The Royals announced that reliever Cavan Biggio signed to a minor league contract. Although he was not mentioned in the team’s official announcement, it can be assumed that Bigio received an invitation to Kansas City’s major league Spring Training camp.
KC is Bigio’s fifth different organization in the past seven months. Bigio spent his entire professional career with the Blue Jays until Toronto traded him to the Dodgers in June, and Los Angeles released him two months later. The Giants then picked up Bigio on another minor league deal in August but he didn’t see any big league time with San Francisco before being traded to the Braves in August. Biggio appeared in four games with Atlanta and was removed from the 40-man roster at the end of the season, with Biggio opting for free agency.
Despite all the moves, Bigio hit .197/.314/.303 over 224 total plate appearances with the Jays, Dodgers, and Braves in 2024. He was initially viewed as a cornerstone of the Blue Jays when he posted solid numbers in 2019. -20 seasons, Bigio hasn’t been the same since his injury-plagued 2021 campaign, hitting just .216/.325/.349 over 1159 PA since Opening Day 2021.
The Blue Jays were short enough on left-handed batters that they kept looking for ways to keep Bigio in the lineup for at least the team, and he had some explosiveness in 2023 before coming back down to earth last season. Although not a defensive player at any position, Bigio has played first base, second base, third base, and both outfield positions during his career. At the plate, Biggio has been able to draw consistently good walks, but this ability to get on base has been hampered by a lack of power and a lack of hard contact.
If Bigio makes the Royals’ roster, he projects as a complementary lefty Hunter Renfroe in the right field or maybe Michael Garcia at third base, although Bigio’s third base glovework was significantly lower during his tenure in Toronto. Bigio’s general versatility could help him win a job on the KC roster, or serve as major league depth if he doesn’t opt out of his contract and seek a chance at another new team.
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