The Kansas City Royals signed utility man Abraham Toro to a minor-league contract Friday, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes. The timing’s pretty good for Toro — he turns 29 on Saturday.
Toro spent last season with the Red Sox and brings seven years of big league experience to Kansas City’s spring mix. He’s the definition of a contact hitter, posting a .223 career batting average with a .356 slugging percentage while keeping his strikeout rate below league average.
What makes this signing interesting is Toro’s versatility.
He’s logged MLB time at first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots. That kind of flexibility can be valuable for a club looking to add depth pieces.
His minor league numbers since 2021 look better — .286 average with a .474 slugging percentage — which suggests there might be some untapped potential if he can find consistent at-bats.
The Royals aren’t handing Toro a starting job, but his contact approach and defensive flexibility could earn him a bench role. Kansas City already has similar utility options on the roster, so Toro’s going to need to make an impression in spring training.
At least he’ll know where he’s spending his birthday weekend. Not a bad way to start the new year.
