Royals Infielder Could Be Headed Elsewhere In 2025 After Recent Dip In Playing Time

Is this veteran's decreased playing time a sign of things to come?

Jul 30, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Kansas City Royals hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have widely been viewed as winners of the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline, and deservedly so.

At the time of the deadline, the Royals were in a hotly-contested race in the American League Wild Card hunt. Their acquisitions weren't marquee names, yet they managed to shore up their lineup, rotation, and bullpen in time to pull away from the pack.

With just 12 games to play, the Royals have a five-game cushion in their bid for a playoff spot, and three straight series coming up against teams with inferior records. Their spot in October looks to be all but sewn up.

However, that doesn't mean Royals players don't have things to play for at this time of year. There are likely a few postseason roster spots still up for grabs, and some impending free agents could also be playing to stay in Kansas City or go elsewhere this coming winter.

Third baseman Paul DeJong is out of the Royals' lineup on Monday night against the Detroit Tigers. According to CBS Sports, it's DeJong's fourth absence in the Royals' last five games against right-handed pitchers, which could point to DeJong having "lost a hold" on a regular lineup spot.

DeJong has generally made a positive impact since he arrived in K.C. He's hit six home runs in 31 games, raising his season total to 24 longballs, while putting up a more-than-respectable .751 OPS/106 OPS+.

However, since homering on back-to-back days in late August, DeJong is now six for his last 40, slashing .150/.167/.225 over a 12-game span. And as a result, he's gone from more or less an everyday player to a platoon specialist during the slump.

There seemed to be a wave of support building since DeJong arrived for the Royals to bring him back this winter as a free agent. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter even projected him to be in Kansas City's Opening Day lineup earlier this month.

But if this recent stretch is closer to who DeJong will be for the rest of his career (remember, he had a .612 OPS in 112 games in 2023), the Royals would be best served to find someone younger that can give them a higher upside as a right-handed infield bat.

And as for DeJong, every at-bat from this point forward not only matters for the Royals' playoff chances, but also his chance of landing a starting gig somewhere in 2025.

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