Wichita Eagle · Apr 1, 2017
Royals option utilityman Whit Merrifield to Class AAA Omaha
The Royals optioned utilityman Whit Merrifield to Class AAA Omaha on Saturday evening, offering clarity in their 25-man roster picture two days before Opening Day in Minnesota.
The maneuver, which came nearly three hours after an exhibition loss in Texas, could help preserve roster inventory. After Raul Mondesi won the starting job at second base, Merrifield was battling with Christian Colon for a final bench spot. Colon, 27, has zero options remaining, which means he must be added to the 25-man roster or placed on waivers, where he would be exposed to other teams. Merrified, 28, had options remaining, which made him expendable.