Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

BNN 2019 SEASON PREDICTIONS

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019 BASEBALL AMERICA INITIAL TOP 100

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS 2019 SEASON PREVIEW
By artoodeetoo
03/28/2018

2018 RECORD: 72-90 (3RD, AL CENTRAL)

PROJECTED LINEUP (1-9): 6 CF Billy Hamilton (S), 4 LF Alex Gordon (L), 19 3B Cheslor Cuthbert (R), 12 DH Jorge Soler (R), 66 1B Ryan O'Hearn (L), 14 RF Brett Phillips (L), 13 C Salvador Perez (R), 1 SS Jose Iglesias (R), 27 2B Adalberto Mondesi (S)

STARTING ROTATION: 41 Danny Duffy (L), 65 Jake Junis (R), 34 Trevor Oaks (R), 31 Ian Kennedy (R), 53 Eric Skoglund (L)

BULLPEN: 52 Jorge Lopez (R), 54 Tim Hill (L), 55 Nathan Karns (R), 40 Kelvin Herrera (R), 45 Trevor Rosenthal (R), 23 Richard Lovelady (L), 39 Blake Treinen (R, CL)

BENCH: 36 C Cam Gallagher (R), 17 1B/3B Hunter Dozier (R), 7 IF/OF Rosell Herrera (S), 25 OF Brian Goodwin (L)

OVERVIEW: The 2019 version of the Royals should be slightly better than the 2018 version, but the playoffs are still an unlikely proposition. The Royals traded popular second baseman Whit Merrifield over the offseason to the Mets, and others such as Danny Duffy, Blake Treinen, Billy Hamilton, and Trevor Rosenthal are also possible trade chips if they are out of the playoff race in July. In fact, catcher and fan favorite Salvador Perez could also be on the trade block, as he is in the last guaranteed year of his contract with a team option for 2020 and 2021 due to be decided upon after this season.

With the acquisitions of Hamilton, shortstop Jose Iglesias, and Phillips last season, this team on paper could be the best (and fastest) overall defensive team in the league. They join 2018 Gold Glove recipients Alex Gordon (six) and Salvador Perez (also six). That said, they still give up a ton of homeruns; the fourth-most in the American League last year despite playing in one of the most spacious parks in the game.

Rosenthal, Treinen, and Kelvin Herrera also deepen a bullpen that was already decent last year, but shipped Burch Smith and Brian Flynn off to the Angels and Brewers, respectively, for Tyler Skaggs and prospect Cody Ponce. Skaggs will miss the entire 2019 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but has another year of control in 2020, and could be a contender in the rotation next year.

Manager Ned Yost is also enjoying the new infusion of speed that Hamilton brings. Despite losing Merrifield, who had the fourth-most steals in the American League with sixty-one the last two seasons; including an AL-high thirty-four in 2017, Hamilton had sixty-five alone in 2018.

"Oh man, he'll be a great weapon for us I hope," he said on Wednesday at the team's season-opening press conference. "Anytime you can bring someone of his caliber who can get on base and force the defense to account for him on every pitch, you should do it."

KEY PLAYER: After a so-so first half in 2018, Duffy finished strong in the second half to end the season with a 12-12 mark and an ERA right at 4.00 in exactly two-hundred innings of work. In the last three years, he's been worth 9.2 WAR, fifth amongst southpaw starters in all of baseball. He went over the 200-inning mark, and made more than thirty starts in a season for the first time in his career. For Kansas City to inch closer to .500 and show progress, he'll need to be much better throughout.

CONCLUSION: Largely, the Royals' fortunes will rest on young players. The acquisition of Brett Phillips in the Mike Moustakas deal last year netted them a potential cornerstone player, as he hit ten homeruns, had three outfield assists, and slashed .278/.342/.477 in 241 plate appearances for Kansas City post-trade. Right-hander Trevor Oaks went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 105 innings of work, walking just nine batters and fanning sixty-six. Oaks just turned twenty-six a few days ago, while Phillips doesn't turn twenty-five until late May. Jake Junis also completed a breakthrough season, going 10-13 with a 3.90 ERA in just shy of 200 innings of work, walking just thirty-five batters.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

FOUR BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2019 SEASON
By MLB.com Staff
03/28/2018

With Bryce Harper, are the Red Sox the prohibitive favorites to repeat?

There's little reason to believe otherwise. Their top four in the rotation is as good as anyone's in the league, and the move to trade Jackie Bradley Jr., to grab a couple of ace relievers in Brad Boxberger and Archie Bradley from Arizona to bolster their bullpen was a nice move for both teams. They still have some really, really bad contracts from the Ben Cherington era (Rusney Castillo, anyone?), as well as Dustin Pedroia's, but pound-for-pound, they're the best team in the league until they get knocked off.

Which new manager has the toughest rebuilding job?

There are five new managers this year, with Sandy Alomar Jr. (Reds), Carlos Beltran (Tigers), Chris Woodward (Giants), John Russell (Orioles), and Joe Girardi (White Sox). It's a pretty close race between the Tigers, White Sox, and Orioles, although the Tigers have the worst roster situation -- they're relying on veterans to shoulder the bulk of the production. The White Sox have a host of young players in Triple-A, including Eloy Jimenez, Carson Fulmer, and Dane Dunning; they also have Rule 5 pick Mike Ford slotted in at first base. Baltimore pulled off some solid free-agent work with Mike Moustakas, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Taiwanese reliever Hiang-ta Zhang, which puts them a step ahead of the other two teams. Plus, they have Theo Epstein running things now, which was a huge coup.

Detroit's issues are two-fold -- they're going to rely on veterans for the bulk of their production, but don't have any of their top prospects nearly ready enough to break through to the big club. In fact, one of their top three starting pitchers this year is going to be 39-year-old Colby Lewis, who went 3-16 with a 4.85 ERA in San Diego last year. Michael Fulmer has had mixed results since being acquired from the Mets several years ago; and Daniel Norris has an ERA of over 6.00 since 2017. Lance Lynn was problematic at times for the Yankees down the stretch, with a 5.33 ERA in ten starts with the Bombers after being acquired from the Twins.

Beltran and GM Al Avila have a pretty tough task ahead, but Detroit grabbed one of the best young managerial prospects out there. He was high on the Yankees' list before they went for Aaron Boone last year, and Avila targeted him pretty early on after Ron Gardenhire suddenly retired after just one year.

Which manager(s) are on the hottest seats?

San Diego's Andy Green has increased his win total from 68 to 71 to 74 in three years, but it's likely going to take a significant jump this year to keep his job. A.J. Preller brought in some veteran relief help in Sergio Romo and Brandon Kintzler, and young standouts like Manny Margot, Allen Cordoba, Joey Lucchesi, and Luis Urias have to take the next step to complement veterans Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers. If Green can go .500 in an increasingly tougher NL West, he'll get year four.

In the American League, there's really no one close to Bob Melvin. Their late-season collapse to miss the playoffs by one game last year put a lot of spotlight on the fiery skipper, and some of his defensive responses to the media *after those losses indicated that he might be pink-slipped after the season. Surprisingly, he wasn't, but another collapse like that down the stretch, and he's almost assuredly out.

Name one team who could surprise, and one that disappoints.

For a surprise team, Minnesota is a pretty good bet to beat their initial prognostications. BNN has them going 91-71, but that's the most generous preduction, as most have them in the 80-83 win range. They brought in a couple of quality veteran starters in Brandon McCarthy and Wade Miley, and despite losing a couple of nice bullpen pieces at the deadline in 2018, they really like youngsters John Curtiss and Taylor Rogers to go with veteran Addison Reed. Justin Bour was a solid acquisition in a trade with Philadelphia, and they have an underrated outfield with Max Kepler, Byron Buxton, and Eddie Rosario. This is a quality bunch that should be in the wildcard hunt down the stretch provided they stay healthy.

For a disappointing team, Houston is a decent bet. They lost Dallas Keuchel in free agency, and are missing Carlos Correa and Justin Verlander for the first several weeks of the season. They're playing last year's first baseman, Marwin Gonzalez, at shortstop in Correa's absence; and their bullpen was an issue last year. They didn't do much to address it over the offseason, besides trading for Roberto Osuna and Ryan Pressly at the deadline. They also have a relief pitcher from 2018 filling one of their starting roles, as Brad Peacock has been slotted in the rotation. Out of forty-nine appearances in 2018, forty-six were relief spots.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (0-0) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (0-0)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

03/28: RHP Carlos Martinez (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 0.00)
03/30: RHP Luke Weaver (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Jake Junis (0-0, 0.00)
03/31: RHP Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (0-0, 0.00)

GAME RECAPS

March 28, 2019
St. Louis (1-0) 7, Kansas City (0-1) 1
Winner: Carlos Martinez (1-0) Loser: Danny Duffy (0-1) Save: None

Cards Explode For Seventeen Hits In Opening Day Defeat

The Cards' top three hitters in the order went a combined 9-for-15 with two homeruns and five RBI, a big key in their 7-1 win over the host Royals on Opening Day. Making his second straight Opening Day start, Danny Duffy was struck for nine hits in just three and one-third innings of work, walking one and fanning two. Nathan Karns replaced him with one out in the fourth, and cruised until the sixth, when a couple of hits, a wild pitch, and then a two-run homerun from Paul DeJong brought home three runs to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-1 deficit. In contrast, the Royals couldn't figure out St. Louis pitching, collecting just four hits and one run. Ryan O'Hearn tripled in the second inning, and Alex Gordon singled him home for Kansas City's only run, but they scattered just two hits the rest of the game. Carlos Martinez got the victory, fanning five in five innings while walking two.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (0-1) 1, Boston (1-0) 2
St. Louis (1-0) 7, Kansas City (0-1) 1
LA Angels (0-1) 1, Texas (1-0) 4
Baltimore (0-1) 0, Tampa Bay (1-0) 1
NY Yankees (0-1) 1, Toronto (1-0) 2
Seattle (1-0) 7, Oakland (0-1) 4
Cleveland (1-0) 7, Chi. Sox (0-1) 3
Detroit (0-1) 0, Houston (1-0) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (1-0) 7, Philadelphia (0-1) 3
Washington (0-1) 4, Atlanta (1-0) 5 (Final/11)
Chi. Cubs (0-1) 1, NY Mets (1-0) 2
Cincinnati (1-0) 2, LA Dodgers (0-1) 1
Miami (1-0) 11, Milwaukee (0-1) 4
San Diego (1-0) 6, San Francisco (0-1) 3
Colorado (0-1) 4, Arizona (1-0) 7

March 30th, 2019
St. Louis (1-1) 9, Kansas City (1-1) 12
Winner: Kelvin Herrera (1-0) Loser: Chasen Shreve (0-1) Save: Blake Treinen (1)

Royals Rally Late For Victory

With eight runs in the final two innings, including a six-spot in the seventh, the Royals raced past St. Louis in the late innings for a 12-9 victory to get in the win column for the first time this season. The key blow was a two-out grand slam by designated hitter Hunter Dozier off Chasen Shreve in the seventh, giving him his first career MLB slam. Cheslor Cuthbert went 4-for-5, stroking one double and driving in a pair. Adalberto Mondesi also came up big in the victory, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI, and a stolen base. Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect eighth, and Blake Treinen picked up the save, his first save in a Royals uniform. Kelvin Herrera pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief of Jorge Lopez; who came in for an ineffective Jake Junis with one out in the fifth, while allowing one earned run to get the victory. Junis went just four and one-third innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits, including a pair of homeruns.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (1-1) 2, Boston (1-1) 1
St. Louis (1-1) 9, Kansas City (1-1) 12
LA Angels (1-2) 19, Texas (2-1) 12
Baltimore (0-3) 1, Tampa Bay (3-0) 2
NY Yankees (1-2) 3, Toronto (2-1) 5
Seattle (3-0) 11, Oakland (0-3) 4
Cleveland (2-0) 3, Chi. Sox (0-2) 0
Detroit (0-2) 4, Houston (2-0) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (2-1) 5, Philadelphia (1-2) 6
Washington (0-3) 0, Atlanta (3-0) 7
Chi. Cubs (0-2) 1, NY Mets (2-0) 2
Cincinnati (1-2) 2, LA Dodgers (2-1) 3
Miami (2-0) 4, Milwaukee (0-2) 2
San Diego (2-1) 7, San Francisco (1-2) 5
Colorado (2-1) 7, Arizona (1-2) 6

March 31st, 2019
St. Louis (2-1) 5, Kansas City (1-2) 3
Winner: Michael Wacha (1-0) Loser: Trevor Oaks (0-1) Save: Aroldis Chapman (1)

Royals Lose Despite Gordon's Best Efforts

Alex Gordon fell just a triple short of the cycle, but it wasn't enough to propel the Royals to a win as the Cardinals took two of three in Kansas City following a 5-3 defeat. Gordon put the Royals on the board first with a solo homerun; his first of the season, in the second inning. Jose Iglesias and Cam Gallagher also had RBI hits for the Royals. Gallagher left the game in the seventh inning following a play near the plate, where he came up favoring his elbow after a throw to first to end the half-inning. Manager Ned Yost mentioned after the game that the injury didn't seem serious, but they would perform an MRI in the morning as a precaution. For the series, the Cardinals collected forty-five hits, the most hits they've collected in a three-game series on the road to open a season in team history.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (1-2) 8, Boston (2-1) 11 (Final/11)
St. Louis (2-1) 5, Kansas City (1-2) 3
LA Angels (2-2) 13, Texas (2-2) 7
Baltimore (1-3) 4, Tampa Bay (3-1) 3
NY Yankees (2-2) 6, Toronto (2-2) 4
Seattle (3-0) 11, Oakland (0-3) 4
Cleveland (3-0) 8, Chi. Sox (0-3) 7
Detroit (1-2) 5, Houston (2-1) 2 (Final/11)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (3-1) 6, Philadelphia (1-3) 5 (Final/10)
Washington (0-3) 0, Atlanta (3-0) 7
Chi. Cubs (1-2) 14, NY Mets (2-1) 5
Cincinnati (1-2) 2, LA Dodgers (2-1) 3
Miami (2-1) 2, Milwaukee (1-2) 8
San Diego (2-1) 7, San Francisco (1-2) 5
Colorado (3-1) 3, Arizona (1-3) 1

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
03/29: Angels place LHP Jerry Blevins placed on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 03/28/2019 (shoulder inflammation)
03/29: Rockies activate OF David Dahl from 60-day disabled list; sent to Triple-A for rehab
03/30: Royals claim RHP Luis Cessa off waivers from the Yankees
03/30: Cardinals activate RHP Miles Mikolas from disabled list; designate for assignment
03/30: 2B Jean Segura placed on 10-day disabled list by Seattle, retroactive to 03/29/2019 (hip strain)
03/31: Rays DH Nelson Cruz announces 2019 season will be his last
03/31: Red Sox sign LHP Chris Sale to four-year, $84M extension

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS CLAIM CESSA OFF WAIVERS
Team also signs Gold Glove catcher Maldonado to MiLB deal
By artoodeetoo
04/01/2018

The Royals finally welcomed pitcher Luis Cessa to the clubhouse midway through last night's game, as his flight out of New York to Kansas City was delayed. Cessa was claimed off waivers on the 30th from the Yankees after spending parts of the last three seasons with the Bombers.

Cessa, also known as "Quique", bounced between Triple-A Scranton and the Yankees each year, pitching just thirty-eight MLB games with twenty-two starts. He posted a career 4.50 ERA in 156 innings, fanning 122 while walking just forty-seven.

He had a strong year in Triple-A, winning the International League's Pitcher of the Year Award, placing third in the IL's Player of the Year voting, and tossing a no-hitter on August 3rd. His ERA was 1.45 with a .99 WHIP in 124 IP (20 GS).

His major bugaboo in his professional career has been the homerun ball, especially last season. He allowed a whopping thirteen longballs in 49 2/3 innings, yet still managed to sport a 4.53 ERA despite that.

"We just jumped all over him when he popped up on the wire," said manager Ned Yost. "He'll give us some flexibility as a long-man, or in the back end of the rotation. He also has a real live arm, and he's improved his swing-and-miss stuff each year."

The Royals also announced the signing of Martin Maldonado, who won the Gold Glove award at catcher in the American League in 2017, to a minor-league deal. However, the Royals don't have a spot on the 40-man roster at this point.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (0-3) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (1-2)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/01: RHP Ryan Helsley (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Ian Kennedy (0-0, 0.00)
04/02: LHP Michael Strong (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Luis Cessa (0-0, 0.00)
04/03: LHP Carlos Rodon (0-1, 5.40) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 5.40)

GAME RECAPS

April 1st, 2019
Chi. Sox (1-3) 5, Kansas City (1-3) 3
Winner: Ryan Helsley (1-0) Loser: Ian Kennedy (0-1) Save: Ramon Troncoso (1)

White Sox, Helsley Hold Down the Royals

Making his major league debut, Ryan Helsley limited the Royals to one run over six innings, fanning eight while scattering six hits and two walks to pick up the victory. Ian Kennedy made the start and went just five innings, allowing five runs. However, the big story for the Royals was Luis Cessa, who was just picked up off waivers on Saturday night from the Yankees. The hard-throwing Cessa, who is slated to be the team's fifth starter for the time being, pitched four scoreless innings in relief to give an already-stretched bullpen a night off. He scattered three hits and a walk, striking out five while hitting triple digits on the gun on several occasions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (1-3) 5, Kansas City (1-3) 3
Cleveland (4-0) 5, Tampa Bay (3-2) 3
Toronto (3-2) 4, Baltimore (1-4) 2
Oakland (1-4) 4, Texas (3-2) 14
Boston (2-2) 2, Seattle (4-1) 4
Detroit (1-3) 3, LA Angels (3-2) 9

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Cubs (2-2) 7, Cincinnati (1-3) 3
Minnesota (2-2) 9, St. Louis (2-2) 3
Pittsburgh (4-1) 3, Milwaukee (1-3) 2
NY Yankees (2-3) 3, Philadelphia (2-3) 5
Washington (0-4) 4, NY Mets (3-1) 9
Miami (3-1) 3, Atlanta (3-1) 2 (Final/11)
Arizona (2-3) 10, San Francisco (1-3) 3
San Diego (2-2) 8, LA Dodgers (3-1) 11

April 2nd, 2019
Chi. Sox (2-3) 5, Kansas City (1-4) 4
Winner: Ryan Burr (1-0) Loser: Richard Lovelady (0-1) Save: Gregory Infante (1)

Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short

Tied at two in the ninth, Blake Treinen came on in relief of Richard Lovelady with a man on and nobody out; but two hits, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and a free pass later, Chicago had a 5-2 lead entering the ninth. Kansas City battled back with two runs in the ninth, as Salvador Perez was hit by the pitch followed by Ryan O'Hearn drilling a two-run, pinch-hit homerun to right before Gregory Infante could record an out. Jose Iglesias then walked to keep the pressure on, but manager Ned Yost opted to bunt with Billy Hamilton instead of having him swing away. However, Infante got out of the jam by sandwiching a Cheslor Cuthbert base hit between a pair of strikeouts, the latter strikeout going to Alex Gordon. Danny Duffy atoned for his Opening Day start, going six innings while striking out nine with just two walks, two runs (one earned), and three scattered hits. Defensive miscues cost the Royals dearly in this one, as a fifth-inning error by Cuthbert led to an unearned run, and Perez was charged with a passed ball that allowed another run to score in the top of the ninth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (2-3) 5, Kansas City (1-4) 4
Cleveland (5-0) 4, Tampa Bay (3-3) 3
Oakland (1-5) 2, Texas (4-2) 3
Boston (2-3) 0, Seattle (5-1) 12
Detroit (1-4) 3, LA Angels (4-2) 10

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Houston (3-1) 2, Colorado (3-2) 1
Chi. Cubs (3-2) 17, Cincinnati (1-4) 1
Pittsburgh (4-2) 2, Milwaukee (2-3) 5
NY Yankees (3-3) 3, Philadelphia (2-4) 1 (Final/10)
Washington (0-5) 3, NY Mets (4-1) 5
Miami (4-1) 13, Atlanta (3-2) 9 (Final/12)
Arizona (2-4) 1, San Francisco (2-3) 4
San Diego (3-2) 4, LA Dodgers (3-2) 2 (Final/20)

April 3rd, 2019
Chi. Sox (3-3) 10, Kansas City (1-5) 3
Winner: Carlos Rodon (1-1) Loser: Jake Junis (0-1) Save: None

Bullpen Issues Persist; Royals Lose By Touchdown

The Royals' bullpen continues to be a thorn in their side, as they put up six runs off three different pitchers in the eighth inning in a 10-3 defeat to the White Sox. The loss drops the Royals to 1-5, and gives the White Sox their first road sweep in over a season. Jake Junis cruised along until the fifth inning, allowing four runs in that inning before being pulled for Nathan Karns. Karns pitched well until the eighth, getting chased after just one out in that frame. Adalberto Mondesi was 2-for-5, including his first homerun of 2019. Salvador Perez also collected a pair of hits, going 2-for-4 with a double.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Toronto (3-3) 1, Baltimore (2-4) 6
Chi. Sox (3-3) 10, Kansas City (1-5) 3
Cleveland (6-0) 7, Tampa Bay (3-4) 5
Oakland (1-6) 1, Texas (5-2) 8
Boston (3-3) 11, Seattle (5-2) 5
Detroit (1-5) 0, LA Angels (5-2) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Houston (3-2) 4, Colorado (4-2) 9
Minnesota (2-3) 1, St. Louis (3-2) 2 (Final/10)
Chi. Cubs (4-2) 5, Cincinnati (1-5) 4
Washington (1-5) 6, NY Mets (4-2) 5 (Final/10)
Miami (5-1) 7, Atlanta (3-3) 6
Arizona (3-4) 6, San Francisco (2-4) 2
San Diego (3-3) 4, LA Dodgers (4-2) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/01: Royals place C Cam Gallagher on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 03/31/2019 (UCL sprain)
04/02: Nats' Rendon, Strasburg suffer setbacks in recovery from injuries
04/02: Tigers active RHP Joe Jimenez from disabled list
04/03: Washington places OF Michael Brantley on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 04/01/2019 (Strained hamstring)
04/03: Blue Jays place RHP Jesse Hahn on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 04/01/2019 (Shoulder tendonitis)

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019 MINOR-LEAGUE AFFILIATE PREVIEWS (PART 1)
Three new skippers highlight big changes to MiLB affiliates
By artoodeetoo
04/04/2018

OMAHA STORM CHASERS
2018 Record: 60-78
Manager: Bip Roberts (0-0, 1st Year)
BA 200 Top Prospects: Khalil Lee (80th), Cody Ponce (102nd), Peter Alonso (111th), Nicky Lopez (143rd)

Following one of their worst seasons in recent memory, manager Brian Poldberg announced his retirement from managing after five seasons as the skipper. However, he'll still have a role as the organization as a roving minor league instructor, working mainly with catchers. To replace him, general manager Travis Greenleaf went outside-the-box to find a new manager for the position, tapping former MLB and Royals infielder Bip Roberts to steer the Triple-A ship. It's a strange hire because Roberts has never managed at any level, even in the amateur ranks. He hasn't coached since 2010 through 2012, when he was an assistant at a Division II school near Oakland. Since then, he's been an Oakland A's pre-game analyst for their television network, but has put out feelers about coaching for the past few years, according to Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star.

For a first-year manager, he's inheriting a pretty nice situation. His top player figures to be outfielder Khalil Lee, who is just twenty years old, and was in High-A ball at this time last year. However, he raked through High-A and Double-A in 2018, hitting nearly .350 while hitting twenty-four homeruns. In addition, first baseman Peter Alonso, second baseman Nicky Lopez, and pitcher Brad Keller figure to be the other leaders on the squad, although it stands to reason he could find himself without all three players in a matter of months, as they are all big-league ready (in Keller's case, played a full year with the Royals last season).

NW ARKANSAS NATURALS
2018 Record: 67-71
Manager: Gerald Perry (0-0, 1st Year)
BA Top 200 Prospects: None

Unlike the Storm Chasers, the Royals did not renew manager Mike Rojas' contract despite making the Texas League postseason in his first season. Enter Gerald Perry, the former Atlanta Braves standout who also played one season in Kansas City, in 1990. Rojas made the local news in northwest Arkansas a few times over the past year for outbursts on the field and in the lockerroom, which rankled assistants and players, and may have played a role in the Royals not renewing his deal. Perry has never managed, but has pretty extensive coaching experience in the majors and minors, serving as a hitting coach at the highest level and in the minor leagues.

The strength of the roster is in the pitching staff, as the lineup figures to take a hit with the losses of standouts like Khalil Lee, Samir Duenez, and Kelvin Gutierrez. Jared Ruxer figures to be the top starter with Foster Griffin moving on to Omaha, going 10-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 141 innings of work in 2018. The righty also fanned 127 hitters in that time frame, walking just thirty-five. Scott Blewett, who split time between Double-A and High-A last season, had a 4.76 ERA in 73 2/3 innings of work for the Naturals; but was marred with inconsistency as he'd look outstanding one start, and then could barely get out of the early innings in the next. The bullpen also has some standouts, with closer Walker Sheller returning. There are also several that have pitched in the big leagues, including righty Kevin McCarthy and long-time MLB veteran Francisco Liriano.

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS
2018 Record: 63-76
Manager: Renan Sato (0-0, 1st Year)
BA 200 Top Prospects: Seuly Matias (61st), M.J. Melendez (113th), Michael Gigliotti (139th)

Seuly Matias is one of the most exciting prospects in the Royals' system, with eleven homeruns and eighteen doubles in just 371 plate appearances for Single-A Lexington in 2018, as he makes the jump to High-A. Matias is the best overall package of tools the Royals have seen in the outfield since the Royals drafted Bubba Starling back in 2011, although that pick has not panned out at all. 2018 first-round pick Jackson Kowar is the highest draft pick from last year's class at this level, as fellow first-rounders Kris Bubic and Brady Singer are beginning the season in Single-A Lexington.

The three top prospects on the team are widely considered as three of the best defensive players in the team's minor league system. Melendez, in particular, threw out nearly 45% of would-be base stealers in 2018 between Burlington (Advanced rookie ball), and Lexington.

The new manager, Renan Sato, is another interesting hire from Greenleaf. Unlike the other two new hires, he doesn't have any ties to the Royals, but has coached largely on the international stage in the past, namely as an assistant for his home country of Brazil in the last two World Baseball Classics. It seems like a pretty high-up job for a first-time manager, but Greenleaf appears to be someone that values energy and a fresh approach to the game, as the three new managers attest to.

LEXINGTON LEGENDS
2018 Record: 63-75
Manager: Scott Thorman (63-75, 2nd Year)
BA 200 Top Prospects: Brady Singer (21st)

Most of the attention, rightfully, will be on right-hander Brady Singer, the team's top pick from 2018. He made just one start last year, going five innings with four strikeouts and three walks in early August. He'll also be joined by fellow 2018 first-rounder Kris Bubic, a southpaw who doesn't have quite the stuff that Singer does, but has better command at this point. The bullpen also has some power arms with Evan Steele, Daniel Tillo, and yet another 2018 draftee in Zach Haake, who routinely puts the ball in the upper 90's, but also dealt with a shoulder issue last year.

First baseman Nick Pratto and Seuly Matias have moved on, but manager Scott Thorman has some reason to be optimistic about the offense. Infielder Francis Grullon, who hit .360 in 282 plate appearances, made the jump all the way from the Dominican League to Single-A. He also had a ridiculous 48/21 BB/K ratio, helping him to post a robust 1.027 OPS for the Dominican Royals. Infielder Brhet Bewley, who impressed with a .338/.423/.504 line for Burlington last season, was a 32nd-round pick. They also have a couple of mashers in the middle of the order with Chase Vallot, a catcher, and Jose Caraballo, who hit .389 with eleven homeruns and twenty-three doubles for the Dominican Royals as a 22-year-old in 2018.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (1-5) @ CLEVELAND INDIANS (6-0)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/05: RHP Trevor Oaks (0-1, 5.06) vs RHP Trevor Bauer (1-0, 0.00)
04/06: RHP Ian Kennedy (0-1, 9.00) vs RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 7.20)
04/07: RHP Luis Cessa (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Josh Tomlin (0-0, 3.86)

GAME RECAPS

April 5th, 2019
Kansas City (2-5) 5, Cleveland (6-1) 3
Winner: Trevor Oaks (1-1) Loser: A.J. Ramos (0-1) Save: Blake Treinen (2)

Royals Stop Indians' Streak

Trevor Oaks turned in the best performance of the season by a Royals starter to date; going seven innings while allowing three earned runs and striking out four to get the victory, the first for a Kansas City starting pitcher this season. The victory also handed the Indians their first loss of the 2019 campaign, as they had started 6-0, sweeping road series over the White Sox and Rays. Kansas City held a 3-1 lead until the fifth when back-to-back doubles by A.J. Pollock and Jason Kipnis scored a pair of runs. The score remained tied until the eighth, when Jorge Soler stepped in with two outs, drilling an 0-2 fastball from A.J. Ramos over the left field wall to give the Royals the lead. Pinch-hitting for Ryan O'Hearn, Hunter Dozier got in on the homerun action with a solo homerun of his own, his second homerun of the season. Richard Lovelady and Blake Treinen pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, with Treinen locking down his second save.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (2-5) 5, Cleveland (6-1) 3
Boston (4-4) 6, Baltimore (3-5) 2 (Final/10)
Chi. Sox (4-3) 8, Detroit (1-6) 5
Tampa Bay (4-4) 2, Oakland (1-8) 1
Texas (7-2) 11, LA Angels (5-3) 8
LA Dodgers (5-3) 3, Seattle (6-2) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (3-4) 0, San Diego (4-4) 8
Pittsburgh (1-7) 10, Cincinnati (1-7) 5
Milwaukee (2-5) 3, St. Louis (5-2) 4
Arizona (3-5) 5, Colorado (5-2) 7

April 6th, 2019
Kansas City (2-6) 3, Cleveland (7-1) 4 (Final/11)
Winner: Dan Otero (1-0) Loser: Richard Lovelady (0-2) Save: None

Royals' Three Homeruns Not Enough in Defeat

Francisco Lindor's RBI double in the 11th walked the Royals off in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Indians. Lindor was 2-for-5 in the contest, also doubling home a pair in the fourth inning off Ian Kennedy. Bradley Zimmer also collected a pair of hits, both coming off southpaws brought in to face him specifically. The Royals hit three homeruns in the contest, but they were all of the solo variety. Alex Gordon hit his second of the season, while Salvador Perez and Brian Goodwin each socked their first. As other starters have seemed to do so far for the Royals, Ian Kennedy atoned for his first start of 2019 with a six-inning performance, allowing three runs while fanning two and walking two. Luis Cessa makes his first start in a Royals uniform tomorrow afternoon, going against Josh Tomlin.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (2-6) 3, Cleveland (7-1) 4 (Final/11)
Boston (5-4) 7, Baltimore (3-6) 1
Toronto (3-5) 1, NY Yankees (5-3) 8
Houston (4-3) 4, Minnesota (3-4) 1
Chi. Sox (4-4) 2, Detroit (2-6) 6
Tampa Bay (4-5) 1, Oakland (2-8) 7
Texas (7-3) 2, LA Angels (6-3) 5
LA Dodgers (6-3) 7, Seattle (6-3) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (6-2) 4, Miami (5-3) 3 (Final/17)
Pittsburgh (7-2) 2, Cincinnati (1-8) 7
San Francisco (4-4) 3, Chi. Cubs (4-4) 2
Arizona (3-6) 5, Colorado (6-2) 7
Philadelphia (3-5) 11, Washington (2-6) 2
Atlanta (4-4) 9, San Diego (4-5) 2

April 7th, 2019
Kansas City (2-7) 5, Cleveland (8-1) 8
Winner: Dan Otero (2-0) Loser: Luis Cessa (0-1) Save: None

Royals Continue Sluggish Start

The middle innings struck again for the Royals, as the Indians scored four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to race past the Royals in an 8-5 defeat. Tim Hill came in for starter Luis Cessa after surrendering a two-run homerun to A.J. Pollock to fall behind 5-4, but was charged with three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Nathan Karns came in with a man on and one out in the seventh, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out two. Kansas City got out to a 4-1 lead after five innings, with Cleveland miscues chipping in two of those runs with an error and a wild pitch. Cheslor Cuthbert led the Royals offensively with three hits, including two doubles and one RBI. Brett Phillips also had an RBI hit in the fifth, and Billy Hamilton added an RBI single in the eighth, but it was too little, too late.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (2-7) 5, Cleveland (8-1) 8
Boston (5-5) 4, Baltimore (4-6) 5 (Final/10)
Toronto (3-6) 0, NY Yankees (6-3) 1
Houston (5-3) 5, Minnesota (3-5) 3
Chi. Sox (5-4) 7, Detroit (2-7) 2
Tampa Bay (5-5) 9, Oakland (2-9) 4 (Final/11)
Texas (7-4) 3, LA Angels (7-3) 5
LA Dodgers (7-3) 9, Seattle (6-4) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (2-6) 1, St. Louis (6-2) 2 (G1)
Milwaukee (2-7) 3, St. Louis (7-2) 14 (G2)
NY Mets (7-2) 3, Miami (5-4) 0
Pittsburgh (8-2) 7, Cincinnati (1-9) 2
San Francisco (4-5) 0, Chi. Cubs (5-4) 4
Arizona (3-7) 5, Colorado (7-2) 13
Philadelphia (3-6) 6, Washington (3-6) 13
Atlanta (5-4) 4, San Diego (4-6) 2

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/04: Padres designate RHP Sergio Romo for assignment; placed on waivers
04/04: Red Sox place RHP Ryan Madson on 60-day disabled list (torn UCL), effectively ending season
04/05: Washington SS Trea Turner head to the 10-day disabled list with hamstring strain; will miss 2-3 weeks
04/05: Nationals IF Anthony Rendon placed on 10-day disabled list with back soreness
04/06: Giants claim 3B Chase Headley off waivers from St. Louis
04/07: Cubs activate OF Ian Happ from the disabled list; will not report to Triple-A for rehab

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (2-7) @ DETROIT TIGERS (2-7)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/08: LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 2.89) vs RHP Jordan Zimmermann (0-1, 5.06)
04/09: RHP Jake Junis (0-1, 10.24) vs RHP Michael Fulmer (0-2, 5.73)
04/10: RHP Trevor Oaks (1-1, 4.38) vs RHP Lance Lynn (0-1, 9.64)
04/11: RHP Ian Kennedy (0-1, 6.55) vs LHP Daniel Norris (1-0, 2.70)

GAME RECAPS

April 8th, 2019
Kansas City (2-8) 5, Detroit (3-7) 6
Winner: Joe Jimenez (1-0) Loser: Blake Treinen (0-1) Save: None

ROYALS SUFFER DEFEAT IN WALK-OFF FASHION AGAIN

JaCoby Jones' solo homerun off Blake Treinen in the ninth inning propelled the Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Royals in AL Central action. Detroit raced out to a 4-0 lead off Danny Duffy, but the Royals chipped away at that lead, adding two in the fourth, and three more in the seventh to tie the score at five. However, Kansas City left a lot of runs on the table, even in their three-run seventh inning where they led the inning off with five straight hits against Beau Burrows, capped off with an Adalberto Mondesi two-RBI double. With two men on and no one out, Gerson Moreno came in to retire Cheslor Cuthbert on a pop fly, intentionally walk Brett Phillips, and then fanned both Jorge Soler and Ryan O'Hearn with the sacks full to get out of the jam. The Royals also left multiple runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings to no avail. Jorge Lopez pitched well in relief of Duffy, who went just four and two-third innings. Lopez only struck out one batter, but retired all ten Detroit hitters he faced. Detroit starter Jordan Zimmermann left with just two outs in the first inning with what was reported to be a lower back injury. Eight Detroit pitchers combined in the victory; none pitching more than two innings, with the win going to Joe Jimenez in relief.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (2-8) 5, Detroit (3-7) 6
Toronto (4-6) 5, Cleveland (8-2) 2
Tampa Bay (6-5) 8, Boston (5-6) 4
Seattle (7-4) 6, Minnesota (3-6) 2
Houston (6-3) 6, Chi. Sox (5-5) 1
LA Angels (7-4) 4, Oakland (3-9) 9

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (7-3) 3, Pittsburgh (9-2) 4 (Final/10)
Milwaukee (2-8) 3, Washington (4-6) 5
Atlanta (6-4) 7, Miami (5-5) 4
Cincinnati (1-10) 1, Chi. Cubs (6-4)
NY Mets (7-3) 7, Philadelphia (4-6) 10
LA Dodgers (8-3) 6, San Diego (4-7) 2
San Francisco (4-6) 3, Colorado (8-2) 4

April 9th, 2019
Kansas City (3-8) 5, Detroit (3-8) 3 (Final/10)
Winner: Blake Treinen (1-1) Loser: Gerson Moreno (0-1) Save: Nathan Karns (1)

DOZIER HOMERUN SNAPS THREE-GAME SKID

Tied at two in the tenth with two outs; Hunter Dozier stepped in and belted a three-run homerun off Gerson Moreno to break the stalemate, and the Royals went on to win 5-3. Richard Lovelady came on for the save and was just one out away from saving the game before allowing four straight baserunners to load the bases. Nathan Karns came on and fanned JaCoby Jones, last night's hero, on a 3-2 fastball to end the contest and get the save. Billy Hamilton was 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and a stolen base, surprisingly his first of the season. Both teams notched one in the first, and Jake Junis held the Tigers scoreless over his final five innings of work. He allowed just one run over six, fanning three while scattering six hits, with just one walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (5-6) 8, NY Yankees (6-4) 4
Kansas City (3-8) 5, Detroit (3-8) 3 (Final/10)
Toronto (4-7) 4, Cleveland (9-2) 5
Tampa Bay (6-6) 6, Boston (6-6) 9
Seattle (8-4) 6, Minnesota (3-7) 4
Houston (6-4) 1, Chi. Sox (6-5) 4
LA Angels (8-4) 5, Oakland (3-10) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Texas (8-4) 2, Arizona (3-8) 1 (Final/11)
Milwaukee (2-9) 3, Washington (5-6) 4
Atlanta (7-4) 6, Miami (5-6) 2
Cincinnati (1-11) 1, Chi. Cubs (7-4)
NY Mets (7-4) 1, Philadelphia (5-6) 2
LA Dodgers (9-3) 12, San Diego (4-8) 4
San Francisco (5-6) 6, Colorado (8-3) 2

April 10th, 2019
Kansas City (3-9) 3, Detroit (4-8) 4 (Final/10)
Winner: Joe Jimenez (2-0) Loser: Kelvin Herrera (1-1) Save: None

ROYALS WALKED OFF YET AGAIN

James McCann's bases-loaded single in the 10th nudged the Tigers over the Royals by a 4-3 count. Kelvin Herrera pitched a scoreless ninth, but stayed on for the 10th prior to walking Jeimer Candelario to lead off the inning. Trevor Rosenthal came in, allowing a double to Alejandro Perez and an intentional walk to Nicholas Castellanos. McCann then took Rosenthal's first pitch, a 99-mph fastball, and laced it past third baseman Hunter Dozier to clinch the victory. Trevor Oaks pitched well for the Royals, allowing three runs in six innings, fanning three and scattering five hits. Adalberto Mondesi led the Royals offensively with a walk, stolen base, single, and a double in a 2-for-4 day, driving in two of the three Royals' runs. Dozier, Billy Hamilton, and Jose Iglesias also collected two hits in the contest as Kansas City fell to 3-9.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (3-9) 3, Detroit (4-8) 4 (Final/10)
Seattle (8-5) 2, Minnesota (4-7) 4
Toronto (5-7) 5, Cleveland (9-3) 4
Houston (6-5) 7, Chi. Sox (7-5) 8
Tampa Bay (6-7) 5, Boston (7-6) 9
LA Angels (8-5) 3, Oakland (4-10) 4 (Final/11)
Baltimore (6-6) 9, NY Yankees (6-5) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (8-4) 10, Miami (5-7) 8
San Francisco (5-7) 5, Colorado (9-3) 6
Cincinnati (1-12) 6, Chi. Cubs (8-4) 7
LA Dodgers (9-4) 4, San Diego (5-8) 5
Milwaukee (2-10) 4, Washington (6-6) 5
NY Mets (7-5) 7, Philadelphia (6-6) 8
St. Louis (8-3) 5, Pittsburgh (9-3) 4 (Final/12)
Texas (9-4) 9, Arizona (3-9) 0

April 11th, 2019
Kansas City (3-10) 1, Detroit (5-8) 2
Winner: Beau Burrows (1-0) Loser: Jerry Vasto (0-1) Save: Gerson Moreno (1)

OFFENSE LISTLESS AS TIGERS TAKE SERIES

Daniel Norris no-hit the Royals through five innings, and could only muster one run on a Cheslor Cuthbert single as Kansas City suffered a 2-1 defeat to Detroit. The Royals' already-taxed bullpen slogged through another long game, as starter Ian Kennedy was forced from the game with a back issue in the second inning. Four relievers combined to allow just one run, but it was the deciding run. Making his big-league debut, southpaw Jerry Vasto got through the sixth inning, but left two men on with no one out for Richard Lovelady, who allowed an RBI double to Nicholas Castellanos to break the 1-1 deadlock in the seventh. Lovelady went two innings; fanning three, with just the one hit allowed being the Castellanos double. Now 3-10, the Royals embark on oe of the longer homestands of the season, beginning tomorrow night with the Orioles coming to Kansas City.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (10-3) 10, Minnesota (4-8) 5
Kansas City (3-10) 1, Detroit (5-8) 2
LA Angels (8-6) 4, Oakland (8-5) 11
Baltimore (6-7) 4, NY Yankees (7-5) 5 (Final/10)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (9-3) 8, Pittsburgh (9-4) 3
Chi. Cubs (8-5) 1, Milwaukee (3-10) 2
San Diego (6-8) 4, Miami (5-8) 3
Colorado (10-3) 5, LA Dodgers (9-5) 4 (Final/11)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/08: Angels activate LHP Jerry Blevins from disabled list
04/09: Reds OF Leonys Martin to miss three to four weeks with knee sprain; placed on 10-day disabled list
04/10: Yankees RHP Jeurys Familia to miss up to five weeks with elbow inflammation; placed on 10-day disabled list
04/10: Astros activate RHP Justin Verlander from disabled list; send to Triple-A Fresno for rehab
04/11: Braves place OF Ronald Acuna on disabled list for foot contusion; will miss one to two weeks

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (6-7) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (3-10)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/12: LHP Paul Fry (0-1, 3.97) vs RHP Luis Cessa (0-1, 4.66)
04/13: RHP David Hess (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 5.14)
04/14: RHP Andrew Cashner (1-0, 1.50) vs RHP Jake Junis (0-1, 7.47)

GAME RECAPS

April 12th, 2019
Baltimore (7-7) 12, Kansas City (3-11) 4
Winner: Paul Fry (1-1) Loser: Luis Cessa (0-2) Save: None

O'S TRIPLE UP THE ROYALS

Luis Cessa allowed eight runs in five and two-third innings, and newcomer Dillon Maples struggled in his Royals debut as the Orioles whitewashed the Royals in a 12-4 contest. Maples, who was claimed off waivers right before Opening Day and sent to Omaha, was called up in favor of Nathan Karns after last night's contest to allow a fresh arm in the bullpen. Well, it didn't go so hot for him, allowing four runs in one inning, walking three and allowing five hits. The only major blow offensively for Kansas City was inflicted by Brett Phillips, who homered to left-center field off southpaw Jayson Aquino to cut the lead to 8-4, but then the O's set to work in the ninth against Maples. Jorge Soler and Brian Goodwin each had two hits for the Royals, with one of Goodwin's a triple.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (6-7) 4, Toronto (6-7) 5
Baltimore (7-7) 12, Kansas City (3-11) 4
Boston (8-6) 9, NY Yankees (7-6) 6
Tampa Bay (7-7) 4, Detroit (5-9) 3
Texas (9-5) 4, Houston (7-5) 9
LA Angels (9-6) 2, Chi. Sox (8-6) 1
Cleveland (10-4) 4, Minnesota (5-8) 6
Oakland (4-11) 2, Seattle (9-5) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (9-4) 6, Pittsburgh (9-5) 4
Cincinnati (2-12) 7, NY Mets (7-6) 6 (Final/10)
San Diego (7-8) 4, Miami (5-9) 0
St. Louis (9-4) 1, Philadelphia (7-6) 2
Chi. Cubs (9-5) 10, Milwaukee (3-11) 3
Colorado (10-4) 3, LA Dodgers (10-5) 6
San Francisco (6-7) 11, Arizona (3-10) 4

April 13th, 2019
Baltimore (7-8) 10, Kansas City (4-11) 11 (Final/10)
Winner: Blake Treinen (2-1) Loser: Chance Sisco (0-1) Save: None

ROYALS EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN WILD, BACK-AND-FORTH GAME

The Royals blew not one, not two, but three different leads in the middle-to-late innings; including a 10-6 lead after the seventh inning, but Hunter Dozier rapped a single off Chance Sisco to nudge the Royals over the line in an 11-10, ten-inning walk-off victory. The Royals likely would have wrapped up the contest in the ninth, but a fielding error by first baseman Ryan O'Hearn to lead off the inning led to an unearned run that sent the game to extras, after closer Blake Treinen settled in and got out of the inning with the score tied at ten. Baltimore sent closer Hiang-ta Zhang to the mound, but had to leave after one batter with a shoulder issue, leaving the bullpen with no fresh arms. Sisco, the team's reserve catcher, came off the bench and allowed three straight hits to drop the contest. Every Royals starter had at least one hit, with Dozier and Billy Hamilton each collecting three. Backup catcher Patrick Mazeika also drove in his first MLB RBI with a single in the Royals' four-run seventh that was eventually wiped out.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (7-7) 4, Toronto (6-8) 2
Baltimore (7-8) 10, Kansas City (4-11) 11 (Final/10)
Boston (8-7) 2, NY Yankees (8-6) 7
Tampa Bay (8-7) 4, Detroit (5-10) 0
Texas (9-6) 1, Houston (8-5) 8
LA Angels (10-6) 5, Chi. Sox (8-7) 3
Cleveland (10-5) 3, Minnesota (6-8) 9
Oakland (5-11) 5, Seattle (9-6) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (9-5) 1, Pittsburgh (10-5) 2
Cincinnati (2-13) 0, NY Mets (8-6) 1
San Diego (7-9) 5, Miami (6-9) 8
St. Louis (10-4) 9, Philadelphia (7-7) 1
Chi. Cubs (9-6) 0, Milwaukee (4-11) 3
Colorado (11-4) 5, LA Dodgers (10-6) 4
San Francisco (6-8) 2, Arizona (4-10) 10

April 14th, 2019
Baltimore (7-9) 6, Kansas City (5-11) 7
Winner: Jorge Lopez (1-0) Loser: Jimmy Yacabonis (1-3) Save: None

KARDIAC KIDS OF KAUFFMAN CLAIM VICTORY

Different night, different hero as Adalberto Mondesi's single to score Patrick Mazeika walked the Orioles off in a 7-6 victory for the home team. It was his only hit of the night, going 1-for-6 with two RBI in the game, also collecting one on a groundball out in the previous inning. Jake Junis got the ball to start for Kansas City, and cruised along until the sixth inning, when a two-run homerun from former Royal third baseman Mike Moustakas put Baltimore in front by one, 3-2. Michael Chavis led off the seventh inning with a solo homerun against Junis, but was able to get one more out before being chased from the contest. He fanned nine with no walks, while scattering seven hits and four runs and didn't factor into the decision. Cheslor Cuthbert was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, and Jose Iglesias, Billy Hamilton, and Mazeika all scored twice in the contest.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Washington (8-7) 2, Toronto (6-9) 1
Baltimore (7-9) 6, Kansas City (5-11) 7
Boston (8-8) 6, NY Yankees (9-6) 11
Tampa Bay (9-7) 8, Detroit (5-11) 3
Texas (9-7) 3, Houston (9-5) 11
LA Angels (10-7) 4, Chi. Sox (9-7) 8
Cleveland (11-5) 7, Minnesota (6-9) 1
Oakland (5-12) 1, Seattle (10-6) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (10-5) 9, Pittsburgh (10-6) 1
Cincinnati (2-14) 1, NY Mets (9-6) 3
San Diego (8-9) 4, Miami (6-10) 1
St. Louis (10-5) 1, Philadelphia (8-7) 3
Chi. Cubs (9-7) 1, Milwaukee (5-11) 3
Colorado (11-5) 1, LA Dodgers (11-6) 3
San Francisco (6-9) 6, Arizona (5-10) 7

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/12: San Diego activates RHP Carter Capps from disabled list; designates RHP Sergio Romo for assignment
04/13: Blue Jays place 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on 10-day disabled list (hamstring), could miss one to two weeks
04/13: Boston places SS Xander Bogaerts on 10-day disabled list (arm soreness)
04/14: Angels OF Justin Upton hits 300th career homerun in 8-4 loss to White Sox
04/14: Nationals designate 3B Pablo Sandoval for assignment
04/14: Orioles place RHP Hiang-ta Zhang (partially torn labrum) on 10-day disabled list; will miss four to six weeks

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS CALL UP TOP PROSPECT; DESIGNATE HERRERA
Lefty Hill also re-called; Vasto sent down
By artoodeetoo
04/15/2018

It came a bit earlier than expected, but the Royals have purchased the contract of Omaha infielder Nicky Lopez and promoted him to the big leagues, according to MLB.com Royals writer Jeffrey Flanagan, among others. Through four games, Lopez is 6-for-18 (.333) with one homerun and five RBI. He also has a double and a triple in the early going, with two walks to just one strikeout.

To make room on the roster, the Royals had to designate Rosell Herrera, who is out of MLB options. It is not expected that he'll be claimed by any team, and the Royals expect that he'll report to Omaha once cleared.

The timing of the move is curious; as Lopez is one of the more highly touted prospects in the team's system (#9 out of 30 in BA's Opening Day rankings). It also raises questions why they didn't just do this over the offseason, but manager Ned Yost said that he's going to get a "significant" amount of playing time going forward.

"The plan is, from what I've been conveyed, that he's here for keeps," said Yost. "I've watched him in big-league camp. He's ready for the big leagues, but the question has always been if there was room for him."

Jose Iglesias has been the team's starting shortstop; and Adalberto Mondesi has slid over to second to begin the season, which has always been a little puzzling. Yost also mentioned that while not a natural shortstop, Lopez will get reps there periodically.

In other roster news, the Royals optioned southpaw Jerry Vasto to Omaha, while re-calling fellow southpaw Tim Hill. Hill, who had an ERA of 30.86 in ten games (throwing just two and one-third innings), is back on the big-league roster after not throwing a pitch at Triple-A in any of their games to date.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB STANDINGS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

BOSTON RED SOX (9-8) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (5-11)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/16: LHP David Price (1-0, 6.75) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (1-1, 4.42)
04/17: RHP Rick Porcello (1-1, 4.42) vs RHP Ian Kennedy (0-1, 6.57)
04/18: RHP Steven Wright (0-2, 10.54) vs RHP Luis Cessa (0-2, 7.63)

GAME RECAPS

April 16th, 2019
Boston (9-9) 2, Kansas City (6-11) 3
Winner: Richard Lovelady (1-2) Loser: Carson Smith (2-2) Save: Trevor Rosenthal (1)

ROYALS EDGE RED SOX WITH LATE RALLY

Cheslor Cuthbert's two-out RBI double in the eighth inning against Carson Smith proved to be the difference as the Royals won their third straight game in a 3-2 decision. Cuthbert also doubled in the sixth off David Price as part of a 2-for-4 game. Trevor Oaks helped the Royals with a solid start, as he went six and one-third innings, scattering four hits and two earned runs while striking out four. After Cuthbert's double in the eighth, the Red Sox loaded the bases against southpaw Richard Lovelady with two outs thanks to a trio of walks in the ninth, but Trevor Rosenthal came in and fanned Red Sox catcher Oscar Hernandez to end the game and pick up the save. Lovelady had pitched a clean eighth inning before being lifted in the ninth. The Royals will try to make it four straight tomorrow night, as Ian Kennedy takes to the mound to face Rick Porcello.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (9-9) 2, Kansas City (6-11) 3
Chi. Sox (10-8) 0, Tampa Bay (10-8) 2
Philadelphia (8-9) 3, Baltimore (9-9) 4 (Final/11)
Oakland (5-14) 3, Toronto (8-9) 4
Detroit (5-12) 3, Minnesota (7-9) 5
Seattle (10-8) 1, Houston (11-5) 2
Cleveland (13-5) 5, Texas (9-9) 4
NY Yankees (10-7) 3, LA Angels (10-8) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (6-11) 5, Cincinnati (2-15) 3 (G1)
Milwaukee (7-11) 9, Cincinnati (2-16) 5 (G2)
Chi. Cubs (10-8) 5, Pittsburgh (11-7) 5
Miami (6-12) 0, NY Mets (11-6) 10
Washington (10-7) 6, Atlanta (10-7) 5
Colorado (12-5) 6, San Francisco (6-10) 1
San Diego (8-11) 3, St. Louis (12-5) 12
Arizona (5-12) 0, LA Dodgers (13-6) 4

April 17th, 2019
Boston (10-9) 6, Kansas City (6-12) 1
Winner: Rick Porcello (2-1) Loser: Ian Kennedy (0-2) Save: None

PORCELLO STYMIES ROYALS' OFFENSE

Rick Porcello fanned eight over seven innings, and the Royals' offense failed to gain much traction in a 6-1 defeat at Boston's hands. Brett Phillips homered and singled in a 2-for-4 game, providing the Royals' only run with a fourth-inning solo shot. The Royals collected just five hits, but one of them was a milestone hit -- Nicky Lopez singled to left in the third inning off Porcello for his first MLB hit, going 1-for-3. With twelve hits and six runs allowed in six innings, Ian Kennedy threw a season-high 109 pitches to take the loss. Nathan Karns, Tim Hill, and Kelvin Herrera all tossed scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the defeat.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (10-9) 6, Kansas City (6-12) 1
Chi. Sox (11-8) 4, Tampa Bay (10-9) 2
Oakland (6-14) 8, Toronto (8-10) 3
Detroit (6-12) 8, Minnesota (7-10) 6
Seattle (10-9) 4, Houston (12-5) 5
Cleveland (13-6) 6, Texas (10-9) 7
NY Yankees (10-8) 3, LA Angels (11-8) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (7-12) 3, Cincinnati (3-16) 4 (Final/10)
Chi. Cubs (10-9) 0, Pittsburgh (12-7) 1
Miami (7-12) 5, NY Mets (11-7) 3
Washington (10-8) 1, Atlanta (11-7) 7
Colorado (13-5) 2, San Francisco (6-11) 1
San Diego (9-11) 6, St. Louis (12-6) 3
Arizona (5-13) 5, LA Dodgers (14-6) 11

April 18th, 2019
Boston (10-10) 1, Kansas City (7-12) 6
Winner: Jorge Lopez (2-0) Loser: Steven Wright (0-3) Save: None

ROYALS WIN; CLAIM BACK-TO-BACK SERIES FOR FIRST TIME

The Royals won their second straight series, using a five-run fourth inning to propel them to a 6-1 victory over the Red Sox. Cheslor Cuthbert had the big blow in that frame, belting a bases-loaded triple to put them up 3-0. Brett Phillips followed up with a triple of his own to increase the lead to four, and then Hunter Dozier brought him home with a groundball out for the fifth run. Starting pitcher Luis Cessa left after just one hitter with an ankle injury, and didn't return. Jorge Lopez and Nathan Karns each tossed four innings, with Karns allowing just one run in his stint. Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers collected six of the Red Sox' eight hits, with four doubles between them. In his first series with the Royals, Nicky Lopez made a big impact, going 2-for-6 with four walks and two steals in the three games.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (10-10) 1, Kansas City (7-12) 6
Tampa Bay (11-9) 7, Baltimore (9-10) 6 (Final/10)
Seattle (10-10) 4, Houston (13-5) 13
NY Yankees (11-8) 5, LA Angels (11-9) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (12-7) 3, Washington (11-8) 6
NY Mets (12-7) 8, Atlanta (11-8) 7
Philadelphia (9-9) 4, Cincinnati (3-17) 2
Colorado (14-5) 4, San Francisco (6-12) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/15: White Sox' Delmonico, Dodgers' Machado win Player of the Week honors
04/15: Angels place RHP Charlie Morton (torn labrum) on 60-day disabled list; could miss up to three months
04/15: Texas signs former Indians reliever Cody Allen to one-year, $14.1M deal
04/15: Rockies, Braves, Tribe sit atop first 2019 Power Rankings
04/16: Braves 2B Ozzie Albies to miss four to six additional weeks (broken finger)
04/17: Toronto 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reinjures hamstring in workout; out up to another week
04/17: Cardinals sign lefty specialist Jake Diekman to one-year, $3.52M deal
04/17: Blue Jays place RHP Aaron Sanchez (bicep tendinitis) on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 04/16/2019
04/18: Toronto OF Curtis Granderson (sprained wrist) placed on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 04/17/2019

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (11-8) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (7-12)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/19: LHP Carlos Rodon (3-1, 2.42) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 4.74)
04/20: LHP Michael Strong (0-2, 5.68) vs RHP Jake Junis (0-1, 6.95)
04/21: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-0, 7.47) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (1-1, 4.01)

GAME RECAPS

April 19th, 2019
Chi. Sox (12-8) 10, Kansas City (7-13) 5
Winner: Nate Jones (1-0) Loser: Blake Treinen (2-2) Save: None

HUGE NINTH DOOMS KANSAS CITY

Kansas City entered the ninth with a 5-4 lead, but ended with a thud as the White Sox posted six runs against closer Blake Treinen and Kelvin Herrera to take a 10-5 decision. Brian McCann doubled to tie the score at five in the ninth, before Nicky Delmonico walked with two outs and the bases loaded to break the tie. With Kelvin Herrera now in the game, Jose Adolis Garcia launched a grand slam to right field, putting the game out of reach. Danny Duffy went six and one-third innings, allowing four runs while fanning seven with two walks. His only mistake came in the fifth inning, allowing a three-run homerun with the Royals up 3-1. Salvador Perez and Brett Phillips each hit their third homeruns of the season in the defeat.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (12-8) 10, Kansas City (7-13) 5
Detroit (6-13) 3, Boston (11-10) 11
Tampa Bay (12-9) 4, Baltimore (9-11) 2
Minnesota (8-10) 2, Toronto (8-11) 0
Seattle (11-10) 3, Cleveland (13-7) 1
Houston (13-6) 1, Oakland (7-14) 10
NY Yankees (11-9) 4, Texas (11-9) 7
Colorado (15-5) 7, LA Angels (11-10) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (12-8) 0, Washington (12-8) 1
NY Mets (12-8) 3, Atlanta (12-8) 4
Philadelphia (10-9) 8, Cincinnati (3-18) 3
Milwaukee (7-13) 2, Chi. Cubs (11-9) 10
Miami (7-13) 1, Arizona (6-13) 4
LA Dodgers (15-6) 2, San Francisco (6-13) 1
Pittsburgh (12-8) 4, San Diego (10-11) 5

April 20th, 2019
Chi. Sox (12-9) 2, Kansas City (8-13) 5
Winner: Jake Junis (1-1) Loser: Michael Strong (0-3) Save: Richard Lovelady (1)

ROYALS TIE SERIES BEHIND JUNIS GEM

Jake Junis looked like his 2018 self in this one, going eight strong innings as the Royals downed the White Sox 5-2 in AL Central action. Junis fanned eleven with just one walk, scattering four hits and two runs. He allowed a pair of runs in the first inning before settling in with seven scoreless after that. The Royals also scored a pair in the first, and managed to pick up two more in the fifth on a Cheslor Cuthbert double, and a run batted in after an error with two outs. In the eighth, Gregory Infante walked three straight Royals to load the bases, and reliever Danny Farquhar hit Jose Iglesias to bring in an additional insurance run. Trevor Rosenthal got the first two outs in the ninth rather easily, but back-to-back baserunners brought up pinch-hitter Mike Ford. Ned Yost turned to Richard Lovelady, who retired Ford on a groundball to short to end the contest.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (12-9) 2, Kansas City (8-13) 5
Detroit (6-14) 4, Boston (12-10) 5
Tampa Bay (12-10) 4, Baltimore (10-11) 7
Minnesota (8-11) 2, Toronto (9-11) 3
Seattle (11-11) 5, Cleveland (14-7) 6
Houston (14-6) 10, Oakland (7-15) 5
NY Yankees (12-9) 10, Texas (11-10) 2
Colorado (15-6) 2, LA Angels (12-10) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
St. Louis (12-9) 3, Washington (13-8) 5
NY Mets (13-8) 4, Atlanta (12-9) 3
Philadelphia (11-9) 6, Cincinnati (3-19) 3
Milwaukee (7-14) 1, Chi. Cubs (12-9) 6
Miami (8-13) 11, Arizona (6-14) 7
LA Dodgers (15-7) 4, San Francisco (7-13) 6
Pittsburgh (12-9) 1, San Diego (11-11) 9

April 21st, 2019
Chi. Sox (13-9) 2, Kansas City (8-14) 1
Winner: Miguel Gonzalez (1-0) Loser: Trevor Oaks (1-2) Save: Luis Avilan (3)

ROYALS LOSE TIGHT CONTEST

Kansas City mustered just four hits in the game, including just two off starter Miguel Gonzalez, as the Royals dropped the rubber game of their home series with the White Sox by a 2-1 count. With the win yesterday, though, they clinched a winning homestand for the first time this season. Trevor Oaks took the loss, allowing four hits and four walks, while striking out four over six innings. He allowed just two runs, all on one hit; which was a single by Jose Adolis Garcia, who hit the grand slam in the ninth two nights ago. Reserve catcher Patrick Mazeika was the only Royal with more than one hit, going 2-for-3 out of the 9-hole in the order.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (13-9) 2, Kansas City (8-14) 1
Detroit (7-14) 10, Boston (12-11) 3
Tampa Bay (13-10) 6, Baltimore (10-12) 3
Minnesota (9-11) 4, Toronto (9-12) 3
NY Yankees (12-10) 4, Texas (12-10) 12
Houston (15-6) 5, Oakland (7-16) 1
Colorado (16-6) 11, LA Angels (12-11) 8
Seattle (12-11) 5, Cleveland (14-8) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia (11-10) 5, Cincinnati (4-19) 6
NY Mets (14-8) 7, Atlanta (12-10) 2
St. Louis (13-9) 5, Washington (13-9) 2
Milwaukee (8-14) 5, Chi. Cubs (12-10) 1
Pittsburgh (13-9) 3, San Diego (11-12) 0
Miami (8-14) 1, Arizona (7-14) 3
LA Dodgers (16-7) 5, San Francisco (7-14) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
04/19: San Francisco closer Mark Melancon to miss four to five weeks with hamstring strain
04/19: Tampa Bay places OF Tommy Pham on 10-day disabled list (back); will miss two to three weeks
04/20: Phillies place RHP Zach Eflin on 60-day disabled list (forearm)
04/20: Mets SS Amed Rosario (foot) plaeced on 10-day disabled list; will miss two to three weeks