Royals ink four players, including former prospect Seuly Matias to minor-league deals
The Kansas City Royals and power-hitting outfielder Seuly Matias didn’t waste much time before they reunited this winter.
Matias, whom the Royals originally signed as an international free agent in 2015, became a minor-league free agent in November. However, he and a trio of players with major-league experience all signed minor-league contracts with KC, the Royals announced on Thursday.
Catcher Jakson Reetz and right-handed pitchers Cody Poteet and Brooks Kriske also signed deals.
Matias, 24, spent his entire career in the Royals’ farm system. He’d reached as high as Double-A in the minors, including 99 games with Northwest Arkansas last season when he slashed .225/.330/.424 with 16 home runs.
The right-handed hitting slugger has shown off elite power potential as well as an outstanding throwing arm in the outfield.
Baseball America ranked Matias among the top 30 prospects in the Royals system each year from 2016-2021. He ranked among the top 10 in 2018 (third) and 2019 (eighth). The publication also dubbed him the top power hitter in the organization from 2019-21 and the best outfield arm in the organization from 2018-22.
During the 2018 season with Low-A Lexington, he belted 31 home runs in 94 games before a thumb injury sidelined him late in the season. He played in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in 2018.
The Royals signed Reetz, who made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2021, to a minor-league deal in August after the Milwaukee Brewers released him. Reetz played in 21 games with Triple-A Omaha after joining the Royals.
In 104 total games combined — from his stint in the Brewers farm system (Double-A and Triple) and his time in Omaha — Reetz, 26, slashed .264/.359/.575 with 30 home runs in 2022.
Earlier this winter, the Royals released catcher Sebastian Rivero and added catcher Freddy Fermin to their 40-man roster.
Poteet, 28, appeared in 19 games and made nine starts with the Miami Marlins in the majors during 2021 and 2022. He posted a 4.45 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and 8.1 strikeouts per 9 innings in the majors.
Kriske, 28, appeared in 16 major-league games as a reliever from 2020 through 2021 with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. He posted a 14.40 ERA in the majors. In 97 appearances in the minors, he posted a 2.34 ERA with a .184 opponent’s batting average and a 1.06 WHIP.
Last winter, Kriske signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Royals ink four players, including former prospect Seuly Matias to minor-league deals."
