The Royals’ current take care of Austin Nola offers them three catchers on the 40-man roster, and the group has thought-about carrying all three to open the season, basic supervisor J.J. Picollo steered Friday (X hyperlink by way of Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas Metropolis Star). Picollo voiced confidence that Freddy Fermin would break camp because the workforce’s backup to Salvador Perez however famous that “there’s an opportunity” all three of Perez, Fermin and Nola might be on the Opening Day membership. Thompson notes that Kansas Metropolis pursued Nola earlier within the offseason earlier than yesterday’s deal as properly.
Carrying three catchers might make it simpler for the Royals to get Perez some additional time at designated hitter. That’d be a lift to the workforce’s general protection, as whereas Perez graded as a plus defender and gained 5 Gold Gloves earlier in his profession, he’s not the identical defensive participant now as he approaches his thirty fourth birthday. Perez has lengthy been one of many sport’s iron males behind the dish, working one of many largest workloads of any catcher within the recreation. It’s pure that such heavy utilization would take its toll on his 6’3″, 255-pound body, as would the Tommy John surgical procedure that worn out his 2019 season. Even with that missed season, Perez has caught extra innings (9,071) than anybody apart from Yadier Molina for the reason that 2013 season.
Even post-Tommy John surgical procedure, in 2021, Perez led the league with an enormous 44% caught-stealing charge behind the dish. That quantity plummeted over the 2 subsequent seasons, nevertheless, bottoming out at a career-low 14% in 2023. Statcast nonetheless credit Perez with stable blocking abilities on pitches within the dust, however he’s additionally among the many league’s least-effective backstops by way of framing pitches by that very same measure. Perez posted a mixed 28 Defensive Runs Saved from 2012-16 and was roughly common from 2017-19, however he’s been under common in every of the previous three seasons, together with -11 DRS in simply 738 innings this previous season.
Fermin, in the meantime, posted robust defensive grades in 2023 and delivered a surprisingly stable .281/.321/.461 slash as a 28-year-old rookie. There’s an argument to be made that based mostly on protection alone, he deserves a bigger share of taking part in time than a standard backup. Nola’s defensive grades have waned as he’s entered his mid-30s, however rostering him would make it simpler for the Royals to DH Perez, begin Fermin behind the dish and nonetheless have one other catching choice. He’s additionally frolicked at first base and second base, with extra sparse appearances at third base and within the outfield corners. Nola does have a minor league choice remaining, so it’s additionally potential he heads to Triple-A Omaha as a extra typical depth choice.
Turning to the Kansas Metropolis bullpen, right-hander Carlos Hernandez has been slowed by harm so far in camp, Picollo introduced (X hyperlink by way of Anne Rogers of MLB.com). The flamethrowing 26-year-old (27 subsequent month) hasn’t thrown off a mound in two weeks because of soreness in his proper shoulder, however the workforce anticipates he’ll have sufficient time to make six to seven spring appearances. That’s place him to be prepared for Opening Day, assuming there aren’t any setbacks with that ailing shoulder.
Hernandez is coming off an unpleasant 5.27 ERA in 70 innings final season, though a poor end to the 12 months torpedoed what had been stable numbers for a lot of the ’23 marketing campaign. Via the primary 4 months of the 12 months, Hernandez pitched 53 innings with a 3.57 ERA, 30% strikeout charge and seven.1% stroll charge. Every thing trended within the mistaken path over the ultimate two months, nevertheless; Hernandez’s strikeout charge practically halved, clocking in at 15.6%, and his stroll charge exploded to 17.8%. Six of the ten homers he surrendered final 12 months came to visit his remaining 17 innings, and he would up yielding a grisly 20 earned runs in that point.
Whether or not the shoulder was wholesome to shut out the season or was quietly bothering him, Hernandez confirmed for two-thirds of the season that he has the flexibility to be a key piece within the Kansas Metropolis bullpen. His well being will probably be a notable issue for Okay.C. followers to trace all through spring coaching.
On the opposite finish of the well being spectrum, the Royals welcomed first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino again to the lineup Friday — his first recreation look in additional than 250 days since present process surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his proper shoulder. Pasquantino chatted with Sam McDowell of the Kansas Metropolis Star in regards to the rigors of the rehab course of — not solely the bodily ones but in addition the psychological issue of being sidelined.
The 26-year-old known as his time away from the sphere “depressing,” significantly given some added guilt stemming from the truth that he elected to endure surgical procedure at a time when the Royals have been in Baltimore, only a three-hour drive from his native Richmond, Va. Family and friends had flocked to Camden Yards to see Pasquantino play, just for him to as an alternative go for a season-ending surgical process. Pasquantino supplied loads of candid feedback on the character of his rehab and detailed the extreme video work he underwent throughout his down time as he studied all elements of the sport and searched for tactics to enhance.
Pasquantino got here roaring out of the gate in 2023, slashing .298/.383/.539 with seven homers and extra walks (11.7%) than strikeouts (11%) in his first 163 journeys to the plate. He fell right into a deep stoop thereafter, hitting simply .167/.227/.278 in his subsequent 97 journeys to the plate earlier than present process surgical procedure.
A wholesome Pasquantino can be a boon for a Royals workforce that has spent aggressively this offseason in an effort to show the web page on a collection of dropping seasons. Kansas Metropolis signed Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Hunter Renfroe, Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson for a mixed $109.5MM and traded for relievers John Schreiber and Nick Anderson in an effort to assemble a greater membership. There’s an enormous hole to shut after ending the 2023 season with 106 losses, however there’s little doubting that Kansas Metropolis will probably be an improved membership in 2024.
