Talkin Royals

Kansas City has many questions to answer as the season moves along, like who will be here long term, and who will not. One of the biggestion question marks is at shortstop. The team had high hopes for Adalberto Mondesi when signing him out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. They envisioned him becoming the long term shortstop following Alcides Escobar's departure from Kansas City. Unfortunately for Mondesi and the Royals, that certainly hasn't worked out due to Mondesi's injury history. The Royals turned to infielder Nicky Lopez to fill in for Mondesi for the remainder of the 2022 season. Lopez, like Escobar, definitely doesn't hit for power, but he is great defensively and has plenty of speed. I believe the hitting issue can definitely be resolved with some minor changes by working with the interim/new hitting coach. The 27-year old most likely will never hit for much power because it's just not how he's built; however, like with Escobar, I believe

The Royals signed Carlos Santana to a 2-year deal worth $17.5 million in 2021 in hopes of boosting the offense. Santana's first year in Kansas City proved to be a good one for him and the team; however, this season has been the complete opposite. The 36-year old has played in 25 games; and in the 25 games he's played, he has batted way below the Mendoza line. His average is quite embarrassing for a player that is known to have good numbers at the plate. Santana has a career .243 batting average with 260 homers. Now in 2022, Santana has just 6 RBIs with one HR. Royals fans, including myself, have been frustrated with Santana's production this season. However, I think Royals fans must remember that his age has a big impact on his offensive numbers. Santana's offensive numbers over the past two-and-half-years have definitely declined; but despite his struggles, the Royals continue to start the 36-year-old at first base. Now in 2022, Santana has just 6 RBIs with