Kansas City Royals need to move on from Hunter Dozier

The Kansas City Royals are loyal to a fault when it comes to their players. In some cases, that loyalty borders on insanity.

Such is the case with Hunter Dozier. The Royals had thought they had locked in a key part of their future core when he signed a four year extension worth $25 million ahead of the 2021 campaign. While he only had one above average season, and was unable to replicate his excellent showing in 2019, the hope was that he had arrived as a future star.

Kansas City Royals need to face reality with Hunter Dozier

Instead, Dozier reverted right back to being the player he was before 2019. He has produced a .223/.288/.384 batting line with 26 homers and 51 doubles in his 1008 plate appearances since the beginning of the 2021 season. Dozier has struggled defensively as well, costing the Royals runs at every position aside from left.

He has been even worse lately. Dozier has not hit a home run since July 31. Since the calendar flipped to August, he has produced a dreadful .168/.210/.212 batting line in 115 plate appearances, striking out 35 times. Only Max Stassi and Jose Barrero have been worse in that span.

That lack of production puts the Royals in a bit of a bind. He is due another $17.75 million over the next two seasons, a significant amount for a team that limits payroll as much as the Royals do. His contract says that he will be in the lineup, but the Royals’ ongoing youth movement and his inability to produce at even a league average rate indicate that he should be elsewhere.

The problem is that the Royals likely could not give Dozier away at this point. However, this does not mean that he should still be playing or even on the roster. Unless he suddenly lives up to his career year in 2019, the clock has to be ticking for his place in Kansas City. It is time for the Royals to face reality and consider walking away as that money may well be a lost cause.

Hunter Dozier has been a major disappointment since signing his extension. It is starting to be time that the Kansas City Royals move on.