Royals Projected To Put Utility Player, Hall Of Famer's Son On Opening Day Roster
Becoming a full-time Major League Baseball player is one of the hardest things to do in professional sports--even if your father is in the Hall of Fame.
Twenty-nine-year-old utility player Cavan Biggio, the son of Houston Astros Hall of Famer second baseman Craig Biggio, has struggled to carve out a role for himself in parts of six big-league seasons. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, but five years later, he found himself designated for assignment.
After the Blue Jays let Biggio go last season, he had quite the journeyman arc in a short window. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, released, signed by the San Francisco Giants, traded to the Atlanta Braves, and elected free agency at the end of the season.
The Kansas City Royals then signed Biggio to a minor-league deal this winter, with the expectation that he would compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. One Royals insider believes his bid for that spot will be successful.
On Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com projected the Royals' Opening Day roster, and awarded Biggio one of three bench spots, alongside outfielder Dairon Blanco and first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto.
"Biggio has drawn five walks in 21 plate appearances this spring, although he only has three hits," Rogers wrote.
"But if he can get on base and give the Royals a professional at-bat from the left side, he would be valuable late in games. And he can play almost every position on the field. The Royals could also go with Nick Loftin, a righty, for a similar role."
Some other prospective candidates for the final roster spot are outfielders Joey Wiemer and Drew Waters and outfielder/designated hitter Nelson Velázquez.
After trying and failing several times to become a full-time starter for the Blue Jays, the Royals seem to be offering Biggio more of a bench/super-utility role. Some players adjust well to such a role, while others can't handle all the uncertainty.
Whether Biggio adapts well to that role early in the season, assuming he does indeed win a roster spot, could signal whether he has a long-term future in Kansas City.
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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