Looking For A Righty: The Royals Need A Platoon Partner For Caglianone, Here Are Options

Recent reporting from Mark Feinsand indicates that the Royals are seeking a "right-handed bat who can complement the left-handed hitting Jac Caglianone in right field."

The Royals (rightfully) see Caglianone as a long-term answer in their lineup. While Vinnie Pasquantino occupies first base, the outfield is the logical home for Caglianone. It can be argued that he was rushed to the majors too soon due to the lack of outfield production, so a platoon can be a good way to ease into his first full big-league season without having the pressure of playing every day. 

Because this role is specifically for a platoon bat, the Royals are unlikely to spend aggressively. Below are realistic candidates who fit the likely salary range and role requirements.

Free Agents

Rob Refsnyder 
2025: .269/.354/.484 | rWAR: 1.2 | OPS+: 131

Playing in Boston, Refsnyder has spent the last four years as a right-handed platoon option against left-handed pitching. Two-thirds of his plate appearances last season were against a left-handed pitcher, where he slashed .302/.399/.560 with a 171 OPS+. He made $2.1 million last season, so his contract could be in a range that fits the Royals' budget. Given his experience in this role and affordability, he is the ideal fit for the Royals' needs. 

Tommy Pham
2025: .245/.330/.370 | rWAR: 1.0 | OPS+: 95

Tommy Pham joined the Royals late in 2024 for the playoff push that ultimately ended early in the ALDS after losing to the pennant-winning Yankees. At 37, he was still able to contribute to a struggling Pirates team. Pham’s 2025 splits didn't favor hitting against left-handed pitching last season, but he has hit better against lefties over the course of his career. He would likely fit into the Royals' salary structure, so there's an opportunity to reunite. 

Michael Conforto
2025: .199/.303/.333 | rWAR: -0.7 | OPS+: 79

Conforto really struggled last season with the Dodgers, posting a sub-replacement-level season and the lowest OPS+ of his career. His splits against left-handed pitching were much better than his season numbers, slashing .246/.372/.385. 

Entering his age-33 season, Conforto might be looking for his last long-term deal and might not want to transition to a platoon player quite yet. Teams might be hesitant to trust him as an everyday starter rather than hope his regression was an outlier, so maybe a one-year “prove it” contract could be a viable option for Conforto. He would also need to take a decent payout for Kansas City to be a realistic destination. He made $17 million last year, which is probably a more realistic mark for an everyday player on the Royals rather than a platoon player.

Austin Hays 
2025: .266/.315/.453 | rWAR: 0.8 | OPS+: 105

Hays is the 50th-ranked free agent on the DiamondCentric free agent board.

With his injury history, he is not going to command a large contract. Maybe an opportunity to play in a part-time role with limited exposure can keep him healthy for a full season. 

Austin Slater 
2025: .216/.270/.372 | rWAR: -0.1 | OPS+: 78

Last year, two-thirds of Austin Slater’s starts were against left-handed pitching. He was acquired by the Yankees from the White Sox last year to help fill the gap when Aaron Judge was injured. However, it did not go particularly well. With the White Sox, he was just about league-average with a 100 OPS+, plenty good enough for the Royals' platoon spot. Once he joined the Yankees, he slashed .120/.120/.120 with a -32 OPS+ in 14 games. Even with 78 being the lowest OPS+ for a player in this piece, that is still a higher OPS+ than eleven of the players who the Royals played in the outfield last season.

Over his career, he has had enough success as a platoon bat to think that his short Yankees tenure was an outlier. Given his experience as a platoon bat and likely salary demands, he earned $1.75 million last season. Kansas City could be a likely destination for Slater. 

Recently Non-Tendered Players

Adolis Garcia
2025: .227/.271/.394 | rWAR: 2.7 | OPS+: 93

Garcia may not be the ideal player for this role, considering he is likely to command more than the Royals are willing to allocate to a part-time outfielder. That said, given their outfield struggles last, he should be an option that the Royals should consider in their outfield, but other teams will be interested in courting Garcia as well. 

Christopher Morel 
2025: .219/.289/.396 | rWAR: -0.3 | OPS+: 90

Christopher Morel is likely a greater risk, since he posted negative WAR in the last two seasons. We are not that far removed from 2023, when he had a 122 OPS+. Last season, he was only marginally better against left-handed pitching. He likely wouldn't require a large contract, which would at least be attractive to the Royals. 

Trade Candidates 

Jo Adell 
2025: .236/.293/.485 | rWAR: 1.2 | OPS+: 111

After the Angels traded Taylor Ward, Jo Adell is probably less likely to get traded. While he fits the salary profile, Adell is probably more likely to be an everyday player rather than a platoon option. The Royals could likely be interested in adding him to the outfield, but probably not as just a platoon option.

While searching for trade candidates, I found that most outfielders I considered either had salaries too high for this profile or were left-handed, making them poor fits to platoon with Caglianone. Given that the Royals have a surplus in starting pitching, there are a variety of teams that could be potential trade partners.  Teams like the Braves, Mets, Nationals, Cardinals, Padres, Orioles, Red Sox, Rays, Astros, and Angels all could use more starting pitching.

One More Noteworthy Player

Mike Yastrzemski
2025: .233/.333/.403 | rWAR: 2.8 | OPS+: 109

It has been speculated on multiple sites that Yastrzemski re-signing with the Royals would be a good fit.  The Royals are looking to add a right-handed bat to platoon with Caglianone and an everyday left-fielder, and Yaz does not fit either of those roles. Despite his consistent production (2+ rWAR in every season), he has been shielded from facing left-handed pitching in recent seasons.  If the Royals sign Yastrzemski, then they would also need a right-handed bat to complement him in the lineup.