SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Royals entered their final off-day of Spring Training having made some roster decisions ahead of Opening Day, including reassigning top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. to Minor League camp. But some decisions remain for the final stretch of Cactus League games, like the bullpen and who will be in the starting lineup come April 1.

Let’s get into your questions:

Who is the 26th man? Is it a bat with O’Hearn or McBroom, or a reliever with Brach, Lovelady or Hernández?
-- @christiandr85, via Twitter

Great question. This is one of the more intriguing decisions the Royals have to make heading into Opening Day. There are a few factors involved, the biggest one being the Royals don’t need a fifth starter until April 16, which opens up a spot on the 26-man roster for an extra reliever or an extra position player. One might think because of the question of workload looming over clubs with their pitchers this year, the Royals would put another reliever on the roster to have arms at the ready. But with all the off-days baked into the schedule to start the season, Royals pitchers will be well rested, so they could choose to have an extra bat off the bench.

The names here are the most likely to break camp with the Royals as that 26th man. Ryan McBroom has fared better in Spring Training lately, hitting .306/.297/.639 with three home runs in 18 games. The strikeout rate is still high (11 strikeouts in 36 at-bats), but if he can come through in big spots like he did last year as a pinch-hitter, he’ll find a place on the roster. Ryan O’Hearn shot out of the gate this spring but has tailed off recently, so he’ll need to get back to being the hitter he was at the beginning of camp. But his left-handed bat gives him an advantage. Both players can play first base or the corner outfield, as well as serve as the designated hitter. Perhaps the Royals go with both if they decide to go with an extra position player to start the season.

Another position player name to think about: Bubba Starling. He’s a non-roster invitee, so the Royals would have to clear a spot for him. But his defense is something teams would love to have, especially as a late-inning replacement. If the Royals choose to go that route, he’d be an intriguing choice.

Will the Royals choose to go with a lefty and bring Richard Lovelady into the fold? He has impressed this spring, striking out eight in seven innings. So has Jake Brentz, a lefty who throws 100 mph, but he is a non-roster invitee who would have to have a 40-man spot cleared for him to make the roster. The Royals are preparing Carlos Hernández for a bullpen role, and the young right-hander has shown nasty stuff this spring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a high-leverage role at some point this season. Veteran right-hander Brad Brach, another non-roster invitee, has struggled mightily with location in his past few outings, but he still offers a different look because of that funky delivery. The Royals value that, so if they think he can turn his location issues around, they could clear a spot for him as well.

What chance do you think Hanser Alberto has of being the everyday 2nd baseman?
-- @matthewmohr1

This is certainly an option. Because the Royals sent top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. to the Minor Leagues, they further signaled their confidence in Nicky Lopez to be their starting second baseman to begin the regular season. But Lopez is still working through some adjustments at the plate, and if things don’t click, the Royals might have to make a change. Unless he’s needed elsewhere on the field, Hanser Alberto would likely be one to take over. The Royals could also get creative with their lineup to allow Lopez to make those adjustments while on the job. Alberto mashes left-handed pitching (.350 average across 350 plate appearances), so it’s reasonable to think he’d be in the lineup against southpaws.

What’s the plan for Melendez and Rivero now that Salvador Perez is extended?
-- @JimDavi22301573

The plan for now is to continue their development. MJ Melendez, the Royals’ No. 14 and top catching prospect, seems to be on track for Class A Advanced or Double-A to start 2021. And Sebastian Rivero, who just missed the Top 30 list, seems to be around that level as well. Both could be ready to catch at the Major League level, but both players need some things to click offensively.

Melendez homered off Rangers’ Opening Day starter Kyle Gibson in the B game on Monday, which was a positive sign as he’s worked to apply mechanical changes to his swing. Rivero had a couple of strong games early in Spring Training too, after he worked to adjust offensively at the alternate training site.

This season will be about applying those offensive changes to Minor League games. They still have a year or two to go before they’re considered for the Major League roster, and you don’t know what’s going to happen until then. So for now, it’s all about the development for those two -- and learning as much as they can from Salvador Perez too.

Are you as excited about Hunter Dozier's recent performance as I am?
-- @JacobCr32955868

I know the Royals are excited. Dozier’s situation this spring is one of those where you can say, “That’s what Spring Training is for.” It took a while for him to get his timing and rhythm down, but a ton of swings in the batting cage and a B game in which he batted second every time seemed to help.

Dozier’s swing is starting to look like it did in 2019 -- when he blasted a career-high 26 home runs -- and on Monday, he launched a three-run homer with an estimated distance of 445 feet. The Royals will take that.