The Royals seek catching depth following Salvador Perez’s left knee operation, and GM Dayton Moore could look for replacements in a number of places. Perez remains the Royals’ long-term solution behind the plate, so they’re looking for someone to complement Brayan Pena for a few months. It makes sense for the Royals to pursue a short-term acquisition, since obtaining a prospect would be costly and Perez should return midsummer. Here’s a rundown of the avenues Moore could explore:
Free Agents
At this point there aren’t many free agents who spent considerable time in the Majors last year. Ramon Castro is available and the Royals have been linked to veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez.
Craig Tatum and Chris Stewart aren’t projected to make their teams’ Opening Day rosters and could be available later in the month. Bobby Wilson and Jose Lobaton don’t have guaranteed MLB jobs either, so the Royals could inquire on them. The Royals have leverage here, since they are well-positioned to claim a catcher on waivers should a club try to slip someone through.
Veteran Trade Targets
Perhaps Rob Johnson of the Mets, Josh Bard of the Dodgers, Dioner Navarro and Corky Miller of the Reds, Humberto Quintero of the Astros or Koyie Hill of the Cardinals would appeal to the Royals as a short-term answer. Those backstops don’t have guaranteed roster spots with their current organizations and would likely be available in the right deal. The Royals had a scout watching Quintero yesterday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported.
