If seems that Wil Myers will begin the season in either AA or AAA. After struggling a bit in 2011 (0.254/0.353/0.393), which was attributed to a knee injury, he destroyed the Arizona Fall League (0.360/0.481/0.674). His OPS in the AFL (1.156) was better than the one Eric Hosmer hit in AAA (1.107) before he was called up at the beginning of the 2011 season.
What happens if in 2012 Myers repeats what he did in the AFL in AAA and forces the Royals to call him up? The Royals outfield is set for 2012 with Alex Gordon in LF, Lorenzo Cain in CF and Jeff Francoeur in RF. There isn't any more room in the OF. Is he going to be moved to CF where he has played a total of 13 games with the Royals? Will the Royals sit Alex Gordon after coming off one of the best seasons ever as any Royal has ever experienced? Will management's poster boy Frenchy be forced to sit? Will Wil be forced to the bench or will he just stay in the AAA?
The more I think about the situation, the more I don't have a clue what will go down. The best move, in my opinion, would be to sit, trade or release Francoeur to make room for Myers. Too bad the Royals just signed a pretty much untradeable player for $13.5 M for the next 2 years. The team leader and mentor has always been a great sport when asked to sit on the bench. I just don't see the Royals making this move. Francoeur should not have been part of any future plans for the Royals to begin with and should be the first to sit if Myers hits lights out.
The move I see happening is that the Royals will replace which ever outfielder is struggling the most at the plate. I just hope it isn't Gordon at the time. The Royals have messed around with Gordon too much in recent years to rule it out. Cain has a good chance to be struggling at the plate, but do the Royals think Myers handle CF? Truthfully, I have no idea what Dayton Moore and his brain trust will do in this position.
If the situation arises that Myers is hitting good enough to force his hands on the MLB, the team will have to make a hard, and hopefully good, decision.