The Royals need to add a right-handed hitter, stories Jayson Stark of the Athletic (by way of 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 proper facet. Ward and Thomas are strictly right-handed bats. Rengifo is probably the most beneficial of the trio. He’s having the most effective season of the group and offers probably the most defensive flexibility. Rengifo isn’t a fantastic 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 properly 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’ normal 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 charge to a personal-low 13% clip. Over the previous two and a half seasons, he owns an enormous .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 subject, the place MJ Melendez was underperforming earlier than touchdown on the injured record. Thomas is likely to 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 mixture.
Ward has seemed like an All-Star caliber participant at his finest, 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 beneath 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 way 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 most costly at $5.45MM. The prospect price ought to be highest for Rengifo, who’ll have broad attraction in a market that’s very gentle on infield expertise.
