The Royals announced Monday that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on first baseman/designated hitter Lucas Duda. He’ll be a free agent in 48 hours once he clears.
Kansas City designated Duda, 33, for assignment over the weekend. He signed a minor league contract with the club in Spring Training after being cut loose from a similar pact he’d signed with the Twins. However, Duda mustered only a .171/.252/.324 batting line with four home runs in 119 trips to the plate in his second stint with the Royals. Given the magnitude of those struggles and the number of alternate options — Ryan O’Hearn, Cheslor Cuthbert and even Frank Schwindel, who was released over Duda early in the year — it’s a bit surprising that Duda lasted on the roster as long as he did.
Duda’s track record against right-handed pitching could get him a minor league deal elsewhere once he reaches the open market. He’s a lifetime .249/.351/.481 hitter when holding the platoon advantage at the Major League level, and he hit .264/.336/.477 in such situations just last year. But Duda is also strictly a first baseman, if not a pure designated hitter in the eyes of clubs around the league at this point in his career. If he’s to find his way back onto a big league roster, he’ll likely need to head to Triple-A and show some signs of life against minor league opposition in order to earn another look.
Poor fielding, all-or-nothing LH corner bat?
Rick Hahn and the White Sox have his agent on the line as you read this.
He will be picked up for a power bat off the bench. That is his only use besides some veteran leadership.
Don’t know stats but eye test he’s not terrible at first, game 5 of the 2015 WS not withstanding. He’ll land somewhere.
You should look at stats. dWAR, runs saved, range factor all in negative or below average.
He’s released before the Trade Deadline,
Dude! Duda!
Showed big struggles as he tried to swing!
Oh, Duda nay!
On to another team?
It’s his only hope, it seems!
Didn’t fare well with the KC team,
No, Duda, nay!
I appreciate this comment. Excellent work.
Terrible and awesome all at the same time….but more awesome than terrible by far. Good job sir
Well done. *golf clap*
The White Sox next DH experiment
To be fair he was never that good.
He’ll be starting by Thursday for the CWS after they trade Abreu…ugh
Duda skills relate to a career AAA player.
He had a couple solid months with the Mets early in his career, and he’s basically lived off that for the better part of a decade.
The Dude does not abide…
I would say his best hope to continue playing, might be Korea.
I would love to get him on my softball team if possible.
He might as well until he gets a call so he can maintain his current playing shape. God bless those softballs.
testing!
These comments are all very good. A+
This Duda bout to get lost in the mix of the many first base types who can’t find teams. All KC needed was a serviceable bat, but he couldn’t Duda job well enough.
It’s a shame his career has tailed off. He was a key cog in the Mets run to the World Series in 2015, even if he’s known for his costly error in that series. It’s hard to believe that in the first base battle between Ike Davis and Lucas Duda at the beginning of the decade both are likely out of the league as players for good by the end of the decade.
Known for a “ costly error” in a 5 game Series. Oh yeah had he not made that error they would of went on to win it all.
I’m not sure that was the point of the poster. Duda had a bad error, but the odds were very strong for the Royals had the series returned to KC.
But many have wondered if Dayton More signed Duda out of gratitude.
As 1 of 6 Royals free agent signings, Duda hit .171.
He ends up their 2nd or 3rd best signing.