Paulo

Orlando

Orlando was acquired from the Dodgers back in May for cash considerations and went on to bat just .242 with a .299 on-base percentage in 284 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte. He turns 34 years old this November.

Orlando is hitting just .211/.325/.394 with two homers at the Triple-A level this season and is just a career .263/.289/.384 hitter over four major league seasons. He’ll provide depth.

The Dodgers entered the eighth inning trailing 1-0 on Friday, then erupted for eight runs. Half of those came home on Orlando’s mighty blast off of Reds’ left-hander Brandon Finnegan. While it was a nice highlight for Orlando, he’s still hitting just .231 with a homer and six RBI on the spring and will be ticketed to begin the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The 33-year-old outfielder hasn’t had any success at the big league level since the 2016 season. He slashed a cringe-inducing .167/.194/.200 with no homers, five RBI and a 25/3 K/BB ratio in 93 plate appearances with the Royals in 2018. He’ll add outfield depth in spring camp but is an extreme long shot to crack the big league roster.

The 33-year-old saw just 93 plate appearances with the Royals during the 2018 campaign, slashing a putrid .167/.194/.200. He’ll seek a minor league contract this winter.

Orlando will head to Philadelphia later this week for further tests. The 26-year-old batted .268/.320/.421 with five homers, 51 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a .741 OPS last season between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha and is not a legitimate contender for a roster spot.

The 28-year-old returns to the Royals organization after hitting .276/.326/.379 with Triple-A Omaha last year. He’ll serve as organizational depth.

Royals manager Ned Yost recently turned back to Alcides Escobar, but he’s always been a poor fit for the role, so he’s ready to give Orlando a shot. The 30-year-old doesn’t bring much patience either (12 walks in 550 plate appearances in the majors), but he’s hitting .333 with 20 extra-base hits (including three homers) and nine steals. The promotion to the top of the order makes him more interesting in deeper fantasy leagues. Escobar has been bumped to the eighth spot in the order.

Orlando resides in the lower half of the Royals order, but the 30-year-old just keeps hitting. He’s now batting .323/.347/.404 through 70 games. If Orlando ever moves to a more prime spot in the lineup, he could be worth a look outside of AL-only leagues.

Orlando delivered a clutch two-run single in the eighth inning that briefly transformed a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 advantage. That lead would be short-lived though as Wade Davis was unable to hang on in the ninth. Orlando, who has settled in atop the Royals lineup, is hitting .304/.330/.403 with four homers and 11 stolen bases on the year.