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The Royals have made their signing of right-hander Jordan Lyles official, saying the transfer at the moment. To make room on the 40-man roster, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn was designated for task.
O’Hearn, 29, burst onto the scene with an unimaginable debut in 2018. He was chosen to the membership’s roster on the finish of July and acquired into 44 video games over the latter months of that marketing campaign. He hit 12 residence runs in that temporary spell and produced a batting line of .262/.353/.597, along with his 153 wRC+ indicating he was 53% higher than league common in that point.
Nonetheless, the next 4 seasons have more and more made that seem like a mirage. From the start of 2019 to the current, O’Hearn has hit 26 residence runs in 298 video games and slashed .211/.282/.351, producing a wRC+ of simply 68. That manufacturing was 32% under the league common hitter in that point however was particularly disappointing given his defensive limitations. O’Hearn is primarily a primary baseman who has often seen time within the outfield corners. Since these positions include increased expectations for offensive manufacturing, a tepid exhibiting like O’Hearn’s was more and more untenable.
It doesn’t appear as if the group has utterly given up on O’Hearn turning issues round and changing into a worthwhile contributor once more, as they’ve already tendered him a contract for 2023. On the non-tender deadline in mid-November, he and the membership avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.4MM wage for the upcoming marketing campaign. In earlier years, arbitration salaries weren’t assured till the top of Spring Coaching, giving the membership some wiggle room to chop the participant earlier than the season started and solely pay out a portion of the deal. Nonetheless, underneath the brand new CBA, arbitration salaries are assured so long as the 2 sides don’t go to a listening to.
The Royals will now have one week to commerce O’Hearn or attempt to cross him via waivers. Since O’Hearn has greater than three years of MLB service time, he would have the fitting to reject an outright task within the occasion he cleared waivers. Nonetheless, he lacks the 5 years of service time essential to each reject an outright task and retain his wage for the upcoming season, which means he must go away that $1.4MM on the desk with a purpose to turn into a free agent. Given his struggles lately, it appears attainable that he’ll clear waivers and settle for an outright task, sticking across the group with a barely increased wage than a standard depth piece. Vinnie Pasquantino appears to have taken over the primary base job in Kansas Metropolis with MJ Melendez, Hunter Dozier, Nate Eaton and Nick Pratto choices for designated hitter obligation. O’Hearn may work his method again into the combo if he exhibits improved type and an damage creates a possibility.
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