Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

10/02: LHP Carlos Rodon (5-15, 4.94) vs LHP Danny Duffy (6-12, 4.98)
10/03: RHP Matt Foster (4-13, 4.20) vs RHP Tanner Roark (7-10, 4.55)
10/04: RHP Dane Dunning (0-1, 11.57) vs RHP Jose De Leon (13-4, 2.98)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, October 2nd, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Chi. Sox (71-89) 2, Kansas City (87-73) 4
Winner: Danny Duffy (7-12) Loser: Ian Hamilton (2-1) Save: Richard Lovelady (35)
HR-CHW: Tim Anderson (15) HR-CHW: None

PEREZ, ROYALS MAKE IT SEVEN

Kansas City rode a sparkling outing from starter Danny Duffy to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. The win marked the Royals' seventh straight victory.

Duffy, now 7-12, was the winner in what is likely his final start of 2020. In eight innings, he scattered six hits and two earned runs, while striking out seven without a walk.

Tied at two in the eighth, Salvador Perez stroked a two-run double off Ian Hamilton to give the Royals the lead, as Richard Lovelady wrapped it up with a five-pitch scoreless ninth for his 35th save of the season.

"We'll relax tonight and enjoy this win," said Duffy.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (74-86) 8, NY Yankees (89-71) 6
Tampa Bay (94-66) 3, Toronto (74-86) 4
Detroit (73-87) 3, Cleveland (88-72) 9
Chi. Sox (71-89) 2, Kansas City (87-73) 4
Seattle (76-84) 5, Texas (71-89) 4
Houston (110-50) 2, LA Angels (101-59) 5
Baltimore (59-101) 7, Oakland (64-96) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (79-80) @ Cincinnati (55-104) -- PPD (Rain)
Pittsburgh (92-68) 5, Chi. Cubs (96-64) 9
Miami (65-95) 5, Philadelphia (77-83) 6
Atlanta (89-71) 2, Washington (93-67) 7
Milwaukee (81-79) 5, St. Louis (68-92) 0
Arizona (76-84) 3, LA Dodgers (89-71) 2
Colorado (62-98) 2, San Diego (86-74) 5
Minnesota (83-77) 3, San Francisco (77-83) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Mets activate OF Yoenis Cespedes from 15-day IL
White Sox place RHP Michael Kopech (wrist) on 15-day IL

Saturday, October 3rd, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Chi. Sox (71-90) 0, Kansas City (88-73) 4
Winner: Bryan Brickhouse (5-2) Loser: Kelvin Herrera (9-7) Save: Richard Lovelady (36)
HR-CHW: None HR-CHW: Jorge Soler (40), Hunter Dozier (19)

K.C. KEEPS PACE WITH CLEVELAND

With the Royals needing every victory it can get to keep pace with Cleveland over the season's final days, Kansas City got an elite performance from starting pitcher Tanner Roark in taking a 4-0 decision over the Chicago White Sox, the Royals' eighth straight victory.

Roark went six and one-third innings, allowing no earned runs while scattering four hits with seven strikeouts.

Richard Lovelady was credited with the save; striking out out the side in the ninth. He has now successfully converted 36-of-38 save opportunities. Jorge Soler hit his 40th homerun of the season, effectively becoming the first Royal in team history with back-to-back 40-homerun seasons.

The game was scoreless through the first six-and-one-half innings until Hunter Dozier kicked off the scoring with a solo bomb in the bottom of the seventh. Kansas City went on to score another run on an Alex Gordon single in that frame, followed by Soler's two-run bomb in the eighth.

Unfortunately, Cleveland knocked off Detroit earlier in the day, so the Royals must win tomorrow and hope for a Cleveland loss to force a one-game playoff for the AL Central crown, as the Yankees wrapped up the wildcard with their victory.

"We cashed in when we had the chance," said Kansas City manager Mike Matheny.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (74-87) 8, NY Yankees (90-71) 9 (Final/10)
Tampa Bay (95-66) 5, Toronto (74-87) 3
Detroit (73-88) 5, Cleveland (89-72) 16
Chi. Sox (71-90) 0, Kansas City (88-73) 4
Seattle (76-85) 2, Texas (72-89) 7
Houston (111-50) 24 LA Angels (101-60) 3
Baltimore (60-101) 8, Oakland (64-97) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (80-80) 8, Cincinnati (55-105) 3 (G1)
NY Mets (80-81) 2, Cincinnati (56-105) 3 (G2, Final/10)
Pittsburgh (93-68) 7, Chi. Cubs (96-65) 3
Miami (65-96) 3, Philadelphia (78-83) 6
Atlanta (90-71) 8, Washington (93-68) 5 (Final/11)
Milwaukee (82-79) 5, St. Louis (68-93) 4 (Final/10)
Arizona (76-85) 2, LA Dodgers (90-71) 4
Colorado (63-98) 3, San Diego (86-75) 2
Minnesota (84-77) 2, San Francisco (77-84) 0 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Twins place IF Ehire Adrianza (rib) out for five weeks, placed on 15-day IL
Angels activate LHP Andrew Heaney from the 60-day IL
Pirates activate LHP Felipe Vasquez from the 60-day IL

Sunday, October 4th, 2020 - First pitch, 12:05 CST
Chi. Sox (71-91) 4, Kansas City (89-73) 4
Winner: Brady Singer (2-0) Loser: Tyler Johnson (4-5) Save: Josh Staumont (5)
HR-CHW: None HR-CHW: Nicky Lopez (5), Hunter Dozier (20)

K.C. ELIMINATED DESPITE SEASON-ENDING SWEEP

A four-run seventh inning turned a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 lead, and the Royals were able to hang on in the ninth to secure the victory. Unfortunately, the Indians knocked off the Tigers just fifteen minutes later, knocking the Royals out of the playoffs on the season's final day despite a nine-game win streak to end the season.

Brady Singer picked up his first win in relief, going three full innings while allowing just one run with a pair of strikeouts. Jose De Leon was knocked out before the end of the fifth, throwing eighty-eight pitches while allowing three earned runs over four and two-thirds innings in his shortest outing in nearly two months.

Maikel Franco, Whit Merrifield, and Daniel Murphy all had two hits to lead the Royals' attack. Hunter Dozier hit his 20th homerun, a two-run homer, in the seventh; and was later followed by a two-run homerun from Nicky Lopez, who has three homeruns in his last fourteen games.

With a final record of 89-73, it's their best record since their 2015 World Series championship squad, and their second-best record in the last ten years. In the coming days, we'll look back on the year that was, and look ahead to the 2020 MLB postseason and preview the Royals' offseason.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (74-88) 3, NY Yankees (91-71) 4
Tampa Bay (96-66) 13, Toronto (74-88) 4
Detroit (73-89) 2, Cleveland (90-72) 3
Chi. Sox (71-91) 4, Kansas City (89-73) 5
Seattle (76-86) 3, Texas (73-89) 5
Houston (111-51) 5, LA Angels (102-60) 3
Baltimore (61-101) 3, Oakland (64-98) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (80-82) 3, Cincinnati (57-105) 6
Pittsburgh (94-68) 2, Chi. Cubs (96-66) 1
Miami (65-97) 1, Philadelphia (79-83) 5
Atlanta (91-71) 3, Washington (93-69) 2 (Final/11)
Milwaukee (83-79) 8, St. Louis (68-94) 2
Arizona (76-86) 3, LA Dodgers (91-71) 6
Colorado (64-98) 7, San Diego (86-76) 5
Minnesota (84-78) 7, San Francisco (78-84) 9 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Toronto places OF Billy McKinney (calf) could miss up to four months

[artoodeetoo]

MANAGERIAL OPENING TRACKER
Tracking front office, dugout openings
10/05/2020
By artoodeetoo

This article will keep a running tab on the coaching/front office changes throughout the league as the playoffs progress. Check back often for the latest updates!

ARIZONA: None

ATLANTA: Both pitching coach Matthew Johnson and bench coach Walt Weiss' contracts were not renewed by the organization, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Weiss, despite a failed stint in Colorado, will almost assuredly be a candidate for other open managerial positions (Update: 11/01/2020).

Ex-Indians catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., has been hired as the team's next bench coach, according to the AJC. The search is now on to fill the team's open pitching coach slot, left by Matthew Johnson roughly a month ago (Update: 11/28/2020).

BALTIMORE: General manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde have both been let go by the organization. Bench coach Jose Hernandez's contract was also not renewed, and hitting coach Don Long has decided to retire, rather than deal with a new regime.

Ex-Oakland GM David Forst will receive an interview for the open Orioles' general manager position, according to the Baltimore Sun (Update: 10/13/20).

Director of amateur scouting Brady Anderson is also in line to receive an interview, the Baltimore Sun reports. It is unclear if former Oakland GM David Forst had completed his interview, but there has been no indication that has changed (Update: 10/19/20)

Former Angels GM Tony Reagins is the third known candidate to receive an interview with the Orioles for their open GM position, the Sun reports. Update: 10/23/20).

The Baltimore Orioles have introduced Brady Anderson as the team's next general manager, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. Anderson has served the past handful of seasons in the team's scouting department, and headed the department in 2019 and 2020. He has a big task, holding the draft's second-overall pick and reconstructing the entire dugout (Update: 10/30/20).

Former Rockies manager Walt Weiss and long-time Indians minor league coach and manager Frank Kremblas are expected to get the first managerial interviews under Anderson, the Sun reports. Anderson has also moved quickly on other staff spots, as Talmadge Nunneri was hired as the team's hitting coach (Update: 11/06/20).

Former MLB manager Jerry Manuel is expected to get an interview, the Sun reports. Manuel skippered the White Sox from 1998 through 2003, and then the Mets from 2008 through 2010. He has not coached at the major league level since then, instead serving as a roving minor league instructor for several teams, including the Orioles in 2012 (Update: 11/16/20)

Baltimore has hired Frank Kremblas as their next manager, signing him to a three-year contract. Other than that, terms were not disclosed. Kremblas now has to fill open bench coach and pitching coach slots (Update: 11/23/20).

Fernando Rodriguez, Jr will take over as the team's new pitching coach, new manager Frank Kremblas announced in a press conference with the local media. They also appear to be nearing deals to bring on former Oriole pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez as the new scouting director, and former Phillies bench coach Rob Thomson for the same role (Update: 11/28/20).

BOSTON: The Red Sox have parted ways with Alex Cora following a 74-88 campaign, plus his involvement with the Houston sign-stealing scandal appears to be heating up. Bench coach Ron Roenicke will serve as the interim, and is likely a candidate for the full-time job going forward.

Alex Cora, amongst others, have received a one-year ban from the game as a result of the Houston sign-stealing scandal. Houston manager A.J. Hinch, GM Jeff Luhnow, and ex-Mets skipper Carlos Beltran are also implicated in this scandal, and have received one-year bans from the game (Update: 10/26/20).

The Red Sox have removed the interim tag from Ron Roenicke, who will now take over for Alex Cora as the team's manager. The search is underway for a new bench coach with the move (Update: 11/06/20).

Boston is close to an agreement to bring Tom Foley in as new bench coach, according to the Boston Globe (Update: 11/20/20).

CHI. CUBS: None

CHI. WHITE SOX: The Southsiders will be in the market for a new bench coach, as Joe McEwing will not be retained. However, McEwing has been a candidate for managerial openings in the past, so expect his name to pop up again despite being a part of a disappointing White Sox outfit the past few years.

The White Sox have interviewed former Mariners and Giants coach Robby Thompson for their open bench coach position, according to the Chicago Tribune. (Update: 10/26/20)

CINCINNATI: Pitching coach Derek Johnson's contract has been extended through 2023, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince Update: 11/01/20).

CLEVELAND: After two World Series appearances in the last five years, Terry Francona has called it a sterling career. Indians president Chris Antonetti called it a "sad, but expected" event, and also said that a search for a replacement would get underway (Update: 11/03/20).

Moving quickly, the Indians are going to interview interim manager and current bench coach Brad Mills for the open managerial post (Update: 11/05/20).

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer is reporting that minor-league pitching coach Jim Czajkowski will also get an interview. Czajkowski has never been a manager, but has a wealth of experience in the minors and in the front office. He is currently the minor-league pitching coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays (Update: 11/07/20).

Walt Weiss has interviewed for the open managerial role, the Plain-Dealer reports. Weiss was also a candidate for the open Red Sox job until Ron Roenicke was tapped to fill that just a few days ago (Update: 11/09/20).

Cleveland is expected to hire Czajkowski as the man to follow Terry Francona. Czajkowski has never managed, but is one of the more respected men in baseball as he has had a lengthy career in coaching, especially in the minors. Brad Mills will stay on as bench coach (Update: 11/18/20).

COLORADO: Long-time skipper Bud Black is now out as the Rockies' manager after four years at the helm. The 63-year-old is almost certainly going to land somewhere, as he will likely be one of the few on the market with considerable experience.

Former Nationals manager and Mariners bench coach Manny Acta has emerged as a candidate for the Rockies' open job, according to the Denver Post. After a year off from baseball, ex-Rangers skipper Jeff Banister is also expected to get an interview (Update: 11/16/20).

Add Jerry Manuel to the list of candidates for the open Rockies position. Manuel has also recently came up as a candidate for the Baltimore Orioles' managerial position (Update: 11/21/20).

General manager Jeff Bridich announced the hiring of Jeff Banister to be the team's next skipper in a press conference introducing the former Rangers manager. Banister signed a four-year contract, but the additional terms were not disclosed (Update: 11/29/20).

DETROIT: After just three years with the Tigers, Ron Gardenhire has decided to re-retire after three straight losing seasons in Detroit. Gardenhire last appeared in the playoffs with the Twins in 2010, and had six playoff appearances in fourteen seasons with Minnesota.

Cubs first base coach Will Venable and Angels third base coach Dino Ebel are candidates to replace Gardenhire as manager, according to the Detroit Free Press (Update: 10/29/2020).

The Tigers have hired former Twins minor league director Jeff Pickler as their next skipper, and will introduce him in a presser later on today. This is a bit out of left field, but Pickler has been an up-and-comer for several years under the Twins' umbrella (Update: 11/19/2020).

Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon has decided to retire after just one year in Detroit. However, the Tigers also announced the hire of Joe McEwing as their next bench coach, signing a two-year contract Update: 12/04/20).

Ex-MLB outfielder Turner Ward has signed on as the Tigers' new hitting coach, replacing the retired Lloyd McClendon Update: 11/30/20).

HOUSTON: Both manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow have been relieved from their duties, effective immediately following the Astros' early exit from the playoffs according to the Houston Chronicle. Bench coach Carl Gadd will take over in the interim while the Astros begin a search for a new manager and general manager (Update: 10/26/20).

Long-time Rays associate James Click was introduced as the team's new general manager, just a week after the sacking of Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch. Click's first task will be bringing in a new skipper, and trying to rehabilitate the team's image in the wake of 'Sign-gate' (Update: 11/03/20).

KANSAS CITY: Both bench coach Dale Sveum and hitting coach Terry Bradshaw will not be back with the team next year, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. The Royals also appear to be parting ways with long-time scouting director Lonnie Goldberg.

Long-time Braves scout and minor-league executive Roy Clark has agreed to oversee the Royals' scouting department, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Clark and current GM Dayton Moore worked together for years in the Braves' organization prior to Moore's arrival in Kansas City back in 2006 (Update: 10/08/20).

John Mabry has been hired as the Royals' hitting coach, reuniting with manager Mike Matheny; whom he served as the assistant hitting coach, and then hitting coach, from 2012 through Matheny's firing in 2018. Kansas City's lone opening remains the open bench coach spot, although no candidates have emerged as of yet (Update: 10/12/20).

The Royals have hired former manager Tony Pena's son, Tony Jr., to serve as the team's next bench coach alongside manager Mike Matheny. Pena is just thirty-nine, but already has a half-dozen years of experience as a minor-league coach and manager (Update: 10/25/20).

LA ANGELS: Director of minor league operations Matt Swanson has left the organization, according to the LA Times (Update: 10/08/20).

Former MLB pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez and former Angels farmhand Sean Watson are the finalists to replace Swanson as the team's minor league director. Jimenez has worked in the Rockies' front office for the past few years under Jeff Bridich, while Watson has been an instructor in the Halos' system (Update: 10/26/20).

GM Billy Eppler announced the signing of Sean Watson as the team's new director of scouting, effective immediately. He and former MLB pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez were finalists for the job (Update: 11/06/20).

MILWAUKEE: Bench coach Pat Murphy has retired, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. On the flipside, hitting coach Andy Haines' contract was extended through 2022.

Former MLB pitcher Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., has emerged as a candidate for the open bench coach post, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Another former MLB'er, Rob Leary, has also been mentioned as a possibility (Update: 10/24/20).

In a surprise development, the Brewers promoted minor league coach Nick Palmer to bench coach, according to sources within the team and reported on by MLB.com. Palmer, 56, is a former coach for the Australian national team, and has been a coach in the Brewers' system for the past decade-plus (Update: 11/07/20).

MINNESOTA: Twins hitting coach Mark Kotsay is a potential candidate for the Orioles' opening, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He's also a likely candidate for the open Mets and Rockies jobs, as well (Update: 10/08/20).

Kotsay will remain in his post as the Twins' hitting coach for another season. He had been mentioned as a possibility for the Orioles and Mets' open jobs, but both have moved on to other candidates (Update: 11/07/20).

NEW YORK (N): Mets manager Carlos Beltran has stepped down as the Mets' skipper after just one season, after being implicated in the Astros' sign stealing scandal. He went 80-82 in his only season. Bench coach John Farrell will take over in the interim while GM Brodie Van Wagenen begins a search for a replacement.

Tigers bench coach Steve Liddle has emerged as a candidate for the Mets' open managerial job, but no offer has been extended. Liddle has spent the last two seasons under Ron Gardenhire as the team's bench coach in the Motor City (Update: 10/08/20).

The Mets have officially introduced Steve Liddle as the team's new manager, signing him to a five-year contract that will pay him roughly $3.25MM over the life of the contract. In the past, Liddle has spent time as the bench coach in Minnesota (2002-10), third base coach in Minnesota (2011-12), and the past two seasons as Ron Gardenhire's bench coach in Detroit (Update: 10/13/20).

Joe Millette was introduced as the Mets' new scouting director by GM Brodie Van Wagenen, replacing Marc Tramuto, who left in November. Millette is a former MLB shortstop-turned-scout, as he had worked for the past two decades in coaching (Update: 11/06/20)

OAKLAND: GM David Forst has been relieved of his duties by team president Billy Beane, and there may be some scuttle that Beane could be a bit more hands-on going forward in a dual President/GM role, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Indeed, Billy Beane will assume the GM role in addition to his role as the team's President of Baseball Ops, but he mentioned that it's just a 'temporary' situation. (Update: 10/13/20).

PHILADELPHIA: Philly is in need of a new bench coach after Rob Thomson's contract was not renewed, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. Thomson may be a candidate for the Orioles' open job.

Rob Leary, who is a candidate for the Milwaukee bench coach job as well, is a finalist to replace Rob Thomson on the bench next to skipper Joe Girardi (Update: 11/08/20).

The Phillies made it official with Leary, signing him to a two-year deal as the bench coach alongside manager Joe Girardi Update: 11/23/20).

PITTSBURGH: Pitching coach Dave Righetti signed a three-year extension to remain in the same spot, reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Righetti has been credited with a huge role in turning around the Pirates' pitching fortunes in the recent few seasons Update: 10/18/20).

SEATTLE: Former MLB manager and Seattle bench coach Manny Acta has been released from his contract to pursue other opportunities, the Seatttle Post-Intelligencer reports. Acta, who has managed the Nationals in the past, could be a candidate for the Mets and Orioles openings, among other bench coach openings.

ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals extended pitching coach Mike Maddux and hitting coach Jeff Albert for two and three more seasons, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which seems to imply that manager Mike Shildt is likely safe, as well.

TEXAS: GM Jon Daniels signed a three-year extension to remain as the team's front office leader, according to the Dallas Morning News. It's on the heels of a 73-89 season, but Daniels has the trust of the Rangers' ownership, led by Ray Davis Update: 12/03/20)

TORONTO: None

WASHINGTON: Hitting coach Kevin Long's contract was extended through the 2023 season, according to the Washington Post Update: 11/17/20).

[artoodeetoo]

WILDCARD RESULTS

NY Yankees 7, LA Angels 0

Synopsis: Giancarlo Stanton's two homeruns lifted the Yankees to a dominating 7-0 win over the host Angels in the AL Wildcard matchup. Sonny Gray got the start for the Halos, allowing four earned runs in six-plus innings of work. Gerrit Cole came on in relief, and the game still got out of reach for Los Angeles as Stanton hit the second of his two homeruns against the potential Cy Young winner.

New York will face off against Houston in the ALDS beginning Thursday night at Minute Maid Park, while Cleveland and Tampa Bay will begin their series the following night.

Atlanta 4, Pittsburgh 3

Synopsis: The road team won the wildcard game for the second straight night, as rookie catcher Shea Langeliers singled home the winning run in the top of the ninth against Felipe Vazquez to secure the 4-3 victory over the host Pirates. Atlanta's Ozzie Albies tied the score in the eighth against Vazquez, hitting a solo homerun off the lefty.

The loss wasted a very good outing by Jameson Taillon, who allowed just one earned run over seven innings. Colin Moran and Socrates Brito each collected two hits in the defeat. The Braves will move on to face the Cubs in the NLDS beginning on Friday, and the Nationals and Dodgers will square off the following day to begin their series.

[artoodeetoo]

FOUR ROYALS NAMED GOLD GLOVE SEMI-FINALISTS
Phillips, Lopez first-time honorees
10/08/2020
By artoodeetoo

The BBWA have named four Royals as Gold Glove semi-finalists, with veterans Alex Gordon (LF) and Salvador Perez (C) getting yet another nod. However, Nicky Lopez and Brett Phillips were recognized as first-time semi-finalists, with Lopez at second base and Phillips in center field.

Lopez leads all MLB second basemen in DRS (+5.7), range factor (3.54), efficiency (1.028), and committed just two errors all season. Detroit's Brett Lawrie and Baltimore's Jonathan Villar are the other two semi-finalists at second base, while the two Kevin's, Pillar and Kiermaier, are the other two semi-finalists in CF.

Phillips notched 10 DRS in just 127 games in center, also scoring 1.5 DRS in just 79 innings in right (in contrast, both Pillar and Kiermaier played 150+ games in CF with 13 and 12 DRS).

Tommy Pham (Tampa Bay) and Andrew Benintendi (Boston) are the other semi-finalists in left field, and Alex Avila (Rangers/Indians) and Yasmani Grandal (Angels) are the other catcher semi-finalists.

[artoodeetoo]

DIVISIONAL SERIES RESULTS

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCORES
Cleveland 0, Tampa Bay 3
Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 7
Tampa Bay 2, Cleveland 11
Tampa Bay 2, Cleveland 4
Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 2

NY Yankees 4, Houston 3
NY Yankees 2, Houston 10
Houston 1, NY Yankees 0
Houston 9, NY Yankees 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCORES
LA Dodgers 1, Washington 3
LA Dodgers 3, Washington 2
Washington 8, LA Dodgers 6
Washington 6, LA Dodgers 2

Atlanta 5, Chi. Cubs 0
Atlanta 5, Chi. Cubs 4
Chi. Cubs 0, Atlanta 4

[artoodeetoo]

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Cleveland 4, Houston 2
Cleveland 10, Houston 1
Houston 3, Cleveland 8
Houston 8, Cleveland 3
Houston 5, Cleveland 2
Cleveland 3, Houston 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Atlanta 9, Washington 2
Atlanta 7, Washington 3
Washington 6, Atlanta 8
Washington 4, Atlanta 5 (Final/10)

[artoodeetoo]

WORLD SERIES RECAP

Cleveland 0, Atlanta 10: Ozzie Albies fell just a triple short of the cycle as the Braves took the first game by a 10-0 score. Corey Kluber was knocked around for seven runs over three and one-third innings, while Mike Soroka looked to be in midseason form, fanning six over seven shutout frames.

Cleveland 2, Atlanta 6: With four RBI, Nick Markakis was the driving force behind Atlanta's 6-2 victory over the Indians, giving the Braves a commanding 2-0 series lead. Sean Newcomb struck out five over five and two-third innings of work, while Drew Waters and Josh Donaldson each collected a pair of hits.

Atlanta 5, Cleveland 11: The Indians finally were able to get on the scoreboard, pounding out an 11-5 victory to halve the deficit to two games to one. Atlanta threatened to take a 3-0 series lead after a four-run seventh to take a 5-2 lead, but nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings by the Indians' offense put the game away. All Cleveland starters collected at least one hit.

Atlanta 7, Cleveland 3: Atlanta is now on the doorstep of their first title since 1995, knocking off the Indians 7-3 in the first victory by a road team in the series. Johan Camargo was 3-for-5 with a couple of RBI, while Chris Bassitt picked up the victory with three earned over five innings of work.

Atlanta 8, Cleveland 3: Mike Soroka capped off an unbeaten postseason, allowing three earned runs over six innings as the Braves clinched their first World Series since 1995. Ronald Acuna went 3-for-4 with two RBI and stole a base in the victory. Corey Kluber allowed six earned runs over four innings, enduring a rough postseason in which he lost three games and posted a 4.78 ERA.

[artoodeetoo]

2020-2021 OFFSEASON PREVIEW
Royals continue to pursue Soler extension
11/03/2020
By artoodeetoo

On the heels of their post-ASB run in 2019, the Royals turned that success into a playoff-contending 2020, falling just a few wins short of winning the division. They were able to come to an agreement on extending budding slugger Hunter Dozier through 2024 with a Whit Merrifield-type extension of $20.5MM over the next four seasons. Adalberto Mondesi established himself as the next big name at shortstop, stealing seventy-five bases and reaching career highs in average, homeruns, walks, RBI, and triples; giving the Royals two huge cornerstones going forward as they begin to establish themselves as a team to be respected in the coming years.

Guaranteed Contracts

Danny Duffy, LHP: $15.25MM through 2021
Salvador Perez, C: $13MM through 2021
Ian Kennedy, RHP: $16.5MM through 2020
Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF: $10.5MM through 2022 (including buyout of 2023 option)
Hunter Dozier, 1B/3B: $20.5MM through 2024 (including buyout of 2025 option)

Arbitration-Eligible Players

Jake Junis, RHP: $5.5MM
Brad Keller, RHP: $4.9MM
Robert Stephenson, RHP: $1.5MM
Maikel Franco, 3B: $1.25MM
Adalberto Mondesi, SS: $8.5MM
Non-tender candidates: Stephenson, Franco

Option Decisions

Alex Gordon, OF: $10.25MM mutual option ($1.25MM buyout)
Tanner Roark, RHP: $6.5MM mutual option (750K buyout)
Jake Diekman, LHP: $5.25MM mutual option (550K buyout)
Daniel Murphy, 1B: $12MM mutual option (no buyout)
Chris Flexen, RHP: $1.25MM team option (no buyout)

Free Agents

Jorge Soler

-----

Kansas City recently completed their coaching staff for the season, as Tony Pena Jr was introduced as the team's new bench coach a little less than a week ago. He joins other newcomers to the staff, including scouting director Roy Clark and hitting coach John Mabry. The results of Mike Matheny's first year were largely positive, leading the team to eighty-nine wins and falling just two wins short of a division title in just his first season as the skipper. It should be noted that Matheny started off with four straight winning seasons in St. Louis, so he is no stranger to early success.

The first order of business is sorting through the handful of mutual options that the Royals have. Alex Gordon has a $10.25MM mutual option for 2021, but he is going to announce his retirement in a matter of days, and he'll likely take the $1.25MM buyout and ride off into the sunset as one of the more beloved Royals in team history.

As far as the other ones, the option I'd look out for is Jake Diekman's. Diekman gave the Royals some outstanding innings this year, posting a 2.43/3.83 ERA/FIP combo in sixty-three innings of work; and until a late-season swoon, had an ERA under 2.00 as late as the last week of August. At just $5.25MM for 2021, it's a relatively cheap deal for one of the more underrated southpaws in recent years. With Diekman showing that he can go multiple innings, the value of lefty-only types like Tim Hill might be diminished, which would leave the Royals with just two southpaws out of the bullpen under contract (Richard Lovelady, Luiz Gohara) if Hill was traded or otherwise released.

Do the Royals end up re-visiting trading Whit Merrifield? Nicky Lopez, with Gold Glove in tow; appears to have entrenched himself as the team's second baseman, which is Merrifield's best fit defensively. He could slide into Gordon's old spot in left field, but that could be taking a spot from a younger player in the minors who is ready to make the leap, such as Khalil Lee. Merrifield admitted that he didn't play at 100% most of the year in 2020, but his paltry stat line of .257/.305/.370 may give potential suitors some pause.

He'll be thirty-two when the first pitch is thrown this spring, and despite his cheap contract, his value has decreased with each passing year. Still, he seemed to recover his base-stealing prowess despite the additional year of wear-and-tear, stealing thirty-four bags in thirty-six attempts. He twice led the AL in steals before his teammate, Adalberto Mondesi, has taken the AL steals crown the past two seasons.

Lastly, the Royals have and will continue to negotiate an extension with slugger Jorge Soler, who has hit eighty-four dingers the past two seasons combined, but the two sides continue to be far enough apart in negotiations to where it is now roughly a 50/50 proposition that he returns for next season, which has been reported by several notable writers, including Jeff Passan and Buster Olney. The Royals have reportedly offered a deal in the 4/$70MM range, but Soler's camp is looking for a higher AAV with at least five guaranteed years. There are very few teams with pure DH roles anymore, and even Soler's modest defensive improvement this past season may be an outlier. If the Royals can't come to an agreement prior to the free agency filing date, there is no doubt they'll tag him with the qualifying offer and continue to try and come to a deal.