Royals hire former All-Star Reggie Sanders to work as special assistant

BY RUSTIN DODD

rdodd@kcstar.com

FEBRUARY 15, 2017 12:34 PM

SURPRISE, ARIZ. 

A familiar face is roaming the grounds here at Royals spring training.

Reggie Sanders, the former All-Star outfielder, has accepted a role as a special adviser to baseball operations in the Royals’ front office. Sanders, who concluded his 17-year playing career in Kansas City in 2006 and 2007, will work on special-assignment projects throughout the club’s minor-league system, general manager Dayton Moore said on Wednesday. But for now, the new gig begins with an on-field role here at spring training.

“He brings so much energy and value everywhere he goes,” Moore said. “He’s a great presence. He’s a happy person. He has great depth to what he does and what he brings, and he’s going to be a huge influence to our players.”

Sanders, 49, finished his career with 305 homers and 341 doubles in 17 seasons, a tenure spread across eight different organizations. He began his career with the Cincinnati Reds before also playing for San Diego, Atlanta, Arizona, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Kansas City.

He was previously working in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. But he had prior relationship with Moore based on their time together in Atlanta and with the Royals.

“Reggie called me (this offseason) and said: ‘I’d really like to be with the Royals,’ ” Moore recalled. “And I said: ‘OK, we’re going to hire you.’ We didn’t even discuss money or anything. I said, ‘OK, you got a job.’ ”