The Royals selected Reyes' contract from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Not only that, they're starting him at designated hitter and batting him fifth on Opening Day versus the Twins. MJ Melendez is getting the start in right field, with Edward Olivares in left and Nate Eaton on the bench.
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Royals' Franmil Reyes: Likely to make roster
Rotowire
Reyes is likely to make the Opening Day roster for the Royals out of spring training, Anne Rogers of MLB.com notes.
Reyes was brought in on a minor-league contract in February by the Royals after struggling mightily in 2022 with both the Guardians and Cubs. The 27-year-old has hit well in the Cactus League as seen in a 1.112 OPS and three homers over 43 plate appearances with the club. Reyes will likely see reps as a designated hitter if/when he does become a part of the big-league roster to open 2023 with an occasional start or two in the outfield as well.
Reyes is in the designated hitter spot and batting cleanup for the Royals in Friday's Cactus League debut against the Rangers.
It's a lineup which features many of the team's regulars, so it can't be a bad thing for Reyes' outlook that he's being thrown right into the middle of it. Still, MJ Melendez is likely to see most of the playing time in the DH spot for the Royals this season, so don't necessarily read too much into it. Reyes could also see a little playing time in the outfield as he looks to bounce back from a dreadful 2022 campaign.
Royals' Franmil Reyes: Inks NRI deal with Kansas City
Rotowire
Reyes signed a minor-league contract Wednesday with the Royals, Anne Rogers and Juan Toribio of MLB.com report.
The deal includes an invitation to the major-league side of spring training, where Reyes will try to carve out an Opening Day roster spot. The 27-year-old popped 30 home runs in 115 games for Cleveland in 2021 before slumping to a .221/.273/.365 batting line with only 14 homers over 118 games between the Guardians and Cubs in 2022. If he does make the squad in Kansas City, it will probably be as a part-time designated hitter and bench bat. He can also handle a bit of corner-outfield work, though most defensive metrics would advise against it.
Reyes became a minor-league free agent Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Reyes split time between the Guardians and Cubs in 2022, recording a .638 OPS over 473 plate appearances -- a significant drop from his .846 OPS mark in 2021. Though the rapid decline is alarming, if Reyes can return to form in the minors, it's possible he'll be able to contribute to another major-league club at some point next season.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Reyes cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in August but won't stick on the 40-man roster through the offseason. Overall in 2022, he had a .221/.273/.365 slash line with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 118 games.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Finishes with a bang
Rotowire
Reyes went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, two runs scored and three total RBI in Wednesday's 15-2 win over the Reds.
Reyes led the way in Chicago's blowout win, hitting his 14th and final home run of the season as part of the romp. He hit five of those long balls in 48 games with the Cubs and batted .234 with his new club. Reyes cooled off some after a strong start in Chicago, but his power potential could earn him another look with the Cubs as they head into 2023. He has some fantasy appeal when he's hot, though he's pretty much limited to a DH role at this point, which caps his value.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Big day at plate
Rotowire
Reyes went 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Reds.
Reyes accounted for three of the Cubs' eight runs Sunday with an RBI single and two runs scored. His two hits on the day marked his first multi-hit game since Sept. 7, a stretch in which he was slashing .133/.235/.150 entering Sunday. Despite being known for his prodigious power, he has not left the yard since Aug. 31.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: On bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Reyes isn't starting Wednesday against the Phillies.
Reyes is taking a seat for a second consecutive game after he went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts over his last two matchups. Willson Contreras will serve as the designated hitter while Yan Gomes starts at catcher.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Breather Friday
Rotowire
Reyes is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Pirates.
Reyes will get a breather after he started the last two games, going 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. Jared Young will take over at designated hitter and bat eighth versus Pittsburgh.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Resting Tuesday
Rotowire
Reyes is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.
Reyes went 1-for-3 Monday but just 3-for-29 (.103) over his last eight games, so he will be held out for the second time in four games. Jared Young will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter Tuesday night.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Not in Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Reyes isn't starting Saturday against the Rockies.
Reyes started the last five games and went just 2-for-19 with two runs, two walks and eight strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Jared Young serves as the designated hitter and bats seventh.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Takes seat Saturday
Rotowire
Reyes isn't in the lineup Saturday against San Francisco.
Reyes hit .333 with a double, three RBI, two runs, three walks and six strikeouts over his last six games and will get a breather Saturday. Rafael Ortega is serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Drives in two more runs Saturday
Rotowire
Reyes went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Saturday's loss to the Cardinals.
Reyes has now driven in 13 runs across 24 games with the Cubs, and he's batting a solid .277 during that span. He batted just .213 in 70 games with the Guardians, so he's definitely looked like a different player in Chicago. Reyes has reestablished some decent fantasy value due to his strong play and regular role with his new team.
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Cubs' Franmil Reyes: Connects for 13th home run
Rotowire
Reyes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Blue Jays.
Reyes now has 13 home runs this season, with four of those coming since joining the Cubs via waivers earlier this month. The 27-year-old is also batting a solid .276 across 22 games with his new team, and he should continue to see regular playing time as Chicago's DH as long as he keeps producing like this.
