals certainly are going all in on the 2024 Major League Baseball season.
Kansas City is just a few weeks away from making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 if it can just stay the course. The Royals have somewhat struggled lately, but they still currently hold an American League Wild Card spot and have a 4 1/2 game lead over the Boston Red Sox.
There's a lot to like about the Royals right now and they have been busy lately. The Royals have dealt with some injury woes and rather than sitting around and waiting for the team to get healthier, Kansas City has been active and added Yuli Gurriel, Tommy Pham, and Robbie Grossman.
Gurriel will replace first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and was ranked among the "most intriguing additions" in the league down the stretch by CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson.
"The Royals received some bad news earlier this week, when first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino suffered a broken thumb that'll cost him the remainder of the regular season," Anderson said. "In response, the Royals made a minor deal on Saturday to acquire Gurriel from the Braves. (He was eligible to be traded because he hadn't spent any time on a 40-player roster.)
"Gurriel, 40, had hit .292/.378/.485 in the minors and he won the (American League) batting title with Houston in 2021 by hitting .319. The Royals can only hope that he carries that over to the majors, where he hasn't been even a league-average hitter since 2021. Do note that the Royals also claimed outfielders Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman off waivers. Will any of those additions move the needle in Kansas City's favor? We'll find out, but give them credit for trying."
Hopefully, Gurriel can capture lightning in a bottle over the next few weeks and help put the Royals over the top.
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PATRICK MCAVOY
Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also recieved an MBA at Brandeis University. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org