The Royals announced that utilityman Cavan Biggio has been signed to a minor league contract. While no mention was made in the team’s official announcement, it can be assumed that Biggio received an invitation to Kansas City’s big league Spring Training camp.
K.C. is Biggio’s fifth different organization within the last seven months. Biggio had spent his entire pro 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 Biggio up on another minors contract in August but he didn’t see any big league time with San Francisco before he was traded to the Braves in August. Biggio appeared in four games with Atlanta and was then outrighted off the 40-man roster at season’s end, with Biggio opting for free agency.
Though all the moves, Biggio hit .197/.314/.303 over 224 total plate appearances with the Jays, Dodgers, and Braves in 2024. Initially viewed as a potential cornerstone piece for the Blue Jays when he posted strong numbers in the 2019-20 seasons, Biggio hasn’t really been the same since his injury-riddled 2021 campaign, hitting only .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 for Biggio to stick in the lineup in at least a platoon capacity, and he had some bursts of effectiveness in 2023 before falling back to earth last season. While not a defensive standout at any position, Biggio has played first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield slots during his career. At the plate, Biggio has been able to draw walks pretty consistently, but this ability to get on base has been undermined by a lack of power and a lack of hard contact.
If Biggio makes the Royals’ roster, he projects as a left-handed hitting complement to Hunter Renfroe in right field or possibly Maikel Garcia at third base, though Biggio’s third-base glovework was far below par during his time at the position in Toronto. Biggio’s general versatility could help him win a job on the K.C. roster, or he could act as minor league depth if he doesn’t opt out of his contract to seek out an opportunity on yet another new team.
Wow
I bet this left Mariners’ fans relieved, maybe they will get de-lux news soon
Sad. Hope he makes comeback player of year award or something.
“Exact change only please” Ahahahahaha!
He looked awful with the Dodgers…
Maybe a stint in the minors with the Royals gets him on track again.
He was not awful, perfect timing when Freddy had some emergency and did it ok, its just a hard game.
I bet he comes back strong, he has the IQ. (and a ring)
Comeback from what playing poorly? Dont recall him being injured or having anything else going on..
Because I read the articles, I know Cavan biggio had an injury-riddled 2021 season.
How is 2021 relevant ?..but fine lol…ok..so…he came back from injury in 2021.now 4 yeaes ago and played healthy.in 22 24 and 24…and did it so poorly it lead to him being dfa’d
Third
Probably the only guy on the Omaha Storm with a WS ring
Biggio was on the Braves postseason 40-man, not the Dodgers
He played, he gets a ring
Whit Merrifield replacement
Whit Merrifield essentially replaced him in Toronto in 2023, so that would be a weird full-circle moment.
The man absolutely refuses to swing his bat. Big difference between taking a walk and desperately searching for one. I’d love to see how many times he struck out looking last season. Is that stat available?
Pretty sure he strikes out looking more then any other 10 players combined.
It’s a shame because early on, he showed he had reasonable power. For whatever reason, he just stopped swinging. Maybe the league adjusted to him and he couldn’t keep up so he figured taking walks was his best bet?
Cave-In Biggio
Agreed jwinker. I think he was injured a lot. He always seemed to have to have some tape up around the back of his neck. And pitchers found some holes. He had a long time when he could not catch up to the high fastball. He fixed that, only to be vulnerable to sliders away. He could never take the ball the other way so was also easy to defense.
Probably also didnt help that the Jays hitting instruction has been terrible. Aside from Vlad and a few young guys that listened to Matt Hague, everyone else has sucked.
Figure that stat would go down with Angel Hernandez retiring.
Fangraphs has that data. His plate discipline hasn’t changed much through the years. The average FB velo he sees is 1 mph higher since 2019. Pitchers also threw him more sliders last season. He’s simply getting overmatched with his hard hit % dipping. He is what he is at this point.
Man he looked like he was going places. He had a really good season as a 24 year old rookie.
He did go places, a lot of places.
If his last name was Smith, he’d be working at McDonalds right now
The man has made more than $10 million playing baseball thus far in his career. Unless he Schilling’d his money away, I am pretty sure he has advanced past the “working at McDonald’s” stage of his life.
@hiflew he made the majors because of his dad. Hes a slightly better version of Grey Kessinger, both who should have not made the majors. The opportunities should go to the best players, not the ones with former player’s last names on their back. You think guys like Pete Rose Jr, John Mayberry Jr, Dru Jones, etc. would have ever have gotten these type of chances if they were no names? Wake up
He was a 3.o WAR and 2.0 WAR player his first two seasons. He earned his way on the field.
He hasn’t continued to earn it, though teams are still hoping he might regain some of his early performance.
Cavan Biggio made the majors because he was the MVP of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and followed that up with an even more impressive showing in Buffalo the next year. This is not a guy who was wrongly promoted. And then he did pretty well in the majors for a while.
Of course after he went into decline his last name may have gotten him a little longer rope.
Oh look, clown LFGMoron showed up AGAIN
Bro you’d walk out crying after 30 mins of working at McDonald’s
He’s still a pro ballplayer and we are not. That said, the line between is razor thin.
Love this. With Jordan Groshans.
This seems like the sort of signing that could have waited till Monday
bro is basically Adam Frazier 2.0
An inexpensive Adam Frazier. Maybe KC can fix whatever has been broken the past few seasons
Head scratcher
Forget DBCooper, Stonehenge, or who killed JFK, the biggest mystery in history is how this guy keeps getting professional baseball contracts.
We shall never know.
Biggio was actually slowly improving that reluctant swing with contact with the Dodgers, even hit more home runs, but was the odd man out when Freeman returned. Had other pieces fallen in the Dodgers, and many players were moved around last year, he would have been their replacement too.
Dodgers had a whole bunch of .200 hitters even Lux. But during the All Star break Lux had been practicing hitting with his dad and suddenly made adjustments and his hitting improved a lot. Not sure what that says about the Dodgers hitting staff. Maybe if Biggio and Taylor had gone with Lux they all would be better
He’s a temptation for any hitting coach as his mechanics are solid he just needs to swing instead of holding back. Trust his bat or push out a hit. He always seems on the edge of getting his hitting back then the reluctance comes back.
Nice guy and I wish him well