Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (33-42) @ DETROIT TIGERS (29-44)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/21: RHP Jake Junis (3-5, 3.98) vs RHP Michael Fulmer (1-4, 6.17)
06/22: RHP Trevor Oaks (8-3, 2.83) vs RHP Grayson Long (1-2, 7.31)
06/23: RHP Luis Cessa (5-4, 4.24) vs RHP Jordan Zimmermann (3-3, 3.86)

GAME RECAPS

June 21st, 2019
Kansas City (34-42) 6, Detroit (29-45) 5 (Final/11)
Winner: Josh Fields (4-2) Loser: Joe Jimenez (2-6) Save: None

ROYALS WIN IN EXTRAS

Trevor Rosenthal gave up a two-run double to Alejandro Perez in the ninth to tie the score at five, but Ryan O'Hearn came through in the 11th with an RBI single which was enough to knock off Detroit in extras 6-5. With two scoreless innings of relief in the 10th and 11th, Josh Fields picked up the victory; allowing just one hit, and striking out one. O'Hearn also collected an RBI in the first on a sacrifice fly with no one out and the bases loaded. The top of the Royals' order did the most damage in this one, with the threesome of Billy Hamilton, Adalberto Mondesi, and Cheslor Cuthbert going 6-for-13 with six runs scored, one homerun, two RBI, and five walks. Cuthbert walked three times, and Mondesi hit his eighth homerun of the season in the fourth to tie Cuthbert and Salvador Perez for the team lead. Mondesi was 3-for-5 with a walk, double, two runs scored, and a stolen base in addition to his homerun.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (34-42) 6, Detroit (29-45) 5 (Final/11)
Houston (44-32) 11, NY Yankees (47-30) 8
Baltimore (33-42) 15, Toronto (36-39) 7
Texas (34-41) 0, Cleveland (39-38) 8
Oakland (36-41) 4, Minnesota (31-43) 1
Chi. Sox (38-38) 2, Seattle (33-44) 0
Tampa Bay (36-39) 2, LA Angels (38-38) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (41-35) 3, Miami (29-45) 4 (Final/10)
Arizona (36-38) 7, NY Mets (46-29) 2
Chi. Cubs (44-31) 0, Cincinnati (17-59) 1
Boston (48-29) 7, Atlanta (39-36) 5
San Francisco (34-41) 4, St. Louis (49-27) 5
LA Dodgers (43-35) 6, Colorado (51-26) 7
Pittsburgh (43-32) 5, Milwaukee (36-39) 12
Philadelphia (35-41) 3, San Diego (36-40) 4

June 22nd, 2019
Kansas City (34-43) 2, Detroit (30-45) 8
Winner: Grayson Long (2-2) Loser: Trevor Oaks (8-4) Save: None

ROYALS SNOWED UNDER EARLY

In a rare misfire of a start, Trevor Oaks allowed six earned runs in five and one-third innings as the Tigers ran away with an 8-2 victory. The Tigers kicked the scoring off with a solo homerun from Jeimer Candelario in the first, before getting three more tallies in the second, and one in the third. Oaks hurled scoreless fourth and fifth innings before getting touched for another run in the six, finally chasing him from the game. Adalberto Mondesi doubled home a run in the third, and Peter Alonso singled home a run in the seventh inning for Kansas City's only two runs of the ball game.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (34-43) 2, Detroit (30-45) 8
Houston (45-32) 8, NY Yankees (47-31) 4
Baltimore (33-43) 1, Toronto (37-39) 2
Texas (34-42) 3, Cleveland (40-38) 19
Oakland (37-41) 8, Minnesota (31-44) 4
Chi. Sox (39-38) 6, Seattle (33-45) 3
Tampa Bay (37-39) 4, LA Angels (38-39) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (41-36) 4, Miami (30-45) 8
Arizona (36-39) 4, NY Mets (47-29) 8
Chi. Cubs (45-31) 4, Cincinnati (17-60) 2
Boston (49-29) 13, Atlanta (39-37) 3
San Francisco (34-42) 2, St. Louis (50-27) 3 (Final/12)
LA Dodgers (44-35) 13, Colorado (51-27) 11
Pittsburgh (43-33) 4, Milwaukee (37-39) 8
Philadelphia (36-41) 7, San Diego (36-41) 5

June 23rd, 2019
Kansas City (34-44) 3, Detroit (31-45) 4
Winner: John Schreiber (5-3) Loser: Kyle Zimmer (0-1) Save: Gerson Moreno (4)

TIGERS NIP ROYALS WITH LATE RALLY

Dixon Machado's RBI single off Josh Fields in the eighth was the difference, as the Tigers took two of three from the Royals after their 4-3 victory last night. Kyle Zimmer made his second career appearance, and was tagged with the loss after the RBI hit from Machado, as he was responsible for the runner that scored. He went just one inning, allowing one hit and one walk in addition to being tagged with the Tigers' winning run. The Royals had actually come from behind, as they were down 3-0 after five innings. Peter Alonso drilled his seventh homerun of the season to left-center, and Adalberto Mondesi doubled home a pair of runs off Jordan Zimmermann to tie the game at three. Gerson Moreno picked up the save, his fourth of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (34-44) 3, Detroit (31-45) 4
Houston (45-33) 2, NY Yankees (48-31) 9
Baltimore (33-44) 2, Toronto (38-39) 9
Texas (35-42) 14, Cleveland (40-39) 5
Oakland (38-41) 6, Minnesota (31-45) 2
Chi. Sox (40-38) 5, Seattle (33-46) 3
Tampa Bay (38-39) 3, LA Angels (38-40) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (41-37) 3, Miami (31-45) 10
Arizona (36-40) 2, NY Mets (48-29) 12
Chi. Cubs (46-31) 5, Cincinnati (17-61) 1
Boston (49-30) 3, Atlanta (40-37) 5
San Francisco (34-43) 2, St. Louis (51-27) 3
LA Dodgers (45-35) 9, Colorado (51-28) 5
Pittsburgh (43-34) 4, Milwaukee (38-39) 6
Philadelphia (37-41) 14, San Diego (36-42) 13

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
06/20: White Sox designate RHP Miguel Gonzalez for assignment
06/21: Pirates OF Corey Dickerson returns from rehab assignment
06/22: Angels' Trout, Rays' Glasnow suspended four, six games respectively for brawl
06/22: Washington OF Michael Brantley suffers setback in recovery from hamstring injury
06/22: Royals place RHP Blake Treinen (elbow) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 06/21/2019
06/23: Houston activates RHP Roberto Osuna from the disabled list; place RHP Brad Peacock (hamstring) on 10-day disabled list

[artoodeetoo]

ROYALS HEADLINES: JUNE 24TH
Kansas City signs all 40 2019 draft picks
By artoodeetoo
06/24/2019

ROYALS SIGN TOP PICK RUTSCHMAN; 24TH-ROUNDER WIBBELS

In what might have been the biggest news of the week, the Royals announced the signing of top pick Adley Rutschman, catcher from Oregon State with the seventh overall pick.

They signed the six-foot-two backstop to a bonus of $2,155,500, one of the priciest bonuses handed out to a catcher in the draft's history. He reports to Burlington tomorrow in time for their season opener.

Kansas City also announced the signing of high school pitcher Sam Wibbels, as he netted a $150,000 bonus to skip his Kentucky commitment. With the Rutschman and Wibbels signings, the Royals managed to sign all forty picks, something they haven't done since the draft dropped to forty picks.

TREINEN HEADS TO THE DISABLED LIST

After a strong May and 2/3rds of June, Blake Treinen is headed to the disabled list, according to manager Ned Yost. Following Saturday night's 8-2 loss, manager Ned Yost broke the news to the local media on hand.

He'll miss no more than a week to ten days, and Yost said it was not likely he'd go on a rehab assignment unless there was a setback. Treinen left with an elbow injury in Friday's game, and was diagnosed as simple elbow soreness.

GORDON, PHILLIPS TO RETURN TO LINEUP

Kansas City is expected to welcome Brett Phillips back to the Royals after a lengthy rehab stint with Omaha. After a slow start, Phillips ended up hitting .333/.394/.550 in sixty-six plate appearances with the Storm Chasers.

Also returning from Omaha, Alex Gordon had a much shorter stay, only playing in just five games. He was 5-for-17 (.353) with one homerun and four RBI.

[artoodeetoo]

TEXAS RANGERS (35-42) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (34-44)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/24: LHP Yohander Mendez (1-1, 3.24) vs RHP Drew Smith (1-0, 3.60)
06/25: LHP J.A. Happ (6-6, 4.27) vs LHP Danny Duffy (5-5, 3.71)
06/26: RHP Clayton Blackburn (3-8, 6.96) vs RHP Jake Junis (3-5, 4.00)
06/27: RHP Yovani Gallardo (0-4, 7.65) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (8-4, 3.20)

GAME RECAPS

June 24th, 2019
Texas (35-43) 4, Kansas City (35-44) 6
Winner: Richard Lovelady (4-3) Loser: Nick Gardewine (1-3) Save: Trevor Rosenthal (9)

O'HEARN SLAM WINS IT FOR KANSAS CITY

Rising off the bench in the seventh inning, Ryan O'Hearn blasted a pinch-hit grand slam off Nick Gardewine, and that slam proved to be the difference as the Royals claimed a 6-4 victory over the visiting Rangers. The Royals were up 2-1 after six innings, thanks to a brilliant start from Drew Smith, who fanned nine in six innings and allowed just three baserunners (two hits, one walk, one homerun). Richard Lovelady came in at the start of the seventh, and put two men on with two out only to surrender a three-run homerun to Yasmani Grandal to cough up the lead. However, it set the stage for O'Hearn's heroics, as his second grand slam of the season gave the Royals the comeback victory. Trevor Rosenthal worked around a two-out single to pick up the save, his ninth of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (31-46) 7, Toronto (39-39) 10
Texas (35-43) 4, Kansas City (35-44) 6
Houston (46-33) 7, Boston (49-31) 5
LA Dodgers (46-35) 3, Oakland (38-42) 2
Tampa Bay (39-39) 8, Seattle (33-47) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (33-45) 6, Washington (42-37) 7
San Francisco (35-43) 4, Philadelphia (37-42) 2
St. Louis (51-28) 6, NY Mets (49-29) 7
Detroit (31-46) 2, Chi. Cubs (47-31) 10
Milwaukee (38-40) 0, Atlanta (41-37) 10
Pittsburgh (43-35) 3, Arizona (37-40) 6

June 25th, 2019
Texas (36-43) 9, Kansas City (35-45) 7
Winner: Jose Leclerc (4-2) Loser: Josh Fields (2-2) Save: Cody Allen (8)

RANGERS WIN SEESAW CONTEST

Baseballs were flying out of the yard at an alarming rate, as the Royals and Rangers hit four homeruns each in a 9-7 defeat for Kansas City. The lead changed hands four times in the late innings; with the big blow coming in the seventh inning off the bat of Texas' Ronald Guzman, a three-run homerun against lefty Tim Hill. It wasn't the most efficient start for Danny Duffy, who went just five and one-third innings, but struck out seven with three walks and six hits. Adalberto Mondesi went 3-for-4 with a homerun, two singles, a walk, and a stolen base. Peter Alonso, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Brett Phillips also had three hits apiece, with Phillips and Alonso each hitting a solo homerun. Alex Gordon also hit a homerun in this one, his fourth of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (36-43) 9, Kansas City (35-45) 7
Houston (47-33) 5, Boston (49-32) 2
Miami (32-46) 8, Toronto (39-40) 0
LA Angels (39-40) 6, NY Yankees (48-32) 1
Minnesota (31-46) 8, Cleveland (41-39) 13
Tampa Bay (40-39) 8, Seattle (33-48) 6
LA Dodgers (47-35) 9, Oakland (38-43) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (34-45) 5, Washington (42-38) 1
St. Louis (51-29) 3, NY Mets (50-29) 6
San Francisco (35-44) 9, Philadelphia (38-42) 11
Chi. Sox (41-38) 7, Cincinnati (17-62) 5
Milwaukee (38-41) 9, Atlanta (42-37) 12
Pittsburgh (44-35) 5, Arizona (37-41) 2
Detroit (31-47) 3, Chi. Cubs (48-31) 7
San Diego (36-43) 1, Colorado (52-28) 2

June 26th, 2019
Texas (36-44) 3, Kansas City (36-45) 10
Winner: Jake Junis (4-5) Loser: Clayton Blackburn (3-9) Save: None

ROYALS RACE PAST RANGERS

Behind a 15-hit barrage, the Royals upended the Rangers by a touchdown, 10-3. Rookies Peter Alonso and Nicky Lopez led the way with four hits each, with Alonso reaching base in all five plate appearances while falling a triple short of the cycle. Lopez also hit his fifth triple of the season, a two-run three-bagger in the seventh inning. It wasn't his sharpest start, but Jake Junis picked up his fourth victory with five innings of work, striking out six with two walks. In his three games since returning from his rehab assignment, outfielder Brett Phillips continued to rake; picking up three more hits, including a double.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (36-44) 3, Kansas City (36-45) 10
Houston (47-34) 6, Boston (50-32) 9
LA Angels (40-40) 6, NY Yankees (48-33) 4
Minnesota (31-47) 5, Cleveland (42-39) 14
Tampa Bay (40-40) 2, Seattle (34-48) 5
LA Dodgers (48-35) 10, Oakland (38-44) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (34-46) 2, Washington (43-38) 3
St. Louis (52-29) 3, NY Mets (50-30) 2
San Francisco (36-44) 6, Philadelphia (38-43) 2
Chi. Sox (42-38) 11, Cincinnati (17-63) 6
Milwaukee (38-42) 2, Atlanta (43-37) 3
Pittsburgh (44-36) 6, Arizona (38-41) 7 (Final/10)
Detroit (31-48) 1, Chi. Cubs (49-31) 4
San Diego (37-43) 5, Colorado (52-29) 4 (Final/10)

June 27th, 2019
Texas (37-44) 6, Kansas City (36-46) 5 (Final/10)
Winner: Matt Bush (4-2) Loser: Richard Lovelady (4-4) Save: None

LATE MISCUE LEADS TO DEFEAT

With two outs and men on second and third in the top of the ninth with the Royals up 5-4, Nomar Mazara hit a groundball up the middle that second baseman Adalberto Mondesi flubbed, allowing Lucas Duda to score with the game-tying run against closer Trevor Rosenthal. After Kansas City failed to break the tie in the bottom of the ninth, Yasmani Grandal stroked an RBI single with two outs off southpaw Richard Lovelady in the tenth for the game-winning run. Texas' Matt Bush pitched a career-high four scoreless innings to pick up the victory, fanning one while allowing just one hit and one walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (37-44) 6, Kansas City (36-46) 5 (Final/10)
Houston (47-35) 8, Boston (51-32) 12
LA Angels (40-41) 3, NY Yankees (49-33) 10
Seattle (34-49) 1, Toronto (40-40) 2
Minnesota (31-48) 1, Cleveland (43-39) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (33-46) 8, Washington (43-39) 3
Cincinnati (17-64) 5, Milwaukee (39-42) 6
San Francisco (37-44) 10, Philadelphia (38-44) 3
Pittsburgh (44-37) 2, Arizona (39-41) 3
San Diego (37-44) 3, Colorado (53-29) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
06/24: Dodgers' Cody Bellinger, Indians' Francisco Lindor named Players of the Week
06/24: NL squads occupy top four spots in Power Rankings update
06/25: Dodgers transfer Clayton Kershaw to 60-day disabled list; fueling speculation about his health
06/26: Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg day-to-day with back soreness
06/27: MLB hands down suspensions for Indians-Twins brawl; Shelby Miller for six and Edwin Encarnacion for four
06/27: Cincinnati trades OF Scott Schebler to Tampa for minor-league OF/1B Joe McCarthy
06/27: D-Backs' Greinke suffers setback in recovery from rotator cuff injury; could miss another two to three starts

[artoodeetoo]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (36-46) @ TAMPA BAY RAYS (40-40)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

06/28: RHP Luis Cessa (5-4, 4.12) vs RHP Brent Honeywell (6-4, 4.65)
06/29: RHP Drew Smith (1-0, 2.45) vs RHP Tyler Glasnow (3-4, 3.45)
06/30: LHP Danny Duffy (5-5, 3.70) vs RHP Yonny Chirinos (6-2, 3.63)
07/01: RHP Jake Junis (4-5, 4.07) vs LHP Blake Snell (7-3, 3.65)

GAME RECAPS

June 28th, 2019
Kansas City (37-46) 2, Tampa Bay (40-41) 1
Winner: Luis Cessa (6-4) Loser: Ian Gibaut (3-5) Save: Jorge Lopez (2)

ROYALS COME OUT ON TOP IN PITCHER'S DUEL

Behind seven strong innings from Luis Cessa, the Royals used a timely homerun from Alex Gordon in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie in Kansas City's 2-1 victory. In the wake of the trade of Trevor Rosenthal to the Dodgers; the Royals' interim closer, Jorge Lopez, locked down his second save in as many chances. Cessa fanned six in seven innings, allowing just three hits and a walk. The only other Royals' run came on a sacrifice fly from Salvador Perez in the fifth, before Brian Dozier tied it up in in the seventh with a solo bomb.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (37-46) 2, Tampa Bay (40-41) 1
LA Angels (40-42) 9, Boston (52-32) 10
NY Yankees (50-33) 9, Baltimore (34-47) 1
Seattle (35-49) 6, Toronto (40-41) 5
Detroit (32-48) 9, Texas (37-45) 4
Cleveland (44-39) 3, Oakland (38-45) 2 (Final/12)
Chi. Sox (43-38) 7, Houston (47-36) 6 (Final/10)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (31-49) 4, Pittsburgh (45-37) 6
NY Mets (50-31) 2, Philadelphia (39-44) 5
Miami (34-46) 5, Washington (43-40) 2
Cincinnati (18-64) 1, Milwaukee (39-43) 0 (Final/10)
Atlanta (43-38) 1, Chi. Cubs (50-31) 4
Colorado (53-30) 3, San Francisco (38-44) 5
San Diego (37-45) 2, Arizona (40-41) 4
St. Louis (52-30) 2, LA Dodgers (49-35) 4

June 25th, 2019
Kansas City (37-47) 2, Tampa Bay (41-41) 6
Winner: Tyler Glasnow (4-4) Loser: Drew Smith (1-1) Save: Chaz Roe (17)

RAYS PULL AWAY WITH LATE RALLY

Willy Adames went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Kevin Plawecki and Carlos Gomez each hit two-run homeruns for the Rays as the Royals dropped the second game of their four-game set by a 6-2 count. Drew Smith surrendered four runs (including two homeruns) in four and two-third innings of work, suffering his first loss of the season. Newcomer Drew Muren gave the Royals one and one-third innings of work, fanning one and walking one. Plawecki and Adames gave the Rays the early advantage with a pair of homeruns, and Kansas City fought back to a 4-2 deficit before Gomez's homerun off Kyle Zimmer in the eighth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (37-47) 2, Tampa Bay (41-41) 6
LA Angels (41-42) 8, Boston (52-33) 4
NY Yankees (51-33) 13, Baltimore (34-48) 4
Seattle (36-49) 15, Toronto (40-42) 2
Detroit (32-49) 0, Texas (38-45) 10
Cleveland (44-40) 3, Oakland (39-45) 4
Chi. Sox (43-39) 3, Houston (48-36) 10

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (31-50) 5, Pittsburgh (46-37) 6
NY Mets (51-31) 3, Philadelphia (39-45) 1
Miami (34-47) 1, Washington (44-40) 2
Cincinnati (18-65) 8, Milwaukee (40-43) 10
Atlanta (44-38) 9, Chi. Cubs (50-32) 4 (Final/10)
Colorado (53-31) 1, San Francisco (39-44) 5
San Diego (38-45) 9, Arizona (40-42) 3
St. Louis (52-31) 0, LA Dodgers (50-35) 3

June 30th, 2019
Kansas City (37-48) 4, Tampa Bay (42-41) 5
Winner: Jose Alvarado (1-4) Loser: Nathan Karns (0-2) Save: None

BULLPEN, DEFENSE BLOW IT AGAIN

Danny Duffy had a great performance ruined yet again by a bullpen fiasco, as the Rays scored a run in the eighth, and picked up three in the ninth against closer Nathan Karns in a 5-4 defeat. Tampa Bay's cause in the ninth was aided by a fielding error from first baseman Peter Alonso, who had a groundball kick off the heel of his glove with one out, allowing Jesus Sucre to come up with the bases loaded and two outs after Richard Lovelady fanned Scott Schebler. Sucre poked a single to right off newcomer Drew Muren; and Brett Phillips' throw to home was offline, allowing Willy Adames to score and secure the walk-off victory. Duffy went seven innings, allowing just two hits while walking three. He also fanned eight, and didn't factor into the decision. Cheslor Cuthbert continues to swing the hottest bat on the team, going 2-for-4 with a single and a two-run homerun, his team-best 12th of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (37-48) 4, Tampa Bay (42-41) 5
LA Angels (41-43) 6, Boston (53-33) 11
NY Yankees (51-34) 1, Baltimore (35-48) 5
Seattle (37-49) 4, Toronto (40-43) 0
Detroit (32-50) 0, Texas (39-45) 4
Cleveland (44-41) 4, Oakland (40-45) 6
Chi. Sox (44-39) 6, Houston (48-37) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (32-50) 6, Pittsburgh (46-38) 4
NY Mets (51-32) 3, Philadelphia (40-45) 14
Miami (35-47) 6, Washington (44-41) 3
Cincinnati (18-66) 1, Milwaukee (41-43) 3
Atlanta (44-39) 2, Chi. Cubs (51-32) 7
Colorado (54-31) 10, San Francisco (39-45) 8
San Diego (38-46) 4, Arizona (41-42) 5
St. Louis (52-32) 1, LA Dodgers (51-35) 6

July 1st, 2019
Kansas City (38-48) 4, Tampa Bay (42-42) 0
Winner: Jake Junis (5-5) Loser: Fernando Abad (0-3) Save: Tony Cingrani (1)

CUTHBERT, JUNIS POWER ROYALS VICTORY

Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert drove in three of the four Royals runs, and Jake Junis pitched seven and two-third scoreless innings as the Royals salvaged a split of their four-game road series with Tampa, winning by a 4-0 count. Cuthbert continues his late push for an All-Star bid in a loaded American League third base field of players, hitting his fourth homerun in his last five games as part of a 3-for-5 day that found him a triple short of the cycle. Junis fanned seven while scattering seven hits to even up his record at five wins and five losses apiece, and newcomer Tony Cingrani pitched out the string to pick up his first save of the season. Brian Goodwin, who has been swinging a red-hot bat as well, collected three more hits along with two base knocks apiece from Adalberto Mondesi and Peter Alonso.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (44-39) @ Baltimore (35-48) -- PPD
Kansas City (38-48) 4, Tampa Bay (42-42) 0
Detroit (32-51) 1, Chi. Sox (45-39) 14

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (52-34) 6, Miami (35-48) 3
Minnesota (33-50) 8, Cincinnati (18-67) 3
Toronto (40-44) 1, Philadelphia (41-45) 6
Cleveland (45-41) 2, Milwaukee (41-44) 1
St. Louis (52-33) 3, Arizona (42-42) 12
Chi. Cubs (51-33) 4, San Francisco (40-45) 5
Colorado (55-31) 6, San Diego (38-47) 1

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
06/28: Royals trade closer Trevor Rosenthal to the Dodgers for Cingrani; pitching prospects White & Santana
06/29: Rangers OF Nomar Mazara suffers setback in recovery from bruised wrist; could miss another week
06/30: Harper, Freeman continue to lead respective leagues' All-Star voting in stretch run
07/01: Benintendi, Marte win Players of the Week awards; Lindor and Blackmon named June Hitters of the Month
07/01: Mets' Swarzak, Astros' McCullers win league's Pitchers of the Month for June
07/01: Oakland's Tyler Ramirez, Atlanta's Mike Soroka win Rookies of the Month

[artoodeetoo]

THE WEEK THAT WAS: JULY 2ND
Rosenthal deal nets two prospects and lefty bullpen arm
By artoodeetoo
07/02/2019

ROSENTHAL SHIPPED TO L.A.; CINGRANI HIGHLIGHTS ROYALS' RETURN

In a sign that the Royals might be punting on the 2019 season, Kansas City has traded closer Trevor Rosenthal to the Dodgers for Tony Cingrani and minor-league pitchers Mitchell White and Dennis Santana.

Cingrani, who spun a 4.19 ERA and fanned fifty-one in 38 2/3 innings of work, fills a huge need in the bullpen for a consistent left-handed bullpen arm, and the prospect duo of White and Santana give the Royals a few more compentent arms in the minor league system.

With former Royal Scott Alexander, Adam Liberatore, Drew Pomeranz, and Mark Rzepzcynski, there were a glut of southpaw bullpen arms in the Dodgers' bullpen, and Cingrani is a free agent after the 2019 season.

Rosenthal converted on just nine of his thirteen save opportunities, posting a 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work, although his strikeout numbers were very good, with twenty-seven.

Manager Ned Yost says he will go with a 'closer-by-committee' approach, much like he did a year ago after they dealt Kelvin Herrera to Washington. Blake Treinen is scheduled to come off the disabled list in a matter of days, so it appears that Jorge Lopez will likely get the first crack, along with Nathan Karns, or even Cingrani.

ROYALS PREPPING FOR INTERNATIONAL SIGNING PERIOD

Kansas City should have the full allotment of bonus pool money for this class, as they have been forced to be a little more conservative the past few years per MLB regulations, after going over the threshold in 2015 to get Seuly Matias and Jeison Guzman, with each of them now in the Royals' top thirty prospects.

Matias is ranked fifth and is in Double-A, where he's off to a fast start after being called up from High-A roughly two to three weeks ago. Guzman is the 22nd-ranked prospect, and is splitting time at shortstop at Rookie-level Burlington. There's actually chatter that Matias could entirely skip; or at least have a truncated stop at, Omaha before the majors in 2020.

The signing period begins today, and will run through the first week of August.

2019 TOP PICK PROMOTED AFTER ONE WEEK

It was a short, but productive stay in Burlington for catcher Adley Rutschman, who hit .357 (10-for-29) in seven games, including three doubles, nine RBI, and four homeruns while throwing out three of seven baserunners. He was promoted to Single-A Lexington, where he'll get the lion's share of the playing time most likely.

Scouting director Lonnie Goldberg noted that this would likely be the only move for Rutschman this season; but predicted that he would make another move early next season, provided he continues to progress.

"He's the complete package," he said when interviewed alongside general manger Travis Greenleaf after the draft earlier this month. "His in-game acumen and leadership skills are second-to-none in this class. We hope, and expect, that he'll move pretty quickly through our system."

[artoodeetoo]

GENERAL MANAGER'S JUNE REPORT

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS

Chicago White Sox: 45-39
Cleveland Indians: 45-41
Kansas City Royals: 38-48
Minnesota Twins: 33-50
Detroit Tigers: 32-51

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS

We received a great offer on Trevor Rosenthal, and decided to jump on it quickly. The hope is that Tony Cingrani can help add a solid left-handed arm in the bullpen, as Tim Hill and Richard Lovelady have not worked out as hoped to this point, although both are still in the team's future plans. The other two minor league pitchers acquired, Mitchell White and Dennis Santana, provide quality depth to the system.

The first few weeks of this next month are critical in determining how the trade deadline strategy goes. If we rattle off eight of ten, or nine of twelve, it could put us squarely in the hunt, as currently I don't think we're in a realistic position for the playoffs.

MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATE RECORDS

Omaha: 41-35 (T-2nd, PCL Amer. North)
NW Arkansas: 36-40 (3rd, Texas League North)
Wilmington: 44-30 (1st, Carolina League, Northern Division)
Lexington: 46-28 (1st, South Atlantic League, Southern Division)
K.C. DSL 1: 9-10 (T-5th, Boca Chica NW)
K.C. DSL 2: 11-7 (2nd, Boca Chica NW)

REPORTS FROM MINOR LEAGUE MANAGERS

There have been few reports of negative chemistry from the minor league managers, but the recent spate of losing from Northwest Arkansas has prompted some heated clubhouse arguments between players, especially more veteran players who feel they're not getting enough innings or at-bats, which could threaten their status with the organization. So far, manager Gerald Perry has kept things together, but I'd like him to come back next month with some better news on that front. Lexington manager Scott Thorman has also said that he hopes the recent promotion of Adley Rutschman brings a little bit of leadership to that club, although they're having a successful season to date without having a true "bellcow" type of player. Thorman seems to be a manager who would rather let his players self-police instead of micro-manage, which is nice to see.

The lower-level Dominican teams are harder to read. They're full of players from the ages of 17 to 21, so it's difficult to discern player leadership. We'll lean pretty heavily on the coaching staffs to provide discipline and order as needed, unless they can find players willing to take on a leadership-type of role.

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - JUNE

Kansas City: Luis Cessa, RHP
With a 3-1 record and 1.85 ERA in thirty-four innings, Cessa took the team by surprise with a great June. He doesn't have eye-popping strikeout numbers, but he has been a nice find for us as a waiver-wire acquisition.

Omaha: Samir Duenez, 1B/DH
No one else came close in June. He hit .407/.476/.583 with nineteen runs scored, four homeruns, fourteen RBI, and fifteen walks in 108 PA. For the year, he's leading the PCL in hitting with a .376 BA.

NW Arkansas: Seuly Matias, OF
He hasn't been with the Naturals long, but the still-green 20-year-old Matias has already made a profound impact -- in 77 June plate appearances, he's slashing .324/.346/.514 with eight doubles, two homeruns, and ten RBI. Strikeouts are an issue, but if his homerun power comes around like it has at every other level, that problem is diminished somewhat.

Wilmington: Jace Vines, RHP
It wasn't quite the month he had in May, but Vines still had a solid month of June (3.52 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) despite going 2-3 to earn his second straight monthly award. He barely edged out first baseman Nick Pratto, who shrugged off a slow start to post a .309/.391/.447 slash in June.

Lexington: Kyle Hinton, RHP
Yet another pitcher to win a monthly award in back-to-back months, Hinton followed up his huge May with a great June, notching eleven saves in twelve chances (fifteen total June appearances). He fanned twenty-two hitters in sixteen innings, walking just three.

Royals DSL 1: Wilmin Candelario, SS
The 17-year-old Candelario, the Royals' second-ranked prospect and a top-20 overall prospect, slashed an absurd .346/.440/.526 with four doubles, two triples, and two homeruns with more walks than strikeouts (9/6); often playing against players several years older.

Royals DSL 2: Junior Matias, C
Stockily built at five-foot-ten and 175 pounds, Matias drilled six homeruns in 78 at-bats, driving in twenty runs with four doubles and a triple in June. He also has controlled the basepaths well, as only three baserunners have attempted to steal on him in seventeen games behind the dish.

Next month, we'll follow up with Burlington, Idaho Falls, and the Royals' Arizona League squads as they don't have enough games under their belts to properly suss out the players of the month.

[artoodeetoo]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (38-48) @ PITTSBURGH PIRATES (46-38)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

07/02: RHP Trevor Oaks (8-4, 3.24) vs RHP Jameson Taillon (7-4, 4.02)
07/03: RHP Luis Cessa (6-4, 3.90) vs LHP Steven Brault (2-0, 2.96)

GAME RECAPS

July 2nd, 2019
Kansas City (39-48) 5, Pittsburgh (46-39) 3
Winner: Nathan Karns (1-2) Loser: Jameson Taillon (7-5) Save: Blake Treinen (7)

TREINEN, ROYALS HANG ON FOR VICTORY

Both starting pitchers were knocked out due to injury as the Royals came out on top with a 5-3 victory at Pittsburgh. Trevor Oaks left after just three and one-third innings with what was diagnosed as a sore elbow, but not before helping his own cause with an RBI double in the second inning, going 1-for-1 while also adding a sac bunt. Pittsburgh had to pull starter Jameson Taillon after just three innings; favoring his back, later being diagnosed with a back strain according to manager Clint Hurdle. Four Pirate relievers combined to allow just one earned run in relief, as the Royals did the vast majority of their damage against Taillon. Nathan Karns picked up the victory, going two and two-thirds scoreless, allowing just two hits and fanning four. Brett Phillips reached base four times, singling twice and walking twice, and driving in one.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (45-39) 8, Baltimore (35-49) 1 (G1)
Atlanta (45-40) 4, Baltimore (36-49) 6 (G2)
LA Dodgers (51-36) 6, Texas (40-45) 8
NY Mets (52-32) 3, Tampa Bay (42-43) 2 (Final/10)
LA Angels (41-44) 9, Houston (49-37) 10
Seattle (37-50) 2, Oakland (41-45) 7
Detroit (32-52) 4, Chi. Sox (46-39) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (39-48) 5, Pittsburgh (46-39) 3
NY Yankees (53-34) 10, Miami (35-49) 1
Minnesota (34-50) 9, Cincinnati (18-68) 6 (Final/12)
Boston (53-34) 4, Washington (45-41) 8
Toronto (40-45) 4, Philadelphia (42-45) 6
Colorado (56-31) 5, San Diego (38-48) 2
Cleveland (45-42) 8, Milwaukee (42-44) 9
St. Louis (52-34) 3, Arizona (43-42) 6
Chi. Cubs (52-33) 6, San Francisco (40-46) 1

July 3rd, 2019
Kansas City (40-48) 14, Pittsburgh (46-40) 2
Winner: Luis Cessa (7-4) Loser: Steven Brault (2-1) Save: None

KANSAS CITY OPENS UP BIG LEAD EARLY; COASTS TO WIN

With eight runs in the first three innings, including six in the first off starter Steven Brault, the Royals put it on cruise control the rest of the way in a 14-2 shellacking of Pittsburgh to sweep the short two-game road set with the Pirates. Jose Iglesias went 4-for-5, falling a triple short of the cycle and driving in three runs. Cheslor Cuthbert also drove in three runs, hitting a pair of doubles as part of a 3-for-5 day. In fact, every Royal who had an at-bat, except for one, had at least one hit (the lone exception being reliever Drew Muren, who grounded out in the ninth). Cuthbert's average now sits at .322, the highest mark since April 21st when he was hitting .323. Luis Cessa continues to impress as he went six innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs, to go with three strikeouts. Brault allowed a whopping fourteen hits in three and two-third innings of work, including eight earned runs as he fell to 2-1 on the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (45-41) 3, Baltimore (37-49) 6
LA Dodgers (52-36) 4, Texas (40-46) 2 (Final/10)
NY Mets (53-32) 3, Tampa Bay (42-44) 0
LA Angels (41-45) 3, Houston (50-37) 6
Seattle (38-50) 4, Oakland (41-46) 1
Detroit (33-52) 5, Chi. Sox (46-40) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (40-48) 14, Pittsburgh (46-40) 2
NY Yankees (54-34) 9, Miami (35-50) 3
Minnesota (35-50) 9, Cincinnati (18-69) 2 (Final/10)
Boston (53-35) 5, Washington (46-41) 8
Toronto (41-45) 7, Philadelphia (42-46) 2
Colorado (57-31) 5, San Diego (38-49) 3
Cleveland (46-42) 6, Milwaukee (42-45) 1
St. Louis (53-34) 3, Arizona (43-43) 1
Chi. Cubs (53-33) 10, San Francisco (40-47) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
07/02: Rockies lose closer Bryan Shaw with torn UCL, will miss rest of 2019 and most of 2020
07/03: Orioles ink top pick Bobby Witt, Jr., with $4.175M bonus
07/03: Pirates activate 3B Adrian Beltre from the disabled list
07/03: Reds OF Jesse Winker to miss five to six weeks with ankle sprain

[artoodeetoo]

SIX KEY PLAYERS WHO SHOULD BE TRADED, BUT WON'T
By Evan Jones, MLB.com

When the calendar turns to July, that means one thing in the baseball world -- trades! There have already been a few deals go down, with Trevor Rosenthal trading Royal blue for Dodger blue, and Scott Schebler getting moved from the mess in Cincinnati to Tampa Bay. For a variety of reasons, the players in this piece should be traded, but for one or two big, sticking-point reasons, likely won't be moved. They could be on veteran teams that expect to contend in 2020, or they are players that their current club feels they can re-sign this offseason, or strike an extension before season's end, to name some examples. There are also some instances where executives' hubris can get in the way of an inevitable rebuilding job, as they hang on to talented, but aging stars for one season too long chasing a playoff berth.

This article kicks off our coverage of the trading deadline, and the events that occur between now and then. MLB.com will be bringing you all the latest trade news, rumors, innuendos, whatever you want to call it; it will be here as the news breaks.

Nicholas Castellanos, Detroit: The 27-year-old Castellanos has seemingly been around forever; but at twenty-seven, he's become one of the more under-rated right-handed bats in the American League, and still really hasn't hit the prime years yet. Just two years ago, he was a 3.1 WAR player, leading the league in triples with ten and slashing .272/.320/.490 with twenty-six homeruns and over a hundred RBI. He's been dealing with injuries the last few seasons, but has been productive when healthy. However, with Miggy and Jordan Zimmermann's contracts hanging around the franchise's neck like an albatross, they need to start thinking about the future. It's certainly possible that Al Avila thinks that Castellanos could be a part of that, but they honestly aren't going to compete until those contracts are gone, which is still going to be a while, at least in Miggy's case. He was moved to the outfield to make room for Jeimer Candelario, but his best fit defensively is at third. At his age and recent production level, he should get tons of interest for either left field or third base should Avila make him available, even as a rental.

Zack Greinke, Arizona: The D-Backs are still in the playoff hunt, as they are 7.5 games back of the second wildcard spot. They've done their work this season largely without the 35-year-old veteran, as he's missed the last two months with a rotator cuff strain. He's supposed to return next week, but will likely take a detour to Reno to rehab for a couple of outings before returning to MLB duty. His price tag will be steep -- he's owed $64M over the next two seasons after this one, and GM Mike Hazen is probably going to have to eat a large chunk of that salary to move him. Even if that is what it takes, Arizona should bite the bullet and move him if they get a solid package of prospects. They have young pitchers in Cody Reed and Taylor Clarke that are big-league ready, and they'll need to free up some salary to bring back Paul Goldschmidt, who will be a free agent after this season; and some room for arbitration cases that are sure to come up in the offseason.

J.A. Happ, Texas: I know, I know, Happ just signed his most recent contract prior to this season with the Rangers, and he still has a year left after 2019. But the Rangers still have some money tied up in iffy contracts, and they're going to have to pay up in arbitration for Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar; not to mention they're still on the hook for $4.8M of Mike Minor's salary as he pitches for the Blue Jays. Despite being thirty-six, Happ still holds a boatload of value in a trade, as he's 1) left-handed, and 2) his price tag is a bargain for his production ($19M through next season). The FIP- figure is a little troubling (87), but has managed to keep the ball in the ballpark for the most part (1.0 HR/9), and has ten quality starts out of eighteen.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle: there is a large caveat to King Felix, as he has 10/5 rights and can refuse any trade to any team. He's slated to earn a total of $27M in 2019, and even if the Mariners are willing to eat some of his remaining salary, it's likely not going to be enough to sway a savvy general manager. That said, his peripherals suggest he's not as awful as his 2019 surface numbers might say, as his FIP is three-quarters of a run lower than his 5.47 ERA, and his FIP- is 96, just barely below average. His defense around him is also not great, with a -16.4 defensive runs saved (ZR) mark, which puts those numbers into even better perspective. Problem is, there aren't a lot of teams with the werewithal to put up the capital in both prospects and/or cash to get him. The usual suspects in Houston, Boston, the Yankees, and Mets are in play, but that salary hit is a big one, especially for a rental. He might be better off waiting until the waiver deadline to get dealt.

Salvador Perez, Kansas City: He's enjoying a great, perhaps yet another Gold-Glove defensive season, but is having a horrid season at the plate with a .212/.255/.353 triple-slash. In his favor, he still mashes LHP to the tune of .291/.313/.582, which is why he continues to hold some value in the market. He's probably behind Realmuto and possibly Grandal in the catching market, but he's only guaranteed through the end of this season, in which after that has a team option for $13M over each of the next two seasons. There could be some value in holding on to Perez in the hopes of signing him to a cheaper deal while 2019 top pick Adley Rutschman develops over the next couple of seasons; and from a fan interest standpoint, it would be devastating to a city that sees him as one of the most beloved players in team history. On the other hand, they should trade him while he still has some residual value and continue to build up their farm system.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati: -- As a preface, I find it hard to believe that Votto will be anywhere other than Cincinnati this season; or the next, or the next one after that. He has a full no-trade clause, and there are few teams with the willingness, let alone the capital, to take on some or all of his remaining contract. That said, he'll turn thirty-six before the end of the season, and there have been multiple instances of clubhouse tension that first-year manager Sandy Alomar has yet to get under control. As the players' face of the franchise, Votto claims that the negativity hasn't gotten to him or anyone on the roster, but he's currently suffering through his worst season since his injury-riddled year in 2014 with a .223/.365/.426 line.