Royals Predicted To Cut Ties With 26-Year-Old Slugger Ahead Of Opening Day
The Kansas City Royals would love a surge of outfield power, but that doesn't mean they will take a risk on a player performing above his demonstrated capabilities.
As final roster decisions approach ahead of Opening Day, which is only eight days away, the Royals have had some tough calls looming on the horizon. In particular, they've got some fringe position players who are out of minor-league options who will be tough to keep around.
One of those players in Nelson Velázquez, the 26-year-old outfielder/designated hitter the Royals acquired in 2023 in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Velázquez hit 14 home runs in his fir 40 games for the Royals and looked like a future staple of the lineup.
However, Velázquez struggled in 2024 and spent most of the season in Triple-A, missing out on the playoff roster. And now that the Royals can't send him back to the minor leagues, there's a very real chance his time in Kansas City will come to an end at the conclusion of spring training.
On Tuesday, Royals Data Dugout released their final Opening Day roster projections for Kansas City, and opted not to include Velázquez as one of the outfielders, which would expose him to waivers, trades, or eventually, an outright release.
"I want to keep Nelson Velazquez (who’s out of minor league options) in this final prediction for the skillset that would blend well on this roster — he provides a nice complement to Melendez, Isbel and even Massey as a hitter who damages left-handed pitching, even in his down 2024 with a 105 wRC+, " the site read.
"But his spring output has become too much to ignore, beyond just the paltry .150/.292/.200 slash line. Among nine batted balls, he’s averaging just a 76.6 MPH exit velocity and 12.5% hard-hit rate. The low number of opportunities tells us the club isn’t that concerned with giving him a shot, and he’s not doing much to earn more chances."
This spring, Velázquez is 3-for-20 with a double, four walks, and five strikeouts. Though it's always somewhat unfair to judge these players over such small sample sizes, it's fair to say Velázquez needed a big camp if he wanted to remove any doubts about his spot on this team.
Will any club ever get a big season out of Velázquez's powerful right-handed bat? This year could prove to be a crucial pivot point in the young slugger's career.
More MLB: Royals Predicted To Demote 27-Year-Old Spring Training Standout To Triple-A
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org