The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LUCIUS Fox had a simple message for the Kansas City Royals fan base after he was traded to the team last week:

“Ready to work,” Fox said via Twitter, “KC you’re getting my all.”

Fox is now listed at No. 26 in the Royals organisation among its minor league prospects. “We talked to Tampa about Fox for quite some time, not necessarily about Brett Phillips,” Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp told reporters on a Zoom call. “[Fox] is just a really interesting athlete. He has three options left. He is using one this year.”

Fox was traded for the second time in his career when the Tampa Bay Rays sent him to the Royals in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips.

Fox, 23, has been listed at shortstop for the duration of his career but saw time at centrefield, secondbase and thirdbase during Spring Training. He was listed as an infielder/outfielder for the Rays’ 2020 player pool.

“He is a switch-hitter,” said Sharp. “He plays shortstop. He can play second base. Some people have talked about him possibly playing centre field because of his speed element. He has played at the upper levels of the Minors at a young age.”

The Rays’ loaded prospect list at shortstop includes the No.1 player overall in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 - Wander Franco, No. 49 overall Vidal Brujan (second base/shortstop) and No.77 overall Xavier Edwards (secondbase/shortstop).

Fox immediately joined the Royals’ 40-man roster and was assigned to the Royals’ alternate site at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.

He was a member of the Rays’ taxi squad this season and was assigned to the club’s alternate training site this season.

He saw playing time during MLB Spring Training and Summer Camp, most recently in a pair of intrasquad scrimmages ahead of the regular season opener.

The Royals are currently 13-20 on the season, fifth in the American League Central.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox was set to make his 2020 debut in AAA baseball with the Durham Bulls of the International League.

He spent 15 games last season with the Bulls, but spent the bulk of the year with the Montgomery Biscuits in the AA Southern League. He went on to lead the Southern League with 39 stolen bases. In 119 games last season across both leagues (104 with the Biscuits) Fox hit .221 with a .331 OBP and a .657 OPS. He totalled 90 hits including 16 doubles, nine triples, three home runs, 34 RBIs, and scored 66 runs.