SURPRISE, Ariz. -- By the time Caden Monke’s 2021 baseball season was over, he had been a key member of Arkansas’ Southeastern Conference championship team, had been drafted by the Royals in the 14th round and made his debut for three of Kansas City's affiliates.

He finished the season with two postseason appearances for High-A Quad Cities, helping the River Bandits secure their High-A Central championship title.

Not a bad start to a professional career.

“It was exciting. Everything moved along quick,” Monke said. “I helped win a championship in my first professional season -- that was pretty cool. Not something that a lot of people get to do very often. So it was awesome.”

With nearly every Minor League player now in Royals camp, there’s action all day on all eight fields of the club’s Arizona complex. Ask around for who stands out and whom one should be watching, and Monke’s name can be heard repeatedly. The 22-year-old lefty was one of Arkansas’ top relievers last season, behind Golden Spikes Award winner and Padres third-round Draft pick Kevin Kopps.

The Royals drafted Monke on Day 3 of the Draft and got him into camp quickly. He started in Rookie ball, moved up to Low-A Columbia and ended the year with Quad Cities, pitching a total of 13 2/3 innings and posting a 1.32 ERA with 17 strikeouts and seven walks. Having a player move among different affiliates that quickly isn’t a normal entry into professional baseball, but the Royals had to adjust because of the timing of the Draft -- in July last year instead of June -- and COVID protocols.

The organization thought Monke could handle it.

“There were a few guys that were in that same category who we felt like had a level of maturity, had been around high-level programs and could emotionally be pretty stable in a place like Quad Cities right away,” senior director of pitching Paul Gibson said. “Caden is a really a good student, and he’s got a great arm.”

Monke is one to watch this season, and he’ll likely start with Quad Cities again. He has a 92-94 mph fastball that’s hard for hitters to pick up because of his lanky 6-foot-3 frame, and he pairs the fastball with an average slider. There are still kinks in his delivery to iron out -- his effort sometimes leaves him spinning off and could explain the shaky control.

But he’s been working on a changeup, too, and that could give him the ability to work multiple innings. The Royals are going to have him progress to at least three innings this spring to see where it takes him as the Minor League season starts.

“He’s got some really different type numbers on the quantitative-analysis side,” Gibson said. “His fastball has two distinct movements. He cuts it and runs it. And you combine it with a deceptive delivery, he could do a lot of things. He could be a long or short reliever, he could start, there are a lot of different things down the road for us. And we’re not going to close any doors on him.”

Monke isn’t worried about his role; he’s simply taking in his first spring after a whirlwind 2021.

“I’m just here and whatever they want me to do, I’ll do,” Monke said “I’ll just go out there and compete. This has been what I’ve wanted to do since I was little.”

Royals sign two veteran pitchers to Minor League deals

The Royals added two veteran right-handed pitchers, Brad Peacock and Daniel Mengden, to their organization on Tuesday with Minor League deals, which clubs can continue to make during the lockout. Kansas City has put an emphasis this offseason on adding relievers for depth, even with Major League transactions on hold.

Peacock, 34, has a track record as both a relief pitcher and starter in the Majors, and he has significant playoff experience, helping the Astros win a World Series in 2017 and return to the Series in ’19. He has a 4.11 ERA across 183 career appearances (84 starts) in his 10-year career and spent most of 2021 in the Cleveland and Boston organizations.

Peacock, who threw a bullpen session at the Royals’ complex on Monday, will have a chance to make the club when Spring Training begins and could add depth on a staff that will consist of young and inexperienced pitchers.

Mengden, 29, spent 2016-20 with the A’s as a starter and reliever, posting a 4.64 ERA. He started 21 games for the Kia Tigers in the KBO last season and posted a 3.60 ERA in 120 innings -- with 104 strikeouts and just 35 walks. He’s another reliever who will compete for a spot and could provide versatility and depth in 2022.