Like many Major League teams, we are seeing the Royals make a lot of purges to their 40-man roster. Over the last week, the following Royals players have been released from the 40-man roster.
- Tucker Davidson (claimed by Orioles)
- Bubba Thompson (claimed by the Reds)
- Taylor Hearn (elected free agency)
- Tyler Cropley (outrighted to Triple-A Omaha)
Honestly, none of the losses are major ones for the Royals and in fact, they were to be expected.
Davidson and Hearn were mediocre in their Royals debuts down the stretch last season, as Davidson posted a 5.03 ERA in 19.2 IP and Hearn posted an 8.22 ERA in 7.2 IP. Thompson didn’t suit up with the Royals after being claimed from the Rangers, as he only played in Omaha. And while Cropley was a nice story, he got called up because of injuries to Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin down the stretch.
With the Royals looking to make a bigger splash this offseason compared to a year ago, there are probably more players on the 40-man roster who will be released in the coming week, especially with free agency expected to begin after the World Series concludes. In this post, I will look at five players who may be the next to be designated for assignment, based on the initial moves JJ Picollo and the Royals front office have made thus far.
Nate Eaton, IF/OF
It was a nightmare season for Eaton as his -0.8 fWAR in 28 games was the worst mark for Royals hitters in 2023, according to Fangraphs. It didn’t seem likely that Eaton would ever be a regular starter in Kansas City (it’s not very common for 21st-round draft picks). On the other hand, Eaton in 2022 proved that he could be a nice utility player who could play multiple positions and provide production on the basepaths and in the field.
Unfortunately, the bat took a massive dive in 2023 at the Major League level, as he only hit .075 with a .101 wOBA in 56 plate appearances. Additionally, his defense, which was a trademark of his in his rookie year, also regressed, as he was 0.7 runs below average overall last year according to Fangraphs’ Def. A big contributor to that decline in defense was due to some errors early which hurt his overall rating not just in Def, but in other categories as well (DRS, UZR, OAA, etc.).
Eaton spent most of the year in Omaha and though he wasn’t bad, he didn’t stand out as a 26-year-old. He only posted a wRC+ of 84 with the Storm Chasers in 367 plate appearances. While he hit 15 home runs and stole 22 bases, his .252 average didn’t inspire a lot of confidence among Royals fans that he could overcome the contact and swing-and-miss issues at the Major League level.
It appears that it will be a battle between Eaton, Nick Loftin, and Samad Taylor for that utility spot on the Royals’ active roster. Honestly, after Loftin’s impressive rookie stint (.323 average in 68 plate appearances), it seems like Taylor and Eaton may be on the bubble for a spot on the 26-man roster and will need to do a lot to keep their places on the 40-man.
If it comes down between those two, Taylor may have the early edge, mostly due to his more impressive Omaha campaign in 2023 (.301 average; 128 wRC+; and 43 stolen bases).
Jonathan Heasley, RHP
I had high hopes for Heasley in his move to the bullpen, but things just didn’t click for Heasley in 2023 as hoped, regardless of role.
In 15 innings of relief at the Major League level in 2023, Heasley posted a 7.20 ERA, 6.99 FIP, and -0.3 fWAR. The long ball continued to be an issue for Heasley, as he allowed a HR/9 of 3.00 and a HR/FB rate of 22.7%, according to Fangraphs. To make matters worse, his K/9 dipped from 6.06 in 2022 to 5.40 in 2023, a sign that his stuff isn’t playing well against Big League hitters, even in a limited role.
The Royals need relievers who can contribute at the Major League level. Right now, I’m not sure Heasley can be one who can contribute positively to a bullpen that ranked 29th in ERA a season ago. In addition, I’m not sure his profile as a low-strikeout, high-flyball rate kind of pitcher bodes well with this team, especially with offense and home runs on the upswing (especially at Kauffman Stadium, which isn’t the pitcher’s park it once was).
It’s possible that Heasley can go to a training facility and tap into some kind of new pitch mix or newfound movement on his primary pitches. Unfortunately, unlike Collin Snider and Dylan Coleman, who are working with Tread, we aren’t hearing anything of the sort with Heasley, which makes me wonder if he may be on the outskirts with the Royals and is on borrowed time at this point.
Josh Staumont, RHP
Staumont went on the 60-day IL due to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in mid-July and underwent surgery to address the issue. While medical surgery and therapy are more advanced than ever (Tommy John seems more and more routine), there are a lot of concerns that this may be it for Staumont, once a top prospect in the Royals system.
First off, the history of pitchers who had the surgery isn’t good. Luke Hochevar and Matt Harvey failed to really recover after they underwent surgery for TOC. Second, Staumont has been on a bit of a decline since his impressive campaign in 2021 when he posted a 2.88 ERA in 65.2 IP. In 2022, he posted a 6.45 ERA in 37.2 IP and last year his ERA was 5.40 in 20 IP.
It’s one thing to be patient for a guy who has been lights out. That said, it’s a different story for a pitcher who’s been pretty mediocre for nearly two seasons and will be 30 in December.
Royals fans are rooting for Staumont to recover and buck the odds for pitchers who have had TOC surgery.
However, I’m not sure the Royals management is willing to be patient, especially since they will need to upgrade their bullpen considerably in 2024 and Staumont is not going to contribute in any form next season.
Nick Pratto, 1B/OF
I don’t know if the Royals will make a move with Pratto over the next week. He still has a Minor League option and while Vinnie Pasquantino is looking healthy again this offseason, I do think they need to have a contingency plan at first base, especially if Vinnie gets hurt again and if Salvy is traded away as some believe he will be this offseason.
On the other hand, with a fully healthy Royals roster, I am not sure I see Pratto in this Royals organization by the Opening Day of 2024.
At the plate, Pratto simply hasn’t gotten it done over the past couple of years, and that can clearly be seen in his Fangraphs metrics below.
While Pratto did see a boost in average and OBP from his rookie year, his K rate went up, and his BB rate, ISO, and wRC+ all went down. In addition, he did this with a BABIP of .388, which was 138 points higher than a season ago. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that Pratto’s fWAR was 0.2 points worse than his -0.4 mark in 2022.
At the same time, I don’t think Pratto is bereft of talent. The power potential is there and if he can work on his pitch selectivity, he could be a 15-20 HR hitter who could thrive in a semi-regular role on the right team and in the right home ballpark. According to Savant, if he played primarily in Cincinnati over the past two years, he would’ve produced 22 total home runs instead of the 14 he actually produced in 2022 and 2023 with the Royals.
Now, will the Reds take Pratto in a deal of some sort?
That’s harder to tell, especially since Pratto’s value is at its lowest and it’s likely that Picollo doesn’t want to simply give a former first-round pick away. Nonetheless, it feels like Pratto will be aggressively shopped this offseason and could be in a new organization by the time pitchers and catchers report in February.
Jackson Kowar, RHP
So I think Kowar progressed a bit last year and I remain more hopeful about his outlook in the bullpen than Heasley.
While the 6.43 ERA and 1.93 WHIP look bad at surface level, he posted a 59.9% first-strike rate and generated a 26.3% whiff rate, both career highs, according to Savant. He also seemed to respond positively to the adjustments suggested by the Royals pitching coach team, which wasn’t the case the past two years with previous pitching coach Cal Eldred.
On the other hand, Kowar has developed quickly enough for the Royals’ liking, and it feels like he has nothing to prove or gain anymore in Omaha.
To make matters worse, Kowar is out of Minor League options, which limits his and the Royals’ flexibility when it comes to maneuvering the bullpen throughout the season. Last year, the Royals frequently optioned relievers to and from Omaha not necessarily for performance but to simply keep the bullpen stocked with fresh arms.
Both Davidson and Hearn were also out of Minor League options, so it made sense why the Royals let both of them go, especially since they didn’t appear to have guaranteed spots in the bullpen by Opening Day. Considering that Kowar is a former first-round pick by the Royals, Picollo and the Royals may give him at least Spring Training to prove that he deserves a spot in the bullpen on Opening Day, especially since they don’t have a lot of great options internally anyways.
That said, if the Royals are serious about getting bullpen help, I am not sure if Kowar would give the Royals anything that they couldn’t get from a free-agent reliever. It’s possible that Kowar could turn into a Ryne Stanek or Jordan Hicks-type of arm. However, both pitchers are on the free-agent market and wouldn’t cost a fortune.
Why not just get the proven commodity instead of “hoping” that Kowar can turn into that mold?
I am guessing the Royals are trying to salvage what they can from Kowar, especially since he has been one of the prime examples (along with Asa Lacy) of the failure of the previous pitching development regime. The Royals want to make sure he is given every opportunity to prove himself under Brian Sweeney and Director of Pitching Development Paul Gibson.
However, time is ticking for Kowar, especially without any Minor League options remaining.
And because of that lack of options, It’s likely that his time in Kansas City may be up sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images
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