Royals’ Triple-A cycle shows KC has a hidden veteran asset in the minors

After a day off on Monday, the Omaha Storm Chasers are back in action on Tuesday. However, many fans will likely be still be in awe of what they witnessed from Abraham Toro over the weekend. On Sunday, in their 15-12 offensive showcase and victory over St. Paul, Toro was the star of the show, going 5-for-6 with six RBI and hitting for the cycle in the process.

The veteran utility man achieved the 12th cycle in the minor leagues this season after lacing a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning to put Omaha on top. As great as the cycle was, it was merely the pinnacle moment in what’s been a torrid stretch at the plate for Toro.

After a slow start to the season, Toro has seemed to have put it firmly in the rearview having been a force to be reckoned with offensively since the 26th of May. In this span he’s managed to hit safely in 18 of 20 games with eight of those being multi-hit performances.

He’s been a breath of fresh air to the Royals organizational depth that’s been tested heavily by injuries of late, especially after placing fellow corner infielder Maikel Garcia on the 10-day IL on Tuesday. However, as much as he’s proven to be one of the names in Omaha worthy of getting another shot in the majors, is there a spot for him with the Royals?

Despite injuries, the Royals may not be in a position to promote Abraham Toro

It sounds strange, with half of their infield in the injured list and their franchise cornerstone in Bobby Witt Jr. avoiding it by the skin of his teeth right now, but Toro may not be the right person for the job despite his hot stretch at the dish.

For one, the Royals would have to get creative in their 40-man construction considering Toro is currently not in it. But also, as someone that primarily plays in the corner infield, the Royals seem to have those areas covered despite the absences of Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino.

While it may not be the position he’s destined to play in long-term with the Royals, Jac Caglianone is a natural first baseman and has certainly been scorching hot himself at the dish in recent weeks. Then there’s Nick Loftin, who’s gone about his business this season and crafted an above-average 107 wRC+ and has been a solid replacement at third for Garcia.

Then at shortstop, while Toro certainly has more to offer offensively than Tyler Tolbert, the problem lies in the fact that Toro has just 10.0 innings at shortstop in Houston’s Triple-A ranks back in 2021. He simply doesn’t fit the mold of their current depth chart needs.

Sometimes baseball can be unfair and guys get blocked to no fault of their own. And that’s precisely the situation Toro seems to unfortunately find himself in.