The Royals want to add a right-handed hitter, experiences Jayson Stark of the Athletic (through Ken Rosenthal’s newest column). The Angels’ Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward are into consideration, as is Washington’s Lane Thomas.
Rengifo is a switch-hitter who does extra harm from the appropriate aspect. Ward and Thomas are strictly right-handed bats. Rengifo is probably the most worthwhile of the trio. He’s having the most effective season of the group and gives probably the most defensive flexibility. Rengifo isn’t an important defender however he can bounce between second and third base and moonlight at shortstop. He wouldn’t want to fret concerning the latter place in Kansas Metropolis. The Royals have gotten little or no offense out of Maikel Garcia on the sizzling nook. Lefty-swinging second baseman Michael Massey was enjoying nicely early within the season earlier than slumping this month.
The 27-year-old Rengifo could be a major offensive improve. He goes into play tonight with a .308/.352/.432 slash throughout 285 plate appearances. It’s his second straight above-average offensive efficiency. Rengifo makes a ton of contact, becoming the Royals’ common fashion of hitter. He topped 15 homers in each 2022 and ’23. This 12 months’s manufacturing has been extra OBP-oriented as he has reduce his strikeout fee to a personal-low 13% clip. Over the previous two and a half seasons, he owns a large .328/.368/.555 slash in opposition to left-handed pitching.
Thomas and Ward have a extra restricted defensive profile as nook outfielders. The Royals might actually look to improve in left discipline, the place MJ Melendez was underperforming earlier than touchdown on the injured listing. Thomas may be extra of a platoon goal. He mashes southpaws however posts below-average numbers in opposition to same-handed pitching. Since touchdown in Washington on the 2021 commerce deadline, he has tattooed lefties at a .310/.371/.525 clip. He’s hitting .231/.294/.398 versus righties in that point. Thomas has had equally stark splits this season and has a league common .247/.323/.397 slash in combination.
Ward has seemed like an All-Star caliber participant at his greatest, highlighted by a .281/.360/.473 season two years in the past. His manufacturing has been extra pedestrian over the previous season and a half, as his line has hovered round league common. Over 424 plate appearances this 12 months, the previous first-round choose has a .226/.309/.396 line. As with Thomas, Ward does an inordinate quantity of his harm with the platoon benefit. He’s hitting .294/.365/.468 in opposition to lefties because the begin of 2022. His .243/.328/.423 slash versus right-handed pitching over that stretch is extra strong than elite.
All three gamers are underneath crew management past this season. (Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweeted this afternoon that the Royals could be reluctant to relinquish gamers on the prime of their skinny farm system for leases.) Rengifo and Thomas are eligible for arbitration by means of subsequent 12 months, whereas Ward is controllable till the 2026-27 offseason. They’re every equally pricey from a monetary perspective. Rengifo’s the lowest-paid of the group at $4.4MM, whereas Thomas is costliest at $5.45MM. The prospect price ought to be highest for Rengifo, who’ll have broad enchantment in a market that’s very mild on infield expertise.
