Yuniesky Betancourt started Sunday's game against the Rangers and was designated for assignment after going 0 for 4. (Getty Images) |
Not that it'll mean much for the Royals' final record, but the team designated infielder Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment following Sunday's walk-off win over the Rangers.
Betancourt, who was signed a s a free agent during the offseason a year after he was part of the trade that sent him and Zack Greinke to the Brewers, started at third base on Sunday and has started at second base, third base, shortstop and designated hitter this season. The 30-year-old former starting shortstop for the Mariners, Royals and Brewers, was hitting .228/.256/.400 on the season, but it wasn't his production on the field that caused the Royals to cut ties with him. Instead, it was his attitude off the field, Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters.
"We have been living in a losing culture here for many, many years," Yost said, according to the Kansas City Star. "We cannot get over the hump. In order for us to get over the hump, we have to have 25 guys that are solely invested in one goal, and that's turning this organization around to become a champion. That's it. It's not about, 'How much do I play?' It's not about, 'Do I have a job?'
"This is about 25 guys with one goal: That we're going out to try to win this baseball game tonight, and you have that goal night in, night out. Anybody else that's not on page with that, we will never change our culture."
Yost said Betancourt wanted more playing time and would get upset when he wasn't playing. Betancourt platooned with Chris Getz for much of the season at second base. The team called up infielder Tony Abreu to fill the utility role of Betancourt.
Getz, 28, is having his best season as a pro, hitting .280/.317/.376 in 54 games so far, but it's time to stop these stop-gap measures and call up Johnny Giavotello, the teams' top second base prospect. While Giavotello hasn't had much success in his 67 games in the majors, he's crushed Triple-A pitching this season, hitting .328/.415/.492 with 10 home runs in 79 games at Omaha.
Betancourt was the team's second scapegoat in as many days, as the team fired first-base coach Doug Sission on Saturday.
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