Royals announce 2021 Opening Day roster

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals announced their 26-man Opening Day roster ahead of Thursday’s game against the Rangers, officially selecting outfield prospect Kyle Isbel and reliever Jake Brentz, who both will make their Major League debuts in their first appearance. Isbel, the Royals’ No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, is starting Thursday’s game in right field, while Brentz, a hard-throwing lefty, has a chance to come out of the bullpen.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Royals designated catcher Meibrys Viloria and right-hander Scott Blewett for assignment. The 40-man remains full.

Catchers (2): Salvador Perez, Cam Gallagher
Perez will be back as the starter after a shortened season in which he totaled 12 doubles, 11 home runs and a .986 OPS in 37 games. The 30-year-old signed a four-year extension with a club option for a fifth year at the end of Spring Training, so now Perez can focus on repeating his performance from 2020 -- and the Royals will need his production to go where they want to go this season. Gallagher, 28, will be the backup after posting a .283/.356/.434 slash line across 60 plate appearances (25 games) in 2020.

First base (2): Carlos Santana, Ryan McBroom
Santana will be the Royals’ first baseman and middle-of-the-order bat for the next two years after signing a deal this offseason. He hit just .199 with a .698 OPS in 2020, but he led the American League with 47 walks, and he posted a .349 on-base percentage. The Royals are confident that his power will right itself this season. His backup will be McBroom, who beat out Ryan O’Hearn after a Spring Training roster battle. McBroom hit four home runs in Spring Training, and he will be a right-handed power bat off the bench for the Royals after hitting .247/.282/.506 last season with six home runs -- three of those coming as a pinch-hitter.

“They made it tough right down to the end, especially after you watch Ryan O’Hearn the last couple games launching balls into the berm,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “As we start looking at our lineup, though, there are spots where there could potentially be left-handed pitchers that come in to face some of our left-handed hitters, and having [McBroom as a] weapon off the bench made a big difference for us. So that was the case more than anything else making that decision.”

Second base (1): Whit Merrifield
After touting Merrifield as their right fielder entering the offseason, the Royals moved him back to second base this spring when Nicky Lopez struggled and was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Originally, Lopez was going to open the season in the Minors, but with Adalberto Mondesi’s right oblique strain, Lopez will start at shortstop and be the backup second baseman if Merrifield plays elsewhere. Merrifield didn’t skip a beat defensively when he moved back to second base, and he will be the Royals' leadoff hitter once again in 2021.

Third base (1): Hunter Dozier
Dozier is the Royals’ third baseman of the future after signing a four-year contract extension with a fifth-year club option early this spring. The 29-year-old returns to the position the Royals drafted him at, with third base available after Maikel Franco was non-tendered. Dozier regressed last year because of a late start due to COVID-19 after an outstanding 2019 season, but the Royals are optimistic he can get back to the .870 OPS he posted in ’19. If the Royals need Dozier elsewhere on the field -- his versatility is valued across the organization -- Hanser Alberto can step in, or the Royals can rely on their depth (Kelvin Gutierrez and Emmanuel Rivera) at the alternate training site.

Shortstop (1): Nicky Lopez
Lopez spent the past week working on his swing in the batting cages in Arizona, and while his return came quicker than he or the Royals originally thought, he’s eager to apply the adjustments he made to in-game action starting with Opening Day. His goal is to get back to the approach he had in the Minor Leagues: contact-oriented with a shorter swing while getting on base for the power hitters coming behind him.

“Just help the team win, whatever that may be,” Lopez said. “Play great defense, work good at-bats. Try to get back to my old ways of what I did. We watched a lot of film of what I did, trying to pick apart, try to dissect it the best way possible. But whatever the team needs, that’s what I’m willing to do. That’s who I am as a player. Whether that’s laying down a bunt, putting the ball in play, kind of changing the mind-set and not trying to do too much. Trying to do what Nicky Lopez needs to do.”

Mondesi (right oblique strain) will begin the season on the 10-day injured list.

Utility (1): Hanser Alberto
Alberto will find himself filling all kinds of roles over the infield. The 28-year-old signed a Minor League deal with the Royals this offseason, but he made the roster after a strong spring that showed off his versatility. He’s most comfortable at second base, but he saw time this spring at shortstop and third base as well. And he even took reps at first base and the outfield. Alberto mashes left-handed pitching, so he’ll also be valuable coming off the bench and as a late-inning replacement.

Outfield (4): Michael A. Taylor, Andrew Benintendi, Kyle Isbel, Jarrod Dyson
The Royals' starting outfield will feature all three new faces this year. Isbel gets his first Opening Day roster spot and his first Opening Day start as he takes over right field for the Royals. The 24-year-old impressed the Royals with his outfield defense this spring -- no small praise when thinking about Kauffman Stadium’s expansive outfield. He gives the Royals another left-handed bat, and he has shown that he can work a tough at-bat against any pitcher.

Benintendi and Taylor were added over the offseason, and they’ll look to Benintendi for his gap-to-gap-style hitting and on-base ability, while believing that Taylor’s skillset fits well in their lineup and especially on defense. And after camp opened, they added a familiar face to the roster, bringing back Dyson on a one-year deal. Dyson was a spark plug in the clubhouse for the 2015 World Series team, and his energy is a big reason the Royals wanted him back. But he also has a unique skillset to bring as a speedy fourth outfielder.

DH (1): Jorge Soler
Soler is healthy after an oblique injury affected him throughout 2020. The Royals are optimistic he can get back to the player who led the AL in home runs in '19. Soler will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Royals have a decision to make on a possible extension. Matheny noted we’ll see Soler more in right field this spring. Soler has put an emphasis on his defense and wants to be considered in that mix. The Royals might also use McBroom as the DH if Soler needs a day off or is needed in right field.

Starting pitchers (4): Brad Keller, Mike Minor, Brady Singer, Danny Duffy
Keller will start his second Opening Day on Thursday, signaling the Royals’ confidence in the 25-year-old as their ace of the staff. The Royals will then roll with a four-man rotation until April 16 because of all the off-days baked into the early schedule, starting Minor, Singer and Duffy in that order. The fifth starter will evolve over the season; Kansas City optioned lefty Kris Bubic to work on some adjustments he needs to make, and if he’s ready, he could be back with the Royals as soon as mid-April. Jakob Junis will start the season in the bullpen as long relievers, but they could fill in as a fifth or even sixth starter.

Relievers (9): Scott Barlow, Jake Brentz, Wade Davis, Jesse Hahn, Carlos Hernández, Greg Holland, Jakob Junis, Josh Staumont, Kyle Zimmer
Holland was the anchor in the bullpen last year, and the Royals brought him back on a one-year deal to be that for them again. Davis was added to the roster earlier this week after an excellent spring, showing his health and velocity on his fastball again. Hahn and Staumont will look to build on their spectacular seasons last year, while Zimmer hopes to continue to stay healthy and contribute like he did in 2020. Barlow figures to be another workhorse reliever, building on his Major League-leading 32 appearances last year.

Brentz and Hernández are the first-timers this year. Brentz, a non-roster invite to Spring Training, throws 100 mph and had a standout spring, allowing three runs in 9 1/3 innings, striking out 13 against five walks. Hernández made his Major League debut in 2020 and also brings a big arm to the Royals' bullpen, throwing 98-99 mph consistently. The key for both Brentz and Hernández will be fastball command.