It’s time the Royals give these three hitters in the minors a legit chance

Is it even possible for them to be worse?

A little over a month ago, the Royals called up Steven Cruz for the injured Hunter Harvey. I wrote an article clamoring for the Royals to give him a real shot to prove himself.

Well, look how that turned out. After the Tuesday night game in San Francisco, Cruz has now pitched 14.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), with 10 strikeouts and 4 walks. He has 3 holds, a 1.26 ERA, and an 0.3 WAR. If Cruz trots in from the bullpen in a late-game situation, you should feel confident.

With the Royals scoring just 10 runs over their last five games as I write this (before the series finale against the Giants), they are in desperate need of some changes on offense. I have three simple moves that the Royals could make, that would give three guys that deserve a legit chance with the team, and three guys a fresh look elsewhere.

Nick Loftin

Nick Loftin struggled last year for the Royals. He hit just a measly .189, with a .282 on-base percentage and an even worse .236 slugging percentage. He can play anywhere on the field defensively. This year, the 26-year-old Loftin has been a machine for the Storm Chasers. He is hitting .295, with a .451! on base percentage and a .468 slugging percentage. I understand, Werner Park is more hitter-friendly, but Loftin is playing very well, and not a lot of guys can say that for the Royals right now. Even more impressive, Loftin has walked 39 times in 40 games in Omaha as well.

John Rave

The 27-year-old outfielder is also tearing it up at AAA, and the Royals are in plenty of offensive help from the outfield spots. Rave is hitting .302, with a .386 on-base percentage and .528 slugging percentage. He has seven doubles, four triples, and seven home runs as well. While he has struck out a decent amount, Rave is also 16 of 17 in stolen base attempts, something that the Royals have struggled with this season. John Rave is a guy who deserves an opportunity to make his MLB debut this season, and soon.

Cam Devanney

The 28-year-old shortstop is also raking down in Omaha this season. Devanney is hitting .299 with a .376 on-base percentage and .509 slugging percentage. He has mashed nine home runs including a pair of grand slams last week and home runs in back-to-back games this week.

While he obviously wouldn’t be taking away playing time from Bobby Witt Jr., Devanney is capable of playing all over the field and might be a guy that could spark the offense as well.

How the Royals can make this happen

There are some rather easy moves that the Royals can make to get these guys in Kansas City on the off-day Thursday. Nick Loftin is already on the 40-man roster. Devanney and Rave are not, but that’s fine, since currently the Royals have two open spots.

However, they would need to clear three spots on the 26-man active roster. The Royals can option Michael Massey to Omaha, as he is hitting just .195 on the season and has hit only two homers. Massey has looked lost at the plate for the most part this season, striking out 27 times and hitting a ton of pop-ups. A couple weeks in Omaha might fix him.

To get Rave and Devanney on the team, the Royals can easily DFA Hunter Renfroe and Cavan Biggio. Rave fills Renfroe’s outfield spot, while Loftin can fill Biggio’s utility spot. Devanney is able to fill Massey’s infield position.

Renfroe is hitting just .182 on the season and has not hit a homer this season. His arm and range have also decreased in his age-33 season. Cavan Biggio hasn’t been terrible, as he’s drawn 11 walks this season, but he is only hitting .172 with just one homer.

These three guys might not be long term solutions, but they could provide a much-needed spark to the Royals offense. They not only deserve the opportunity for their continued success in AAA, but it’ll be pretty hard for them to be worse than the current product.