Royals Add Infield Depth With Latest Free Agent Deal To Acquire Alejo Lopez

[Mike Gillespie]

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In a move that drew scant attention, the Royals moved Wednesday to shore up their infield depth, an area weakened by injuries to a pair of key players. The club signed free agent Alejo Lopez just two days after his release earlier in the week by Tacoma, the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate.

The minor league deal, which lands Lopez at Triple-A Omaha, wasn’t what Kansas City fans were looking for as they wait anxiously for the Royals to strengthen themselves on the trade deadline market. But it’s noteworthy given the franchise’s need for another versatile infielder — Wednesday’s move of All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to the Injured List, where he joined standout third baseman Maikel Garcia, forced Kansas City to call up Omaha infielder Andrew Velazquez and start him at short for Wednesday’s series-sweep-clinching victory over San Francisco. 

Fortunately, Lopez, who was hitting .302 with a .379 OBP and .798 OPS when Seattle let him go, comes with some (albeit limited) major league experience — in 74 games and 181 plate appearances across parts of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons, he slashed .265/.309/.639 for Cincinnati.

That his small-sample-size major league career 73 wRC+ isn’t stunning, and he lacks significant power (one big league and 34 minor league homers since the Reds took him in the 27th round of 2015’s amateur draft), suggests he may not see Kauffman Stadium anytime soon. But his versatility — defensively, he’s done everything but catch professionally, and has appeared most often at second and third  — gives the Royals another option if the injury bug that’s plagued them all season strikes again.

View full article