Jac Caglianone’s Royals promotion has been called into question by former Miami Marlins president David Samson.
While many Kansas City fans were elated that Caglianone, MLB.com’s No. 10 prospect, was promoted to the show, Samson had the complete opposite reaction.
“What Kansas City has done is the single-most irresponsible move I’ve seen in quite a long a time,” Samson said on CBS Sports HQ on Tuesday.
The gripe, however, has nothing to do with the 22-year-old’s readiness for the big leagues.
“If he’s going to be that good, how do you call him up now where he will hit arbitration a full year earlier than if they waited until after around June 17?,” Samson continued.
By calling up Caglianone now instead of the Super Two deadline, Kansas City burn a year of team control of its star prospect. The Royals would have gained an extra season had they waited a little bit longer, with this move instead speeding up that clock.
If Caglianone finishes in the top two of the Rookie of the Year voting he would get a full year of service anyway, but that is far from a given.
While this might not be a significant issue for teams with higher payrolls, such as the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers, small-market teams like the Royals often need to be more strategic in managing their limited payrolls.
“I have no idea how a team that’s not in the top-10 of payroll is not paying attention to dates,” Samson said. “And the Royals forcing the issue, that’s a bunch of horse hockey. You take the extra two weeks because it gives you an extra year and compounds itself in arbitration.
“This a $10 million decision they made. He better be Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and he better start now.”
Though the main argument from Samson is logical from long-term and financial views, it seemingly does not take into account the position the Royals are in today.
After reaching the playoffs for the first time in eight years last season, the Royals are looking to carry that success into this campaign
Kansas City is in the midst of another tight playoff race, entering Wedneday’s slate one game out of a wild card spot and 7 1/2 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central.
The Royals need offensive help, having scored the third-fewest runs in the sport, and Caglianone could make the lineup more menacing.
The young lefty slashed an impressive .319/.370/.723 with an 1.093 OPS spanning 12 games with Triple-A Omaha, which included six home runs and 13 RBIs.
He posted a cumulative .322/.394/.553 slash line with a .947 OPS including his time in Double-A.
In his first game in the major leagues on Tuesday, Caglianone went 0-for-5 as the Royals’ designated hitter
If Caglianone can carry over his torrid hitting into the majors, he could become a key asset in the Royals’ chase toward back-to-back playoff appearances.
