The following article was published in the Topeka Capital-Journal on July 28, 2018 – you can read it here.
Rosell Herrera’s 2018 season is a microcosm of the highs and lows of life.
Herrera is seeing regular playing time in the major leagues, and on July 15 he became a father, his wife giving birth to a healthy girl named Roselyne. Life can’t get much better, win-loss record be damned.
“Life just feels awesome right now,” Herrera said. “(The birth of his daughter) changed everything. Right now I’m trying to live in the moment and be the very best father I can be, while also trying to do all I can to take advantage of this opportunity here.”
The opportunity Herrera refers to is the chance to be in the lineup daily for the Kansas City Royals. An eight-year minor leaguer who was bound for unemployment just two months ago, the new father has found the Royals’ collapse to be to his advantage. One he’s trying to make the most of, despite some sleepless nights.
“We didn’t get a lot of sleep when I was there (over the All-Star break),” said Herrera, whose wife isn’t currently living in Kansas City. “My wife is there taking care of her when I’m away, but when I was there we were up a lot.
“It’s hard to leave, because it’s my first experience having a baby. I was very happy when I was there, but I know I have to be here to do my job. I feel blessed and am so excited to try to show what I can do here in the major leagues.”
In spite of the Royals’ dismal record, the 25-year-old feels like he’s sitting on top of the world. But it’s been a roller coaster to get to this point.
There was a time when the Dominican-born Herrera was a hot commodity. He was a Baseball America Top 100 prospect in the Colorado Rockies system prior to the 2014 season. Speed, versatility, and the ability to switch hit made his future appear bright.
But when he failed to hit for power, the Rockies cut their ties with him in 2017. The Cincinnati Reds gave him a brief try this season. He played 23 games in the Reds’ minor leagues, and got an 11-game audition at the big leagues. But when Herrera batted just .154, Cincinnati put him on waivers.
Desperate to accelerate their rebuild, the Royals took a flier on Herrera. He played ten games, primarily in the infield, for the Omaha Storm Chasers. When Jorge Soler went down with an injury in mid-June, Herrera got his chance to play in the Kauffman Stadium outfield.
Herrera has some of the tools that play well in Kansas City, primarily speed. He’s flashy in the outfield, running down fly balls with confidence and flair. His slap-hitting style from both sides of the plate may work well in the spacious stadium. The fact that he can play six positions on the infield and outfield means he’s ready for almost any opportunity.
Thus far with the Royals, Herrera has only played in the outfield. But in his minor league career, Herrera played 307 games at shortstop, 90 at third base, and six at second base.
“I like the infield, but right now they need me in the outfield, and I’m ready for that,” Herrera said. “It’s good to play multiple positions because it gives me a lot more opportunity to get on the field.”
With most of their top prospects a couple of years away from the big leagues, Kansas City is seeking diamonds in the rough to bolster their outfield talent pool. First they brought in veterans Jon Jay and Tyler Collins during spring training. Then they traded for Abraham Almonte.
And since mid-season, the Royals have picked up Herrera and recently acquired Brian Goodwin via a trade with the Washington Nationals. Both Herrera and Goodwin are former top prospects who lost their shine. Both may benefit from the fresh start offered by a team in full rebuild.
Now the Royals have traded Mike Moustakas for another outfield candidate, the Brewers 24-year-old prospect Brett Phillips.
The presence of Goodwin and Phillips may make the outfield a lot more crowded for Herrera. But thus far, manager Ned Yost has penciled in Herrera’s name nearly every game since he arrived in mid-June. And with the trade of Moustakas now executed, Herrera may find himself manning third base. His bat will ultimately determine if he sticks with the Royals long term.
Regardless, the new dad remains undaunted.
“I just keep working hard. We all have things we can do to get better. I need to keep working on my hitting, and on my defense. I’m just happy to have this opportunity.”