Predicting the Royals' Opening Day 28-Man Roster
The Kansas City Royals are entering the biggest season of their rebuild, and 2022 Opening Day is right around the corner. Over the course of the year, the organization will get a clear look at where it stands as it looks to get back into a competitive state. The stakes are high, and there are plenty of possibilities.
With those possibilities come options, and the Royals have a lot of them in regards to constructing their roster and lineups at the big-league level. Following the Major League Baseball lockout and condensed spring training slate, clubs will be able to carry 28-man rosters until May 1. For the Royals, a team with position battles galore and a good mix of youth and veteran talent, this presents them with the opportunity to have a couple of extra bodies in their clubhouse to begin the year.
Spring training performances should be taken with a grain of salt but nonetheless, they do play a role in whether a fringe player will be on the team to begin the year. Good springs can make a player's case, whereas bad ones can break them. With that in mind, let's take a crack at projecting the Royals' Opening Day roster.
Infield (and designated hitter)
Main pieces: Salvador Perez (C), Carlos Santana (1B), Nicky Lopez (2B), Adalberto Mondesí (SS), Bobby Witt Jr. (3B), Hunter Dozier (DH)
With top prospects Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez optioned to Triple-A, there isn't much wiggle room or imagination necessary in this scenario. Witt is doing everything he can to break camp with the MLB club, and it appears that he'll be able to do so. Mondesí, after a new-and-improved training regimen during the offseason, projects to be at least a part-time player early in the year.
Santana is a popular candidate to possibly be traded, so playing him every day until he either heats up or bottoms out makes a great deal of sense for Kansas City. Dozier is coming off a down year but will get every chance to prove himself as his 31st birthday approaches. Lopez and Perez's spots speak for themselves.
Bench: Cam Gallagher (C), Ryan O'Hearn (IF/OF/DH)
Gallagher has filled in admirably for Perez since 2017 and until Melendez is at the MLB level, his job is more than safe. O'Hearn, despite his struggles since bursting onto the scene in 2018, continues to receive opportunities to turn things around. He was re-signed during the offseason and is enjoying quite the spring, so he remains safe as well — for now.
Outfield
Main pieces: Andrew Benintendi (LF), Michael A. Taylor (CF), Whit Merrifield (RF)
Nothing changes in left field or center field from a year ago. Benintendi is in a contract year and, assuming good health, is poised to make a statement for the Royals or whichever club is his long-term home. Taylor's bat is anemic but despite that, he's a world-class defender and was signed to a contract extension back in September. The Royals value having him around. Because of the emergence of Witt and the infield logjam he otherwise presented, Merrifield will spend a great deal of his time in right.
Bench: Kyle Isbel, Edward Olivares
Both of the Royals' young outfielders are having incredible springs. Olivares has been a top performer in all of baseball, which is exactly what he needed to do in order to avoid being demoted and promoted approximately 1,000 times again this year. Isbel, who came on strong to close last season, picked back up right where he left off. He isn't going anywhere. Finding innings for both players will be easier said than done on the Royals' behalf, but they're playing too well to waste away in Triple-A.
Starting rotation
Main pieces: Zack Greinke, Brad Keller, Daniel Lynch, Brady Singer, Carlos Hernandez, Kris Bubic
Greinke gets the nod on Opening Day for the Royals, which marks over a decade since the last time he did so. Behind him, the trio of Keller, Lynch and Singer is pretty much set in stone. Keller is the eldest of the "young" group, and he'll be looking to recover from a down campaign. Lynch showed legitimate promise last summer, and the bar is set high for him in 2022. Singer's long-term future will depend on the development of his changeup. Hernandez's spot should be solidified, especially after his sparks in 2021.
Bubic's case is an interesting one. Not only is he the odd man out in this scenario, but he also has experience coming out of the bullpen and likely would thrive in that role moving forward. With that said, he's already experimenting with a slider and could be en route to a surprising 2022 season. Bubic's ceiling isn't as high as some of the Royals' other up-and-coming starters, but his floor is obvious. For his sake, as well as the sake of either old, injury-prone or previously worn down arms, he's lumped in as a sixth starter here.
Bullpen
Main pieces: Jackson Kowar, Angel Zerpa, Joel Payamps, Taylor Clarke, Amir Garrett, Dylan Coleman, Jake Brentz, Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow
The five-man unit of Garrett, Coleman, Brentz, Staumont and Barlow is a virtual lock to be on the Opening Day roster. Payamps is out of options and while he was merely decent with the Royals last year, his start to the season was brilliant. Zerpa is a cool, calm and collected lefty who finds himself firmly out of contention for a starting role, but should be able to stick in the Royals' bullpen. Kowar struggled immensely at the big-league level in 2021 but was flat-out dominant in Triple-A. Sending him down doesn't benefit him in any way, so he stays on as a long reliever in this projection.
Outside looking in: Jonathan Heasley, Domingo Tapia, Ronald Bolaños, Collin Snider, Brad Peacock, Gabe Speier, Arodys Vizcaíno
The Royals have a lot of room to maneuver in regards to their bullpen, and all of the aforementioned players have different reasons to be on or off the team. Veterans such as Peacock and Vizcaíno are still looking to return to form, whereas youngsters such as Heasley, Snider and Speier may simply fall victim to the numbers game despite boasting legitimate talent. It wouldn't be much of a surprise to see them — among many others — on the team early in the year but to begin the season, they likely won't be carried on the 28-man list.
Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.