Royals Add Depth With Signing Of Veteran Utility Man
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The Kansas City Royals have made some key moves this offseason. They acquired Isaac Collins and Nick Mears from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Angel Zerpa and also signed outfielder Lane Thomas to a one-year contract.
However, they aren’t stopping there. They still need to add another bat to their mix. They have been linked several times to St. Louis Cardinals star Brendan Donovan, but nothing has happened yet.
But on Wednesday, they added some depth to their minor league system. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Kansas City added veteran utility man Josh Rojas on a minor league deal.
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The Royals Add Depth
Rojas began his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019 and was there until being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2023. He spent last season with the Chicago White Sox.
His best season was 2021, when he hit .264 with 11 home runs and a .752 OPS. He hasn’t quite been the same since 2022.
With the South Siders, he was limited to just 69 games and hit two home runs with a .180 average and .512 OPS. However, he can play three of the four infield positions and all three outfield positions.
More than anything, this is just a depth signing for the Royals, who need more offense in their system. Rojas is at least a well-traveled veteran who has a chance to potentially make the Opening Day roster if he has a good spring training.
The Royals also aren’t done just yet. There are still moves that need to be made to improve the offense. This alone won’t be enough, but it does give them another option, especially if somebody gets hurt in spring training or if younger players like Jac Caglianone fall into a slump and need a little more seasoning in the minor leagues, which is always possible after his rapid rise to the majors.
But what the Royals have done today is give themselves protection and depth in case something goes wrong, and perhaps Rojas can find his groove again with the Royals and return to the player he was in Arizona and Seattle.
It will be interesting to see what the Royals do next and if Rojas can make some strides towards bouncing back.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.
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