The Kansas City Royals have made a pair of trades over the past few days. There may be more moves coming in the near future.
According to Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic, the White Sox have inquired about infielder Nicky Lopez. While Rosenthal does note that the Royals are not necessarily looking to move him at this point, that can always change depending on the players offered in return.
Nicky Lopez could be next player leaving Kansas City Royals
Lopez has been a part of the Royals for the last four seasons, making his debut in May 2019. He has primarily worked as a utility man, seeing time at second, third, and short while not exactly having standout defensive metrics at any position. His lifetime .252/.309/.321 batting line with five homers and 63 doubles in 1639 plate appearances, albeit with 36 steals, is not anything that should make him untouchable.
The problem is that the Royals have a relatively inexperienced middle infield. Bobby Witt Jr. may be a future star at short, and Michael Massey was solid during his 194 plate appearances at the end of 2022, but there is little depth behind them. That is a problem that was exacerbated by trading Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox on Tuesday.
There is also a matter of cost. While Lopez has three years of team control left, he is also signed for $3.7 million for the 2023 season. His price tag is only going to increase during arbitration. It is possible that the Royals could find a less expensive utility option in free agency or could look at giving someone such as Nick Loftin a chance later in the year.
The upcoming season is a matter of seeing what the Royals have on their roster. It is a chance to evaluate and move on from players that will not be part of the future. Michael A. Taylor is a solid outfielder, and Mondesi has moments when he looks like a superstar, but it was time to send both away. That may be the case with Lopez as well.
The Chicago White Sox are reportedly interested in Nicky Lopez. He could be the next player that the Kansas City Royals send elsewhere.