Examining the Royals' top bench options

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PHOENIX -- The Royals might only have a couple of roster spots to decide on by the end of Spring Training, but how they think about building their bench is something to monitor.

Assuming there are nine ¡°everyday¡± players in Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Michael Massey, Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel and Hunter Renfroe, in addition to Freddy Fermin being locked in as the backup catcher, that means there are three spots to fill on the bench.

And a variety of players -- and factors -- to consider.

¡°Some guys are out of options,¡± manager Matt Quatraro said. ¡°Some guys have options. Some guys [have] more power. Some have speed. Some are [better at] defense. There¡¯s a lot of factors to how all 13 guys complement each other, not just who the best hitters are and who the best defenders are. We¡¯ve got to see how to put the best team together.

¡°Guys are going to get at-bats, and we¡¯ll see what they can do.¡±

Here are some of Kansas City¡¯s bench options:

Power: Nelson Velázquez, Nick Pratto

With both out of Minor League options, this is a big spring for Vel¨¢zquez and Pratto.

Vel¨¢zquez made the team out of camp last year after hitting 14 homers in 40 games with the Royals in 2023. That power didn¡¯t show up in 64 games with Kansas City last season, as he hit .200 with a .640 OPS and a 26.5% strikeout rate. Vel¨¢zquez walked more in Triple-A Omaha after he was sent down in June and posted a .771 OPS, but he has to be more consistent and well-rounded if he gets back to the Majors.

The 26-year-old lost some weight this offseason and said he feels more athletic, which should help him in the corner outfield, as being a DH-only bat limits him.

¡°My swing is faster, like it was in 2023,¡± Vel¨¢zquez said. ¡°My focus is just on getting my opportunity. I feel like I¡¯m 100% ready to be out there competing, earn that spot and help my team win games.¡±

Pratto did not take an at-bat in the Majors last year and slashed .242/.324/.410 with a 30.4% strikeout rate in Triple-A. He went to Driveline Baseball this offseason seeking information on how he can impact the baseball. He focused on his bat speed and his bat plane, making sure he¡¯s not getting too vertical and instead pulling the ball in the air.

¡°Just selling out to that process,¡± Pratto said. ¡°I want to make my bullets count. I think that¡¯s what I did a good job of back in 2021. My batted-ball quality was much better. I was impacting the baseball to pull-side. I was able to corner pitchers to give me something to hit and handle.¡±

Because Pasquantino and Perez are getting most of the playing time at first base, the Royals have Pratto working in the outfield this spring to create more opportunities for him.

Another option here, but farther down the depth chart, is Tyler Gentry. Gentry is strong and has power, but like Pratto, he needs to cut his strikeout rate down to get a consistent opportunity in the Majors.

Speed: Dairon Blanco, Joey Wiemer, Drew Waters

Blanco is dealing with right Achilles tendon soreness, so it¡¯s unclear how that might impact this competition. But the Royals clearly value him and what he brought last year; he was on the active roster the entire year and stole 31 bases -- 21 coming as a pinch-runner. If Blanco can¡¯t go, perhaps the Royals give Tyler Tolbert a shot in this role.

Wiemer and Waters are also both speedsters who can play center field. They might not be able to excel in the exact role that Blanco filled last year, but they bring more with their bats, at least in terms of ceiling.

In parts of two Major League seasons with the Brewers and Reds, Wiemer hasn¡¯t found results with a .628 OPS and a 28.5% strikeout rate, but there¡¯s still a lot of upside if he can put it together. His strength and athleticism has been what people mention most so far this spring.

¡°I¡¯m unorthodox, at the end of the day,¡± Wiemer said. ¡°I think I tried to become more normal looking, and that just didn¡¯t work for me. So I¡¯m rolling with what I got and being who I am.¡±

Waters is similar with a high ceiling of power and speed that hasn¡¯t yet translated to the Majors. He had a good Triple-A season, hitting .290 with an .873 OPS and 20 stolen bases. He has a ton of strength in his swing, and he¡¯s also a switch-hitter, although he¡¯s better from the left side.

¡°I definitely believe I can help on both sides of the ball,¡± Waters said. ¡°Be the guy that Q calls on in the eighth to steal a base or be a defensive replacement. I know I can handle myself in the outfield.¡±

Superutility: Nick Loftin, Cavan Biggio, Harold Castro

We know the Royals love to move players around based on the best matchups, and having somebody who is reliable at several spots is key.

Loftin is moving around this spring in pursuit of a roster spot, while Biggio and Castro will see most work in the infield because of how many others are needing work in the outfield. But both have played the outfield in the Majors, so the Royals have confidence there.

All three have also shown they can get on base. Biggio in particular has a career .341 on-base percentage; the Royals signed him hoping they could unlock something and help him get back to who he was in Toronto. This offseason he worked on using the whole field again to help get back to that.

So far, so good: Biggio is 3-for-7 this spring and has played four different positions already.

¡°It¡¯s really just about controlling what I can control, hopefully putting myself in a good position to make this team,¡± Biggio said. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s not my decision, but I know I can influence it pretty well.¡±