The Royals need a right fielder.
Hunter Dozier is not the answer, and neither is anyone else who has recently played right field for the Royals.
Right field could be filled with several viable options.
Option 1- Seiya Suzuki/Free agency
Several right-fielders could be signed by the Royals, Kyle Shwarber, Nicholas Castellanos, Nelson Cruz, and Jorge Soler to name a few; However, I believe Seiya Suzuki is the best option.
The biggest reason for signing Suzuki is the bat. Suzuki just obliterates baseballs. Suzuki will end his nine-year career in the NPD with a batting average of .309, an OBP of .402, an SLG of .541, and an OPS of .943 when he signs with an MLB team. No current Royals players are consistently producing like this. Suzuki would also solve the defensive woes plaguing the team, as he has won 3 gold gloves. Do not be worried that his game won't translate to the MLB. Scouts have repeatedly said he is a patient hitter who sits on fastballs, consistently putting home runs over the leftfield and centerfield fence. This is a good indicator that he will not falter to the high-speed fastballs we have seen other Japanese players fall victim to.
The one huge drawback is the price. Suzuki is seeking a five-year contract in the 7-10 million range; This is not a problem. Dayton Moore consistently spends 7-10 million on subpar baseball talent.
As we know, Moore spent 16.75 million on Mike Minor and Carlos Santana this past year. They both sucked. This year, if Dayton Moore can refrain from spending money on worthless free agents, then we should have enough money to sign a highly valued free agent.
Option 2-Adalberto Mondesi
With the emergence of Nicky Lopez, Mondesi has found himself on the outside looking in for the infield. Still, Mondesi is too talented of a player to not play consistently. Right field could be an option. Because of his athletic ability, he has the potential to be an above-average defender in right field. More importantly, it would allow him to focus on his bat, where his real value belongs.
Alex Gordon made a similar transition from the infield to the outfield. Although he suffered from different problems, he does show that this transition could be successful. Fernando Tatis also transitioned from shortstop to right field to help manage his injury. Right field could potentially help Mondesi with the injury issues he can not get rid of. Ultimately Mondesi needs to be in the lineup, and right field could be his way onto the field.
Option 3-Hunter Dozier
Hunter Dozier will be on next year's team, no matter how much we wish he was not. Keeping Dozier means we will also be keeping his 20 million price tag across the next three years. Since the organization is paying him that much, he will have to play consistently somewhere. Currently, the infield is set. Leftfield is set, and center field “appears” to be set. Leaving Dozier to play in right field. He is statistically terrible at every aspect of the game, so I hope a miracle prevents this scenario from happening. However, out of the three options, Dozier in right field has the highest chance of happening. The front office does not want to spend money. The front office also needs to play someone whom they drastically overpaid. Dozier in right field achieves both of those goals.
Seiya Suzuki could be the superstar the Royals have been lacking.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiya_Suzuki
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