Kansas City Royals consider Bubba Starling part of center field picture
By David Hill
The Kansas City Royals had cut Bubba Starling loose last week. That does not mean his time with the club is over.
It is easy to say that Bubba Starling has been a disappointment since being drafted with the fifth overall selection in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by the Kansas City Royals. He struggled when able to take his spot on the diamond, but was hampered by injuries. Starling had yet to develop as hoped, and at 26 years old, time is running out on his chance to make an impact.
As such, it was not exactly surprising that the Royals decided to drop Starling from the 40 man roster, granting him free agency. Likewise, it is not a surprise that they had hoped to bring him back on a minor league deal. However, the Royals are looking for more than that from the former fifth overall selection, as they consider him a possible candidate for the center field position next year.
FYI, the Royals still are hoping to bring back Bubba Starling on a Minor League deal -- he was non-tendered last week. Club officials believe if he can stay healthy he has a legitimate shot to make his MLB debut in 2019. They consider him part of the CF mix.
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) December 7, 2018
At one point, Starling was a consensus top 50 prospect, considered to be a future star for the Royals. He had the raw ability to become a five tool player, a player that the Royals could count on for the next decade as a key piece to the lineup. Although he had a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska, the Royals were able to persuade him to begin his professional career.
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Starling just has not been the player that had been hoped for. Between the injuries and his struggles, he has only played in 622 games over his seven years in the minors, with only 100 games in the past two years. In that time, he has hardly looked like the player the Royals hoped for, producing a .232/.312/.386 batting line with 62 homers and 72 steals over 2496 plate appearances.
That production is better than what Starling has done with Omaha. Over parts of three seasons, Starling has a .225/.276/.336 batting line with nine homers and seven steals in his 520 plate appearances. That production does not exactly portend success at the major league level.
Perhaps Starling can surprise. Maybe he finally is healthy, and ready to tap into that potential. If the Royals do manage to bring him back on a minor league deal, and he has a strong Spring Training, then maybe Starling will finally make his major league debut. Of course, it is equally likely that this same conversation will be had three years from now.
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The Kansas City Royals are still considering Bubba Starling a part of the future, and he could get a chance at the center field spot next year. He needs to be healthy first, and that is not a given.