The Royals announced a wide slate of cuts this morning. Infielder Harold Castro, righty Taylor Clarke, catcher Brian O’Keefe and infielder Tyler Tolbert were all reassigned to minor league camp. All were non-roster invitees. Meanwhile, infielder Nick Loftin and outfielders Drew Waters and Joey Wiemer were optioned to Triple-A Omaha. That leaves just 26 players in camp — one of whom is non-roster utilityman Cavan Biggio. Barring an injury in today’s final Cactus League game, he’ll be selected to the 40-man roster and break camp with the team. The Royals already have a pair of 40-man vacancies, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary.
It’s been a strange spring for Biggo. The longtime Blue Jays infielder is hitting just .194 in his 46 plate appearances, but he’s struck out only six times (13%) and drawn a whopping 11 walks (23.9%). He’s sitting on an oddball .194/.457/.355 line overall. Biggio has long been renowned for his patience at the plate, having drawn a walk in 13.5% of his career plate appearances in the majors.
Biggio’s keen eye and the small-sample improvement in his contact skills — he’s fanned in 32% of his plate appearances — coupled with his defensive versatility to put him in position for an Opening Day spot in Kansas City. He can feasibly mix in at second base, third base and in the outfield corners.
The Royals will also cycle Jonathan India, Michael Massey, Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe through those spots and at designated hitter. Garcia is coming off a rough year at the plate. Massey hasn’t quite cemented himself as a regular. India will play multiple positions. Melendez still hasn’t hit in the majors. Renfroe struggled in 2024. Each of those players has some level of uncertainty, and Biggio will add a typically serviceable, OBP-focused backup or complement to the group.
The 29-year-old Biggio (30 in April) is looking for a rebound of his own. He’s coming off an ugly .197/.314/.303 batting line (84 wRC+) in 224 plate appearances between the Jays, Dodgers and Braves last year. He turned in a solid .235/.340/.370 line in 338 trips to the plate as recently as 2023 in Toronto, however.
That’s embarrassing.
Instead of wasting time trying to play MLB he needs to be practicing for his new career, “Exact Change Only Please.” Ahahahahahaha!
He’s made over 9mil in his career and his old man can help him out if needed.
Biggio has already proved he’s not MLB material. His name isn’t going to make him good!
A .194/.457/.355 line is very Cavan Biggio of him.
Harold Castro should have made this team; clearly another case of discrimination similar to the Garrett Hampson situation last week.
Sounds to me like it’s about 1B, and probably Vinnie’s injury.
At least in the Diamondbacks situation, Hampson had an opt-out clause, so it made sense to select his contract and secure him.
In this case, it seems more like a pedigree thing than anything. I do agree Castro was the more deserving player, although I’m not sure it was discriminatory in nature per se
Boy, there’s a zero.
Gonna be hard to win many games if the pitching doesn’t hold up like last year. Doesn’t matter how good the top 4 in the line up hit when the other five are basically automatic outs. They need to give up on MJ. Isbels glove is the only thing keeping him in the big leagues and I’m not sure he would be even starting for most teams in the majors. Renfroe hit better this spring but he to is a below average OF. At some point the Royals need to start giving Gentry…Cross…Race some shots in the OF. Idk how well Caglione is gonna be in the OF but at least he has shown he is can hit better then MJ and Isabel.
Most frustrating player I’ve ever watched hit. The man is terrified to swing the bat. Just watches sooooo many cookies.
Thanks dad!
Biggio gives the Royals another Adam Frazier-type; versatility to play multiple positions while providing little to nothing offensively
Aw well. The Royals had a good run.
Biggio’s inclusion isn’t about his bat—it’s about forcing inefficiency in opponent pitching. Kansas City’s lineup, with India (career 10.5% walk rate), Massey (7.8%), and Garcia (6.7%), leans on contact and speed but lacks OBP depth. Biggio’s extreme walk rate disrupts pitching sequences, inflating pitch counts and exposing middle relievers earlier in games.
Name only.
Of course Cavan makes the team. I mean, why not? Our world has gone mad, so it only makes sense that this guy keeps getting a job.
Lunacy.