Massey in the Middle

Michael Massey could be in the middle of the lineup, the middle of the outfield mix, the middle infield or the middle of a trade to help the Royals.

The Royals selection of Michael Massey in the fourth round in 2019 didn’t exactly make ripples. He was just sort of okay with the bat in college at Illinois and didn’t display a whole lot of power. Plus, he was just a second baseman. That’s changed a bit even in the few years since then, but second basemen only didn’t tend to get much run as high in the draft as the fourth round, especially those without a carrying tool. Oh yeah, and he had a bad back. You might remember that became an issue for him in 2024 as well. And yet, he has a chance to be a big part of the plans in 2025 as the Royals look to improve on a playoff season.

His role on this team is a bit in question. He’s a second baseman, as mentioned, but the team believes the action of fielding grounders exacerbates his back issues. So maybe he moves to the outfield with the addition of Jonathan India. I have heard third (maybe fourth, honestly) hand that he’s been working out there and looks good out there.

That’s just practice though. It’s better to be good in those situations than bad, but we won’t know much about what he can do out there until we see him in game situations. That said, if he can handle left field and keep his back healthier, it will solve many of the issues the Royals possess.

But with the addition of India, he could still be a part of a deal to bring back an area of need. There are so many teams that need a second baseman, and Massey is a good one defensively, that maybe he’s best served to help the 2025 Royals by being the centerpiece of a trade. This is a spot to be careful for the Royals, though certainly. Massey has four years of team control and while they did acquire India, he has just two remaining.