Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that, while the team values the multi-position skill of several of their players, third baseman/shortstop Maikel Garcia will start the season at third base. This is not that surprising, as the 23-year-old spent the majority of his rookie season at the hot corner. Garcia slashed .272/.323/.358 in his first season with four home runs, 59 runs scored, 50 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 515 plate appearances. Garcia offers little power in a position that usually can offer it pretty late, but he does offer a good batting average and plenty of speed. His ability to play different positions may help ensure consistent playing time, which could end up making him a worthwhile late-round pick in rotisserie leagues.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Jake Brentz (lat) threw his first live batting practice session in camp on Saturday and sat around 95-96 mph with his fastball. It's been nearly two years since he last took the mound in the big leagues in April of 2022 and it's been a year and a half since he had Tommy John surgery in July of 2022. Brentz suffered a lat strain that ended his 2023 season when he was coming back from elbow surgery last year. The 29-year-old southpaw is competing for a spot in the Royals' bullpen in spring training and would offer a high-powered lefty arm for earlier in the game while lefty closer William Smith handles the ninth. If he makes the team, Brentz will most likely be pitching in a low-leverage relief role for KC, which won't give him any fantasy appeal.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV (shoulder), who was held to 52 1/3 innings in 2023 due to a left-shoulder injury that first popped up in spring training, is healthy in camp and is building up as a starter to compete for a spot in the rotation. Lynch has also moved slightly on the rubber toward the first base side, which has allowed him to create different angles with his pitches to "maximize my arsenal." The 27-year-old southpaw is far from a guarantee to win a rotation job, though, and isn't fantasy relevant in single-year leagues. "It's probably the best I've felt in two years," Lynch said. He said he's put on 25 pounds as part of his rehab process, and he was able to throw two innings of live batting practice on Sunday afternoon. At best, Lynch will probably be a streaming option in AL-only leagues in 2024 if he's making starts.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kyle Wright (right shoulder) has been placed on the 60-day injured list, according to an announcement from the team. His 40-man roster spot will be given to John Schreiber after he was traded from Boston to Kansas City on Saturday. This is merely a procedural move given that Wright will likely miss the entire 2024 season while he recovers from shoulder surgery. Acquired from Atlanta this offseason, Wright has spent parts of six years in the majors but has registered double-digit appearances just once (2022).

The Kansas City Royals acquired right-handed reliever John Schreiber from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for minor-league right-hander David Sandlin, according to sources. Schreiber, 29, missed almost two months in 2023 due to a shoulder strain and finished the year with a 3.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, one save, 25 walks and 53 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings over 46 outings (two starts) in Boston. For a weak KC bullpen, he'll immediately become one of their better relievers and should work in high-leverage situations, making him an option in deep holds leagues while seeing an occasional save chance as well. Sandlin, 22, has some intriguing strikeout potential after fanning 88 hitters in 66 2/3 innings at Single-A and High-A in the Royals organization last year.