Even though a blizzard was engulfing Kansas City on Sunday, that didn’t stop the Royals from making some hot stove news on Sunday afternoon during the Chiefs season finale in Denver.
Biggio is a big name, the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio and a former top prospect in the Blue Jays system. He played on three teams last year, starting the season with Toronto before playing 30 games with the Dodgers and four games with the Braves to close out the 2024 season.
The 29-year-old “super” utility player (I can’t believe the Royals categorized him as that, but he can play nearly every position in the field besides pitcher and catcher) hasn’t entirely lived up to his namesake (unlike former Toronto teammates Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.). However, he has produced a 6.1 fWAR in 524 career games at the MLB level. That’s not bad for a player coming to Spring Camp in Surprise on a Minor League contract.
As I mentioned in my last article, the Royals have had a calm offseason since the Brady Singer-Jonathan India trade back at the end of November. However, the Biggio move is particular and gives some context to the other Minor League signings Royals GM JJ Picollo has made since the India acquisition.
Hence, I am going to take a look at not just the Biggio signing but the other recent Royals Minor League deals, and how they may be able to fit into the Royals’ roster strategy leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting in February.
Biggio Gives Royals Cheap, Low-Risk Utility Option
The Royals have long-liked their “super” utility players who can fit in seamlessly in multiple roles in the infield and outfield. Last year, Adam Frazier fit that role to various levels of success.
The 33-year-old former Pirates draft pick had a rough season on paper, as he posted a 63 wRC+ and -0.6 fWAR in 104 games and 294 plate appearances. However, he brought positional flexibility, a veteran presence, and a penchant for big moments like this go-ahead two-run homer against the Angels in Anaheim back in May.
It’s plausible that Biggio could fit into a similar role, especially since his batted-ball profile (via TJ Stats’ player cards) from last season fares quite similarly to Frazier’s.
The profile similarities between Biggio and Frazier are pretty uncanny.
Both did a good job of producing a high sweet-spot percentage and low whiff and chase rates. However, they struggled to make consistent hard contact, and their barrel rates were nearly identical (2.5% for Biggio and 2.4% for Frazier). The main difference is that Biggio struck out (31.8%) a whole lot more than Frazier (20.1%) but did walk (10.8%) more as well (7.5% for Frazier).
Biggio did produce a 102 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR in 2023 in 111 games and 338 plate appearances with the Blue Jays. His Process+ from that season also demonstrated Biggio’s strong tools in the decision-making and contact areas. That makes him an even more enticing utility player for the Royals, should he make the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training.
Some Royals fans may ask: Why would the Royals want another version of Frazier? Well, there are two parts to that answer.
One, “super” utility guys don’t just grow on trees. Even though their defensive value can vary from position to position, they give manager Matt Quatraro flexibility in the lineup. That allows him to maximize opportunities for other players on the Royals roster. Over 162 games, that can’t be downplayed, and Quatraro proved that he could maximize a deep bench effectively last season as they won 86 games after only winning 56 in 2023.
Secondly, it is also essential to get players like Frazier but at a much cheaper cost to give flexibility on the payroll. Last year, due to the Royals losing 106 games in 2023, they had to overpay slightly for players in free agency, Frazier included. Picollo had to pay $4.5 million last year to acquire Frazier.
The fact that the Royals got someone like Biggio on a Minor League deal shows that the franchise has come a long way since last offseason. The Royals can get players like Biggio to sign a Minor League deal because they’re expected to be competitive now.
Most MLB teams would like to get a player of Biggio’s caliber with such a deal, but not all can do it because they don’t have the exact expectations and outlook as the Royals in 2025. That shows the Royals have come a long way as an organization since Picollo took over as GM after the 2022 season.
What the Other Deals Mean for the Royals This Offseason
The Royals have quietly been signing many players to Minor League contracts over the past month who offer some upside.
Austin Cox returned to the Royals organization last week on a Minor League deal.
In 38 games and 55 IP, he posted a 4.25 ERA and 5.46 FIP with the Storm Chasers. That’s not great at the surface level, and his 1.58 K/BB ratio was a bit concerning. That said, he was recovering from an ACL injury the previous season, and his K% of 24% in Omaha was his highest K rate at any level since 2019.
With some minor adjustments, Cox could be a sleeper reliever for the Royals bullpen, as discussed by Remi Bunikiewicz on Twitter in early December.
The Royals also signed reliever Junior Fernandez, who previously pitched for Chiba Lotte last year and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2022 (with the Pirates). He has struggled with Aguilas in the LIDOM (Dominican Winter League) this winter, posting a 5.87 ERA in 20 appearances and 15.1 IP with 13 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Despite those issues, he possesses premium stuff and could bring a fireballing presence to the Royals bullpen.
Lastly, the Royals also brought back Taylor Clarke, who was traded away to Milwaukee last offseason for infielder Cam Devanney and pitcher Ryan Brady.
Clarke didn’t pitch for the Brewers as he got hurt and received surgery on his meniscus in late March. When he did return later in the season, he was designated for assignment and pitched primarily in Nashville, the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Despite not pitching in the Major Leagues, Clarke showed some interesting stuff and metrics in Nashville, especially with his slider and sweeper, which rated as plus pitches on a TJ Stuff+ end.
Triple-A hitters still hit Clarke a lot in 2024. After all, he had a 4.90 ERA and 4.91 FIP in 22 games and 68 IP with the Sounds. However, he limited walks (95th percentile BB%) and barrels (93rd percentile barrel rate), and his fastball saw an uptick as well (82nd percentile). His slider also had a 103 TJ Stuff+, and the sweeper had a 104 TJ Stuff+.
Hence, it’s possible that Clarke could emerge as more of a hybrid long-reliever with the Royals in 2025. That could be a much better role for him in 2025, unlike in 2022 and 2023, when he had to pitch in high-leverage situations.
Initially, these three reliever acquisitions may not excite Royals fans. All three moves are creative and cheap acquisitions that could provide significant upside and depth to the Royals bullpen for the 2025 season.
The three moves (all Minor League ones) also demonstrate the maturation of the Royals’ professional scouting department. They aren’t simply finding big names with decent numbers to solidify the bullpen like they did a year ago with Chris Stratton and Will Smith. Instead, they’re finding pitchers with unique skills who are undervalued and could succeed in the proper role with Kansas City.
The Royals found success last year with Sam Long in that fashion. One could also say that James McArthur was a similar “dark horse” success story in 2023, though he struggled in the middle of the year and hit a wall by July.
Picollo and his front office are finding the right formula for who to target in free agency (especially in the bullpen) and are doing it much more efficiently this offseason.
That should be encouraged about long-term, even if it doesn’t initially provide the biggest headlines in the offseason.
However, when the Royals make that more significant move (via trade or free agency) or perhaps offer that vital extension to a key player (like Vinnie or Salvy) right before the start of Spring Training?
Well, Royals fans can credit Picollo for efficiently building the roster depth with those four Minor League deals this past month to pave the way for those more impactful deals later in the offseason.
Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson | Getty Images
There’s a difference in minor league acquisitions by a contender, vs a 90 loss team. The 90 loss team is looking for “organizational depth”, while the contender is filling slots for when rosters expand, the regular season stretch run and the post season. Biggio may surprise many this year. Particularly if he gets regular play. Now, “surprise” means he hits twenty points above his career batting average. At 29, he should have his game sorted out. He should be mature enough to be patient at the plate. He also makes sense if Massey is being traded. The NYY are rumored to be interested in his lefty bat for their short right field. If so, Biggio should make the 25 man roster. If he hits .250 to .275, it will be a huge success.
On a related matter, Maikel Garcia should not be our 3b. He is young, and his bat does not profile there. He could take a season or two to hone his hitting And replace India when his contract is up… And, prototypical 3b hitters are not easy to find these days. Moose was no Brett or Mike Schmidt. He could benefit from a lower demand. Or spell Melendez out in left.
Would agree. The Royals are definitely getting pieces who can help over the course of the year and especially the postseason. All the moves so far fit that criteria and that’s a great place to be as an org, especially where we were back in 2023.
Maikel is an interesting case. He doesn’t fit the typical profile for a 3B, but his defense is so elite there. I think his bat will improve to where he can be a .280-.300 hitter who can maybe hit 8-12 HRs when the power comes together. But, as you said, I like the Biggio idea, as he can maybe start to help Maikel move to 2B after India leaves.
[…] have written about Biggio and Castro before on this blog. They are intriguing players that could give manager Matt Quatraro […]
[…] Signed on a Minor League deal this offseason, Biggio made the Royals’ 26-man roster after a strong Spring Training campaign in Arizona. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old utility player has failed to get going at the plate in his first season in Kansas City. […]