Sebastian Rivero, a catcher working his way up the Kansas City Royals’ farm system to Kauffman Stadium, will spend the summer at either Wilmington, Delaware, or Springdale, Arkansas, where the Royals’ Double A affiliate plays.
Rivero has never gone above High A in his four-year professional career, with the exception of three games with Triple A Omaha last season.
He was nominated to the major league club’s 60-man Player Pool on Sunday, allowing him to play this season and work with the squad during training camp.
Rivero, who signed with the club as a 17-year-old international free agent in 2015, debuted with the team’s Dominican Summer League team in 2016, and has since struggled in the low minors, may have surprised few with his pool pick.
Close supporters of the team, though, were not surprised. Rivero has attended the Royals’ last two spring training camps as a non-roster invitee despite not being on the 40-man roster.
A single invitation to spring training isn’t rare, but two indicate that the Kansas City Royals are serious. Inclusion in the Player Pool, a group of Royals and Royals prospects eligible to participate in the short season of 2020, validates their enthusiasm.
Rivero isn’t just a fill-in catcher for the team. Rivero’s pick is all the more significant given Monday’s announcement that minor league baseball would not be played this season.
Rivero will work for the Royals in Kansas City or, presumably, Omaha or another suitable nearby location, rather than working on his own like so many other minor leaguers.
Where Is Salvador Rivero From?
Salvador Rivero is from Maracay, Venezuela.