Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019 ROSTER UPDATE

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (52-54) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (54-53)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

07/30: RHP Zach Davies (6-12, 5.50) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (10-4, 2.93)
07/31: RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 5.40) vs RHP Luis Cessa (8-4, 3.32)

GAME RECAPS

July 30th, 2019
Milwaukee (52-55) 3, Kansas City (55-53) 6
Winner: Trevor Oaks (11-4) Loser: Zach Davies (6-13) Save: Jorge Lopez (3)

ALONSO SLUGS ROYALS TO VICTORY

Peter Alonso drilled a pair of homeruns as part of a 4-for-4 day, leading the Royals to a 6-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers to begin a short two-game home series. Trevor Oaks picked up the victory, going seven and two-third innings while striking out nine with just two walks. He did allow three homeruns in the game, including two to Christian Yelich, but they were all of the solo variety. Jorge Lopez pitched for the first time in over a week, going one and one-third innings for the four-out save, his third save of the season. Adalberto Mondesi was 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Salvador Perez was 2-for-4 with a homerun, his 14th of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
LA Angels (49-58) 12, Toronto (46-61) 10
Boston (72-37) 5, Baltimore (48-59) 3
Washington (56-52) 1, NY Yankees (71-39) 2
Milwaukee (52-55) 3, Kansas City (55-53) 7
Chi. Sox (53-53) 2, Cleveland (53-55) 6
Seattle (47-62) 4, Houston (65-42) 5
Tampa Bay (46-60) 7, Texas (49-59) 4
Detroit (38-68) 6, Minnesota (45-63) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Colorado (68-41) 2, LA Dodgers (66-44) 5
Philadelphia (54-55) 8, Atlanta (54-51) 0
NY Mets (66-40) 5, Miami (40-67) 1
Pittsburgh (54-53) 2, St. Louis (68-40) 4
San Diego (47-59) 2, Chi. Cubs (68-39) 5
Oakland (51-58) 7, San Francisco (51-57) 8
Cincinnati (33-77) 7, Arizona (50-58) 0

July 31st, 2019
Milwaukee (52-56) 1, Kansas City (56-53) 6
Winner: Luis Cessa (9-4) Loser: Corbin Burnes (0-1) Save: None

KANSAS CITY MOVES INTO FIRST PLACE WITH WIN

Luis Cessa struck out six in six innings of work, and the Royals did all of their damage in the third, fourth, and fifth innings as the Royals swept the short two-game series with a 6-1 victory over the visiting Brewers. Kansas City has now won seven straight, and occupy first place in the division for the first time all season long. Brian Goodwin led the way with a homerun, his ninth of the season. He was 2-for-3 with two RBI and also had a single in the contest. Peter Alonso extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 performance, also extending a streak of games with at least one RBI to nine games, a Royals record. Adalberto Mondesi added to his team-lead in doubles with two more as part of a 2-for-4 game.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
LA Angels (50-58) 4, Toronto (46-62) 3
Boston (72-38) 2, Baltimore (49-59) 7
Milwaukee (52-56) 1, Kansas City (56-53) 6
Chi. Sox (54-53) 5, Cleveland (53-56) 1
Seattle (47-63) 3, Houston (66-42) 8
Tampa Bay (46-61) 1, Texas (50-59) 2 (Final/14)
Detroit (39-68) 9, Minnesota (45-64) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia (55-55) 6, Atlanta (54-52) 4
NY Mets (66-41) 2, Miami (41-67) 3 (Final/10)
Pittsburgh (54-54) 2, St. Louis (69-40) 9
San Diego (47-60) 1, Chi. Cubs (69-39) 5
Cincinnati (33-78) 1, Arizona (51-58) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
07/29: Harper, Hoskins named league's Players of the Week
07/29: Red Sox, Astros, Cards round out top three of new power rankings
07/29: Braves righty Jose Ramirez out for season with rotator cuff injury
07/29: White Sox acquire Ervin Santana from Miami for minor-league IF Johan Cruz
07/30: All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to miss two to three weeks with wrist bruise
07/30: Yasmani Grandal returns to the Dodgers in trade; Henry Sosa and Caleb Ferguson to Texas in return
07/30: Marlins ship 3B Derek Dietrich, RHP Kyle Barraclough to the Angels for four prospects
07/30: Cubs acquire RHP Juan Nicasio for minor-league infielder; Nicasio to come off DL in early August
07/31: Padres 3B Christian Villanueva tears ligaments in left ankle; will miss remainder of season
07/31: Hoskins, Gohara suspended three and six games, respectively, for bench-clearing incident yesterday
07/31: Atlanta trades relievers Grant Dayton, Arodys Vizcaino to Boston and St. Louis, respectively
07/31: Boston acquires LHP J.A. Happ for pitchers Tanner Houck, Mike Shawaryn
07/31: Cubs trade for IF Jose Reyes from Detroit; acquire minor-league IF Zack Short in return
07/31: Rangers trade closer Cody Allen to the White Sox for pitcher A.J. Puckett and catcher Zack Collins
07/31: Nationals acquire Lance Lynn from Detroit for RHP Wander Suero

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

GENERAL MANAGER'S JULY REPORT

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS

Kansas City Royals: 56-53
Chicago White Sox: 54-53
Cleveland Indians: 53-56
Minnesota Twins: 45-64
Detroit Tigers: 39-68

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS

We've brought on three new players in the last week with two major trades. There is some initial concern with team chemistry and how these moves will affect it, but so far with the Jimmy Nelson and Corey Knebel deal, there has been little negative effect, if any. The only downside is that we now have six outfielders on the roster, and Alex Gordon has yet to come back from the disabled list. We didn't bring in David Peralta to play in the field, so essentially five players for three spots, and Brian Goodwin is playing really well, so it's going to be up to Ned to make the numbers work.

We also regret having to give up some solid prospects to acquire these players, but we were fortunate to be dealing from positions of strength.

MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATE RECORDS

Omaha: 56-45 (2nd, PCL Amer. North)
NW Arkansas: 46-57 (3rd, Texas League North)
Wilmington: 53-50 (T-2nd, Carolina League, Northern Division)
Lexington: 61-41 (1st, South Atlantic League, Southern Division)
Burlington: 24-12 (1st, Appalachian League East)
Idaho Falls: 18-22 (3rd, Pioneer League South)
Kansas City AZL: 26-10 (1st, Arizona League West)
Kansas City DSL 1: 22-23 (T-3rd, Boca Chica NW)
Kansas City DSL 2: 21-23 (4th, Boca Chica NW)

REPORTS FROM MINOR LEAGUE MANAGERS

In the last month, we had some instances of clubhouse tension at the Double-A level. Tension in a clubhouse is common, especially between competitive players who are trying to get ahead, but when it spills over into frustration on the field, it becomes an issue. According to manager Gerald Perry, it has not gotten any worse, but it's becoming a situation that is probably going to have to be looked at on a personnel level. Where is the best fit for the player(s) involved? Or do we need to go in another direction with the coaches? Perry was just hired this year, but generally managers in the minors are on a year-to-year basis.

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - JULY

Kansas City: Peter Alonso, 1B
For a while, this looked like Brett Phillips' to lose, but Alonso came on strong late with a nine-game hit streak, and nine-game RBI streak to end with a .396/.432/.693 triple-slash in July. He hit a team-high six homeruns in the month, and had the second-most RBI with twenty-five. Yes, Jake Junis was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for July, but Alonso has made a much bigger impact day-to-day (and was named AL Rookie of the Month for July).

Omaha: Tim Hill, LHP
Hill has had a rough go with the Royals, but appears to have regained some confidence in Triple-A. In 10 2/3 innings, he fanned fourteen hitters with just one walk, covering twelve outings. In addition, he allowed just four hits (all singles), with one earned run.

NW Arkansas: Marten Gasparini, SS
Blake Perkins was a shoo-in for this award, but is no longer within the organization, so the next-best player in July was a newcomer to Double-A in Gasparini. 'Gaspy' is young for this level (this is his age-21 season), but has hit at every level he's been at. He slashed .318/.403/.697 for the month, hitting six homeruns and seven doubles with twenty RBI in just seventy-four plate appearances with the Naturals.

Wilmington: Scott Blewett, RHP
Blewett struggled in Double-A this year, but it appears a move back to High-A has helped his confidence. He fanned nearly a batter per inning in 43 2/3 July innings (six starts), going at least six innings in every start. He spun a 3.16 ERA and a .197 BAA in the above timeframes, walking just fourteen hitters in the process.

Lexington: Eric Cole, OF
2018 fourth-rounder Cole broke up Kyle Hinton's strangle-hold on this award, going 35-of-103 in July (.340), with five homeruns, twenty RBI, ten doubles, and two triples. He also notched eleven steals in thirteen attempts, and had the second-most runs scored with eighteen, only behind teammate Brhet Bewley's twenty.

Burlington: Isaiah Smith, OF
Smith is now going to play for Lexington; as he was called up yesterday, but not before he had a big month of late June, and into July. He hit .329/.395/.564 in 153 plate appearances, leading the team in RBI with thirty-one, and smacking twenty extra-base hits, including twelve doubles and five homeruns.

Idaho Falls: Dallas Beaver, C
The Royals' 17th-round pick this past June, Beaver already has ten homeruns and thirteen doubles in 135 plate appearances so far this season, hitting .338 with twenty-four runs scored as part of a high-powered Idaho Falls offense.

Royals AZL: Javier Guadalupe Sanchez, SS
An undrafted free agent in 2017, Sanchez hit a ridiculous .382/.477/.603 in 156 plate appearances with twenty-four walks to just seven strikeouts through late June and all of July. He leads the team in RBI (32), is second in doubles (10), and leads in triples (8) through the first month-and-a-half of the season.

Royals DSL 1: Wilmin Candelario, SS
Candelario makes it two months in a row, hitting .311/.320/.451 with one homerun and a team-high twenty-four RBI in 124 plate appearances in July. He also led the team in doubles in the month (10), and scored twelve runs.

Royals DSL 2: Diego Maican, OF
Maican hit .357/.388/.482 with seven doubles, two triples, and one homerun, but his most impressive stat was four strikeouts in 118 plate appearances (yes, you read that right). Maican also swiped three bases and scored a team-high eighteen runs in July.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019 STANDINGS UPDATE

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (56-53) @ TEXAS RANGERS (50-59)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/02: RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-4, 4.66) vs LHP Hyun-jin Ryu (7-7, 4.65)
08/03: LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 3.83) vs RHP A.J. Puckett (0-0, 0.00)
08/04: RHP Jake Junis (8-5, 3.45) vs LHP Brian Johnson (3-5, 6.91)

GAME RECAPS

August 2nd, 2019
Kansas City (56-54) 3, Texas (51-59) 5
Winner: Hyun-jin Ryu (8-7) Loser: Richard Lovelady (4-5) Save: Alex Claudio (6)

CALHOUN HOMERUNS STOP ROYALS' STREAK AT SIX

A pair of Willie Calhoun homeruns gave the Rangers just enough to power past the Royals by a 5-3 count. The dimunitive slugger was 3-for-3 with three runs scored on the day, with his first homerun off Jimmy Nelson and his second coming against Drew Smith, who replaced Nelson after just one inning. Nelson left early with an apparent side injury, later diagnosed as an oblique strain that landed him on the disabled list post-game. He'll miss at least two starts, and it is unclear who the Royals will re-call to take his place. By going 2-for-4 with two RBI, Peter Alonso extended his hit and RBI streaks to ten games apiece. In his first game back from the disabled list, Alex Gordon went 2-for-4 with a double, his 13th two-bagger of 2019.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (56-54) 3, Texas (51-59) 5
Baltimore (50-60) 4, NY Yankees (72-40) 3
LA Angels (50-60) 6, Detroit (40-68) 9
Cleveland (55-56) 7, Toronto (47-63) 2
Chi. Sox (54-55) 2, Minnesota (46-64) 9
Boston (72-40) 2, Oakland (53-58) 5
Tampa Bay (46-63) 5, Houston (68-42) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
LA Dodgers (66-46) 4, Pittsburgh (56-54) 6
Philadelphia (55-57) 5, Washington (58-52) 6
Milwaukee (54-56) 6, Miami (41-69) 4
Atlanta (55-53) 9, NY Mets (67-42) 2
Seattle (47-64) 7, Arizona (53-58) 9 (Final/12)
Colorado (69-42) 7, San Francisco (52-58) 1

August 3rd, 2019
Kansas City (56-55) 10, Texas (52-59) 11
Winner: Nick Gardewine (3-3) Loser: Tony Cingrani (2-3) Save: Alex Claudio (7)

ROYALS FALL BY ONE DESPITE SALVY SLAM

Errors did the Royals no favors, as a first-inning error by Adalberto Mondesi led to four unearned runs, which played a huge role in the Royals' 11-10 defeat at Texas. Danny Duffy struggled through five innings, allowing eight runs (four earned), with four strikeouts, ten hits, and three walks. The Royals actually managed to come back from an 8-3 deficit with a five-run seventh inning, capped off with a Salvador Perez grand slam. But three runs by the Rangers in the eighth, including a two-run bomb off the bat of Joey Gallo; put the Rangers back up one, and Alex Claudio pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (56-55) 10, Texas (52-59) 11
Baltimore (50-61) 2, NY Yankees (73-40) 6
LA Angels (51-60) 5, Detroit (40-69) 4 (Final/12)
Cleveland (55-57) 1, Toronto (48-63) 4
Chi. Sox (55-55) 5, Minnesota (46-65) 2
Boston (73-40) 7, Oakland (53-59) 5 (Final/17)
Tampa Bay (46-64) 3, Houston (69-42) 12

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Cubs (71-40) 1, St. Louis (70-41) 6
San Diego (48-62) 6, Cincinnati (34-80) 2
LA Dodgers (67-46) 5, Pittsburgh (56-55) 3
Philadelphia (56-57) 13, Washington (58-53) 8
Milwaukee (54-57) 3, Miami (42-69) 8
Atlanta (56-53) 10, NY Mets (67-43) 7 (Final/11)
Seattle (48-64) 7, Arizona (53-59) 6
Colorado (69-43) 1, San Francisco (53-58) 4

August 4th, 2019
Kansas City (57-55) 9, Texas (52-60) 6
Winner: Jake Junis (9-5) Loser: A.J. Puckett (0-1) Save: Corey Knebel (21)

KANSAS CITY HANGS ON TO SALVAGE FINAL GAME

With back-to-back four-run frames in the fourth and fifth innings, the Royals were able to hang on against the Rangers in a 9-6 victory. Jake Junis rolled through four and two-third hitless, scoreless innings before a homerun, double, and homerun cut the lead from 8-0 to 8-3. Junis went six innings, allowing six runs (five earned) with three strikeouts and no walks to pick up the victory. Peter Alonso extended his hitting streak to twelve games, with his seventh straight multi-hit game in a 2-for-5 performance. Blake Treinen and Corey Knebel pitched scoreless innings; with Knebel picking up his third save as a Royal, and 21st overall.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (57-55) 9, Texas (52-60) 6
Baltimore (50-62) 2, NY Yankees (74-40) 12
LA Angels (51-61) 3, Detroit (41-69) 6
Cleveland (56-57) 7, Toronto (48-64) 5 (Final/10)
Chi. Sox (56-55) 7, Minnesota (46-66) 1
Boston (74-40) 9, Oakland (53-60) 4
Tampa Bay (46-65) 2, Houston (70-42) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Cubs (71-41) 2, St. Louis (71-41) 3
San Diego (48-63) 4, Cincinnati (35-80) 5
LA Dodgers (68-46) 9, Pittsburgh (56-56) 6
Philadelphia (56-58) 3, Washington (59-53) 5 (Final/16)
Milwaukee (54-58) 0, Miami (43-69) 2
Atlanta (56-54) 3, NY Mets (68-43) 9
Seattle (48-65) 1, Arizona (54-59) 4
Colorado (70-43) 4, San Francisco (53-59) 2

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/01: MLB Trade Deadline recap: Who is still on the board in the waiver period?
08/01: Red Sox' Bryce Harper, Rox' Ryan McMahon named AL & NL HotM
08/01: Royals' Jake Junis, Reds' Luis Castillo named AL & NL PotM
08/01: Peter Alonso (KC), Juan Soto (WAS) named AL & NL RotM
08/02: Dee Gordon's hit streak snapped at twenty-four
08/03: Arizona places OF Jackie Bradley Jr (ankle) on the 10-day disabled list, retro to 08/02/2019
08/03: Royals place RHP Jimmy Nelson (oblique) on 10-day disabled list, retro to 08/02/2019
08/04: Giants' Ian Kinsler notches 2,000th-career hit with a second-inning single

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

WHO IS STILL ON THE BOARD?
Handful of names could still move before August 31st
08/05/2019
By Jason Frampton

The non-waiver deadline is over, but that doesn't mean that the trade rumor mill stops running. Keep in mind that a lot can happen over the next several weeks, so these names are a preliminary listing.

Marcus Stroman -- Stroman could be what Justin Verlander was to the Astros two years ago for some lucky team, but the Blue Jays have to be willing to deal, which is no sure thing. Another overlooked aspect of a potential Stroman deal is that, is he really an ace anymore? His K/9 rates leveled off in 2016 and 2017, and have fallen to 6.7 (2018), and now 6.0 (2019). He's just twenty-eight, so he's beginning to fade in what should be his prime production years. It's why Jays GM Ross Atkins is not likely to deal -- he's going to want a king's ransom for him, but the numbers just won't add up for contenders.

Starlin Castro -- Castro has a $16M team option for 2020, so he's essentially a rental. It was thought that Castro would go to the Angels to play third base, but the Halos balked at his remaining salary and acquired Derek Dietrich instead, citing the need for a left-handed bat. For a guy with solid power numbers (18 HR, 71 RBI), his OPS (.680) and OPS+ (80) are decidedly below average, and if he insists on staying at second base, his value is even less than that.

Jeff Samardzija -- Samardzija is under contract through next season, so any team that takes him on needs to be willing to take on an additional $18M for next year. His numbers are strange over the last few years; as his ERA has dropped nearly a point and a half from 2018, but his strikeout rate has dropped just over two strikeouts per nine innings. He's never walked many, as he's consistently been around 1.5 BB/9. In some ways, he's a better pitcher than Stroman, but that price tag....hoo boy. Shark has been a solid, if not very good pitcher over the past handful of seasons, but he's not on the level of a Verlander circa 2017, making that $18M for 2020 worth it.

Jake Arrieta -- With a $20M option for 2020, Arrieta carries some risk, although not as much as Samardzija. He's had a nice run over his last four starts, going at least seven and one-third innings in each start while giving up no more than three earned runs, including two starts with at least eight innings. It's entirely possible that he pitches well enough over the last two months that he feels that he out-played his option year and tests the market, but therein lies the rub for interested teams.

Adam Jones -- He's dealt with injuries this year; which has limited him to mainly DH duties, but he's still put up solid numbers (.281/.321/.453) with nine homeruns and eight doubles in 221 plate appearances. He's hit lefties to the tune of .344, which is to be expected, but he's been solid against the same hand, hitting .261 with all nine of his homeruns coming against right-handed pitchers, so he's more than a platoon piece.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

METS RELEASE BRUCE, VARGAS
Trade deadline acquisitions paved the way for release
08/05/2019
By David LoPietro

The Mets designated both outfielder Jay Bruce and pitcher Jason Vargas for assignment on the 1st, but both cleared waivers this morning, and have subsequently been released by the Mets. It's going to be expensive to do so; but arguments can be made it was inevitable, and perhaps necessary.

Bruce was slated to earn $13M in 2020; and he'll get that plus his remaining 2019 salary, which is roughly $3.5M. Vargas will get the remainder of his $8M, which is about $2M. Vargas also had a team option for $8M in 2020, but no buyout was attached to it.

"We wish Jay and Jason the best, but sometimes you have to make decisions that aren't comfortable at all," said manager Mickey Callaway. "I don't envy the job that Sandy (Alderson) has to do."

With Felix Hernandez and Steven Souza taking their places on the roster, the Mets have now entered the conversation as the National League's top squad. They certainly now have the best rotation in baseball, and Souza gives them a big-time power bat from the right side. Steven Matz has not panned out as hoped, and has spent much of the last two seasons in the minor leagues with mixed results, necessitating a move for the staff with Vargas' mediocrity and Matz regressing.

However, they had been getting heat from the New York media just after the break for not pulling off a move sooner -- Alderson and his staff then went out and made two pretty consequential moves; giving up quite a bit in return for them, though.

"They're definitely loading up for the World Series," said long-time NL executive and current MLB Network host Jim Bowden. "They aren't going to get forever with the Noah Syndergaards and Jacob deGroms of the world to bring a title to Shea. If the cost of doing business to get there is cutting dead weight, even if it's nearly $15M of dead weight, it'll be worth it."

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

THE WEEK THAT WAS: JULY 29TH-AUGUST 4TH
Two Royals win monthly league honors
By artoodeetoo
08/05/2019

07/31/2019: SKAGGS THROWS EIGHT INNINGS OF ONE-RUN BALL

After a string of poor starts in Double-A, Tyler Skaggs made his last Naturals start a good one, allowing just one run in eight innings of work. He didn't figure into the decision, but struck out five with just two walks and four hits. He begins his Triple-A rehab with a start on August 7th, and it's expected that a decision will be made after that.

08/01/2019: ALONSO, JUNIS WIN MONTHLY LEAGUE AWARDS

Jake Junis won the American League Pitcher of the Month award for July, notching a 4-0 mark in five July starts. He fanned thirty-two in 31 2/3 innings of work, and managed a 1.42 ERA. Also, Peter Alonso won the American League's Rookie of the Month award, leading all of baseball with a .396 BA in July, slugging six homeruns and driving in twenty-five.

08/04/2019: ALONSO'S RBI STREAK STOPS AT ELEVEN

Despite going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Peter Alonso's club-record streak of games with an RBI was stopped at twelve in a 6-3 victory over Texas. However, his hitting streak is still alive as of this report, as it now stands at twelve.

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (57-55) @ LOS ANGELES ANGELS (51-61)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/05: RHP Trevor Oaks (11-4, 2.96) vs RHP Alex Meyer (8-6, 3.82)
08/06: RHP Luis Cessa (9-4, 3.23) vs RHP Shohei Ohtani (7-12, 5.47)
08/07: LHP Eric Skoglund (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Jose Rances Suarez (6-7, 5.28)

GAME RECAPS

August 5th, 2019
Kansas City (57-56) 2, LA Angels (52-61) 5
Winner: Jose Alvarez (3-1) Loser: Trevor Oaks (11-5) Save: Kyle Barraclough (23)

ROYALS SLOW OUT OF THE AUGUST GATE

Kansas City led 2-0 after three-and-one-half innings; but a two-run blast from Mike Trout in the fourth tied the score, and the Angels went on to add two more in the sixth, and one in the seventh to notch a 5-2 victory. After four straight starts without allowing a homerun, Trevor Oaks has now allowed five in his last two starts, and there may be some concern that the surprise Cy Young candidate might be beginning to show signs of later-season fatigue. As he has done in the last two weeks, Peter Alonso added an RBI and extended his hitting streak to thirteen games. He also has RBI in twelve of those thirteen contests, with an 11-game RBI streak snapped in last night's game at Texas. Nicky Lopez drove in the Royals' other run on a double play, and was not credited with an RBI. Former Miami closer Kyle Barraclough notched his second save for Anaheim since being acquired from the Marlins just prior to the deadline.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (50-63) 2, Cleveland (57-57) 7
Kansas City (57-56) 2, LA Angels (52-61) 5
Minnesota (47-66) 5, Detroit (41-70) 2 (Final/10)
Pittsburgh (57-56) 7, Chi. Sox (56-56) 2
Houston (71-42) 2, Oakland (53-61) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (48-65) @ Colorado (70-43) -- PPD
Milwaukee (55-58) 4, NY Mets (68-44) 3
St. Louis (71-42) 11, San Diego (49-63) 12
Chi. Cubs (71-42) 2, Philadelphia (57-58) 6
Washington (59-54) 1, San Francisco (54-59) 4

August 6th, 2019
Kansas City (58-56) 2, LA Angels (52-62) 5
Winner: Luis Cessa (10-4) Loser: Shohei Ohtani (7-13) Save: Corey Knebel (22)

CESSA JOINS TEN-WIN CLUB

He labored through 108 pitches and six innings, but Luis Cessa managed to allow just one earned run (three total) as the Royals evened up their series with the Angels by taking a 6-3 decision. He fanned six with just two walks while scattering eight hits to pick up his tenth victory of the season, joining Trevor Oaks as the only two Royals with ten victories. His only earned run came on a solo homerun in the sixth by Kaleb Cowart, and a two-out error by Cessa led to two more runs in the third. Salvador Perez led the Royals with a 2-for-4 day, hitting his 17th homerun of the season, and Brett Phillips added two RBI with a double in the third. Peter Alonso extended his hitting streak to fourteen games, and David Peralta also collected a pair of hits with an RBI.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (55-59) 6, Texas (52-61) 4
NY Yankees (75-40) 7, Tampa Bay (46-66) 6 (Final/11)
Boston (74-41) 1, Toronto (49-64) 9
Baltimore (50-64) 1, Cleveland (58-57) 8
Kansas City (58-56) 6, LA Angels (52-62) 3
Minnesota (48-66) 3, Detroit (41-71) 2
Pittsburgh (57-57) 3, Chi. Sox (57-56) 6
Houston (71-43) 2, Oakland (54-61) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (49-65) 4, Colorado (70-44) 2 (G1)
Seattle (49-66) 9, Colorado (71-44) 10 (G2)
Atlanta (56-55) 0, Miami (44-69) 4
Milwaukee (55-59) 3, NY Mets (69-44) 7
LA Dodgers (68-47) 1, Cincinnati (36-80) 7
St. Louis (71-43) 3, San Diego (50-63) 6
Chi. Cubs (71-43) 3, Philadelphia (58-58) 6
Washington (59-55) 3, San Francisco (55-59) 5

August 7th, 2019
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Winner: Jose Rances Suarez (7-7) Loser: Eric Skoglund (0-1) Save: Kyle Barraclough (24)

SUAREZ STYMIES ROYALS' ATTACK

Peter Alonso's ninth inning single to extend his hitting streak to fifteen was the lone highlight of the Royals' 3-0 shutout defeat to the Angels. Jose Rances Suarez held the Royals in check, nearly going wire-to-wire before being replaced by Kyle Barraclough after a couple of two-out hits suddenly put the outcome in doubt. He finished with seven strikeouts and a walk over eight and two-third innings of work, scattering just six hits. None of the Royals hits went for extra bases. Eric Skoglund made his 2019 Royals debut, and held his own as he fills in for the injured Jimmy Nelson, going five and two-third innings, fanning six with two walks and six hits. He allowed just two runs, both in the first inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (50-64) @ Cleveland (58-57) -- PPD
Arizona (55-60) 6, Texas (53-61) 3
NY Yankees (76-40) 6, Tampa Bay (46-67) 1
Boston (74-42) 3, Toronto (50-64)
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Minnesota (49-66) 8, Detroit (41-72) 2
Pittsburgh (57-58) 6, Chi. Sox (58-56) 7
Houston (72-43) 7, Oakland (54-62) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (57-55) 11, Miami (44-70) 0
Milwaukee (56-59) 7, NY Mets (69-45) 2
LA Dodgers (69-47) 6, Cincinnati (36-81) 4
St. Louis (71-44) 1, San Diego (51-63) 10
Chi. Cubs (72-43) 2, Philadelphia (58-59) 1 (Final/12)
Washington (60-55) 5, San Francisco (55-60) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/05: Goldy, Bryant named AL, NL Players of the Week
08/05: Reds' Sal Romano sidelined for remainder of season with torn labrum
08/05: White-hot Houston takes over top spot in Power Rankings
08/06: Astros' team-record winning streak stopped at seventeen games in loss to A's
08/06: Indians owner Larry Dolan passes at 88; son Matt to take over day-to-day operations
08/07: Stephen Strasburg's recovery from biceps injury; expected to miss one more start

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS STATISTICS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINNESOTA TWINS (49-67) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (58-57)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/09: LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-7, 6.91) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 3.95)
08/10: RHP Shelby Miller (2-8, 5.30) vs RHP Jake Junis (9-5, 3.62)
08/11: RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-10, 6.23) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (11-5, 3.12)

GAME RECAPS

August 9th, 2019
Minnesota (49-68) 5, Kansas City (59-57) 8
Winner: Jorge Lopez (4-6) Loser: Gabriel Moya (1-4) Save: Corey Knebel (23)

BIG EIGHTH INNING COMEBACK LEADS TO VICTORY

Despite two homeruns and a triple from Miguel Sano as part of a 3-for-4 day, the Royals managed to post five runs in the eighth inning as the Royals took the first game of their series with the Twins by an 8-5 count. Danny Duffy slogged through five innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs with four strikeouts. The key hit was a pinch-hit two-run double by Jorge Soler to tie the game at five, and Adalberto Mondesi broke the tie in the next at-bat with a triple to bring Soler home. An error by shortstop Ehire Adrianza led to two more runs, and Corey Knebel locked down the ninth in 1-2-3 fashion to secure his fifth save (23rd overall). Jorge Lopez pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and was the winning pitcher.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-68) 5, Kansas City (59-57) 8
NY Yankees (77-41) 4, Boston (76-42) 9
Oakland (54-64) 0, Baltimore (52-64) 4
Toronto (51-65) 4, Tampa Bay (46-69) 3
Detroit (42-73) 2, Cleveland (59-57) 5
Texas (53-62) 2, LA Angels (54-62) 5
Chi. Cubs (73-43) 14, Chi. Sox (58-57) 7
Houston (74-43) 8, Seattle (49-68) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (69-45) @ Philadelphia (58-59) -- PPD
Miami (44-72) 0, Pittsburgh (58-58) 6
San Francisco (56-60) 6, Milwaukee (56-60) 4
Cincinnati (37-82) 11, Atlanta (58-56) 3
St. Louis (71-46) 4, Colorado (73-44) 6 (Final/15)
Arizona (56-61) 2, San Diego (52-64) 5
Washington (60-56) 1, LA Dodgers (71-47) 2

August 10th, 2019
Minnesota (49-69) 3, Kansas City (60-57) 4
Winner: Blake Treinen (3-4) Loser: John Curtiss (4-5) Save: None

ROYALS WALK-OFF THE TWINS

Tied at three with two out in the bottom of the ninth, Cheslor Cuthbert's two-out RBI single with Nicky Lopez on third brought the sell-out crowd to their feet as the Royals walked the Twins off by a 4-3 score. Twins closer John Curtiss struck Alex Gordon out to begin the inning, but walked Salvador Perez. Billy Hamilton replaced Perez, and scored on Lopez's triple. Two batters later, Cuthbert rifled a single over Curtiss' head to clinch the victory. Jake Junis didn't figure into the decision, but fanned seven hitters over five and one-third innings, bowing out after four hits and three walks, while allowing two earned runs. Perez hit his team-best 18th homerun in the fifth inning, a solo shot to left-center off Shelby Miller.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-69) 3, Kansas City (60-57) 4
NY Yankees (77-42) 4, Boston (77-42) 6
Oakland (55-64) 2, Baltimore (52-65) 1
Toronto (51-66) 2, Tampa Bay (47-69) 8
Detroit (42-74) 1, Cleveland (60-57) 5
Texas (53-63) 1, LA Angels (55-62) 7
Chi. Cubs (74-43) 5, Chi. Sox (58-58) 2 (Final/11)
Houston (75-43) 3, Seattle (49-69) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (69-46) 5, Philadelphia (59-59) 6 (G1)
NY Mets (70-46) 9, Philadelphia (59-60) 5 (G2)
Miami (45-72) 6, Pittsburgh (58-59) 5
San Francisco (56-61) 2, Milwaukee (57-60) 3
Cincinnati (37-83) 8, Atlanta (59-56) 9
St. Louis (71-47) 0, Colorado (74-44) 1
Arizona (57-61) 3, San Diego (52-65) 1 (Final/10)
Washington (60-57) 1, LA Dodgers (72-47) 7

August 11th, 2019
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Winner: Nathan Karns (2-2) Loser: Gabriel Moya (1-5) Save: None

ROYALS WIN IN WALK-OFF FASHION AGAIN

In the bottom of the 11th, Peter Alonso's sacrifice fly off Gabriel Moya brought Cheslor Cuthbert home, as the Royals walked off the Twins 4-3 to sweep the series. The Royals were down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, but Mitch Garver overthrew third base on a steal attempt by Billy Hamilton, who scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings. Nathan Karns pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the victory, his second of the season, and the win evened his season record at two wins and losses apiece.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-70) 3, Kansas City (61-57) 4 (Final/11)
NY Yankees (78-42) 5, Boston (77-43) 3
Oakland (56-64) 9, Baltimore (52-66) 6
Toronto (51-67) 3, Tampa Bay (48-69) 8
Detroit (42-75) 0, Cleveland (61-57) 4
Texas (54-63) 6, LA Angels (55-63) 2
Chi. Cubs (74-44) 4, Chi. Sox (59-58) 6
Houston (76-43) 13, Seattle (49-70) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (71-46) 8, Philadelphia (59-61) 4 (G2)
Miami (46-72) 4, Pittsburgh (58-60) 1
San Francisco (56-62) 2, Milwaukee (58-60) 5
Cincinnati (37-84) 4, Atlanta (60-56) 5
St. Louis (72-47) 7, Colorado (74-45) 6
Arizona (58-61) 6, San Diego (52-66) 0
Washington (60-58) 1, LA Dodgers (73-47) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/09: Braves' Freeman, Miami's Merandy Gonzalez suspended by MLB for bench-clearing fight
08/11: Atlanta IF Ozzie Albies activated from disabled list; will rehab in Triple-A
08/11: Padres RHP Craig Stammen shut down after torn UCL diagnosis, will miss rest of 2019 and 2020

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

THE WEEK THAT WAS: AUGUST 5TH-11TH
Minor-league prospects shine
By artoodeetoo
08/12/2019

08/08/2019: ROYALS DESIGNATE SKAGGS FOR ASSIGNMENT

Following a rough rehab stint, the Royals have designated lefty Tyler Skaggs for assignment. On July 31st, he had an outstanding outing for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, going eight innings while allowing just one earned run, but had a mixed bag of results in his other starts, including four earned runs in six innings in his only Triple-A outing last night.

Skaggs was acquired over the offseason in February from the Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher Burch Smith, who has split time between Triple-A and the Angels in 2019.

08/09/2019: KOWAR STRIKES OUT ELEVEN IN SIX SHUTOUT FRAMES

It took 114 pitches, but 2018 first-round pick Jackson Kowar continues to show why he was worthy of that selection with an eleven-strikeout performance in a 5-0 win over Myrtle Beach in Carolina League action. He's now 9-6 with a 3.11 ERA in twenty starts in 2019.

The eleven strikeouts was a career-high for the tall, lanky right-hander, as well as the 114 pitches. He also walked more than three hitters for the first time in his career, issuing four free passes.

08/11/2019: TOP PROSPECT MATIAS CAPS OFF HUGE WEEK

Northwest Arkansas right fielder Seuly Matias had an impressive week, hitting six homeruns, one double, and driving in ten runs. For the 2019 season, he has hit a combined twenty-seven homeruns between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CLEVELAND INDIANS (61-57) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (61-57)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/12: RHP Danny Salazar (7-5, 4.02) vs RHP Luis Cessa (10-4, 3.15)
08/13: RHP Josh Tomlin (9-4, 3.63) vs RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-4, 4.78)
08/14: RHP Mike Clevinger (5-5, 4.08) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 4.06)

GAME RECAPS

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/12)
Cleveland (61-57) @ Kansas City (61-57) -- PPD
Houston (77-43) 7, Texas (54-64) 4
San Francisco (57-62) 2, Oakland (56-65) 0
Tampa Bay (48-70) 4, Chi. Sox (60-58) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/12)
Philadelphia (59-62) 1, Atlanta (61-56) 7
Miami (46-73) 1, Chi. Cubs (75-44) 2
Detroit (42-76) 0, Milwaukee (59-60) 1
Colorado (75-45) 11, Arizona (58-62) 5
LA Angels (56-63) 4, LA Dodgers (73-48) 1

August 13th, 2019 (DH Game 1)
Cleveland (62-57) 14, Kansas City (61-58) 1
Winner: Danny Salazar (8-5) Loser: Luis Cessa (10-5) Save: None

TEMPERS FLARE AS INDIANS TAKE FIRST GAME OF KEY SERIES

Aaron Altherr and Nathan Karns were both ejected, along with first baseman Peter Alonso for their roles in a bench-clearing fracas in the eighth inning of a 14-1 Royals defeat. Richie Shaffer hit a long homerun off Karns with two out in the eighth; and the veteran reliever exchanged words with Shaffer, who took a long moment to admire his homerun, as he slowly rounded third base. The next hitter, Aaron Altherr, took a fastball to the thigh, which prompted the bench-clearing between the two rivals now locked in a dead heat for the division race. Luis Cessa lasted just four and one-third inning for the Royals, allowing seven earned runs (eight total), on nine hits. He fanned five with one walk.

August 13th, 2019 (DH Game 2)
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4
Winner: Tony Cingrani (3-3) Loser: Tony Zych (1-7) Save: Corey Knebel (24)

LATE ERROR LEADS TO ROYALS WIN

A two-out error in the eighth by Indians third baseman Yandy Diaz allowed David Peralta to score and break a 3-3 tie, while Corey Knebel fanned the side in the ninth to pick up his 24th save of the season in a 4-3 victory, helping to split the doubleheader. The Royals scored three in the third inning, as Billy Hamilton singled home a run, and then Cheslor Cuthbert drove in a pair with a two-run double to give the Royals a 3-2 lead after three innings. Jimmy Nelson overcame a slow start to throw seven innings, allowing three earned runs while scattering five hits and four walks. Tony Cingrani pitched a spotless eighth to pick up the victory.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/13)
Cleveland (62-57) 14, Kansas City (61-58) 1 (G1)
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4 (G2)
Tampa Bay (48-71) 8, Chi. Sox (61-58) 9
NY Mets (72-46) 5, Boston (77-44) 3
Toronto (51-68) 6, Baltimore (53-66) 23
St. Louis (72-48) 3, Minnesota (50-70) 4
Houston (78-43) 7, Texas (54-65) 5
San Francisco (58-62) 5, Oakland (56-66) 2
San Diego (52-67) 1, Seattle (50-70) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/13)
Cincinnati (38-84) 8, Pittsburgh (58-61) 5
Philadelphia (59-63) 3, Atlanta (62-56) 6
NY Yankees (78-43) 6, Washington (61-58) 7
Detroit (42-77) 3, Milwaukee (60-60) 5 (Final/13)
Miami (47-73) 4, Chi. Cubs (75-45) 3
LA Angels (57-63) 18, LA Dodgers (73-49) 4
Colorado (76-45) 6, Arizona (58-63) 5

August 14th, 2019
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4
Winner: Danny Duffy (8-5) Loser: Mike Clevinger (5-6) Save: None

ROYALS WIN IN WALK-OFF FASHION AGAIN

Behind Danny Duffy's seven shutout innings; the Royals built a 6-0 lead after the seventh inning, and staved off a late rally from Cleveland to post a 7-3 victory to take the series. The victory was Duffy's eighth of the season against just five defeats. Brian Goodwin was 2-for-3 with a bases-clearing triple in the fourth inning, and Peter Alonso drove in a pair of runs with a single in the first. Nicky Lopez and Alex Gordon added single tallies in the sixth and eighth with RBI hits, scoring Adalberto Mondesi both times. Mondesi was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two steals, giving him thirty-six on the season.

[AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (62-59) 3, Kansas City (63-58) 7
Tampa Bay (49-71) 8, Chi. Sox (61-59) 6
NY Mets (73-46) 8, Boston (77-45) 1
Toronto (51-69) 4, Baltimore (54-66) 7
St. Louis (72-49) 6, Minnesota (51-70) 7 (Final/10)
Houston (78-44) 2, Texas (55-65) 3
San Diego (53-67) 3, Seattle (50-71) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cincinnati (39-84) 9, Pittsburgh (58-62) 3
Philadelphia (60-63) 9, Atlanta (62-57) 6
NY Yankees (78-44) 4, Washington (62-58) 6
Detroit (42-78) 4, Milwaukee (61-60) 14
Miami (48-73) 7, Chi. Cubs (75-46) 5
LA Angels (57-64) 3, LA Dodgers (74-49) 4
Colorado (77-45) 4, Arizona (58-64) 1

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/12: Stanton, Bellinger win Players of the Week Awards
08/12: Astros, Yankees remain atop Power Rankings
08/13: Houston extends 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 3B Alex Bregman on same day
08/14: MLB suspends Royals' Karns, Indians' Altherr for fracas in first game of doubleheader
08/14: Rangers to shut down LHP Hyun-jin Ryu after torn rotator cuff diagnosis

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

FIVE (OKAY, SIX) WHO COULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN 2020
Outfield, bullpen spots could be in flux
By artoodeetoo
08/15/2019

While we still haven't put the bow on 2019; heck, we haven't even put the gift in the box yet...it's not too early to begin thinking about how next year's squad will shape up. While the Royals' lower minors will get a ton of press, the upper minors has some nice players that figure to compete for roles on the 2020 squad, including one surprise pick that's a current top prospect.

BRADEN BISHOP, OF -- Acquired from Seattle towards the end of the waiver deadline in 2018, the right-handed hitting Bishop has been one of the steadier outfield performers in 2019 for the Storm Chasers, hitting .282/.335/.367 while mainly patrolling center. He doesn't have a terribly high-ceiling, mainly because he's a singles-hitter with little discernable power; best profiling as a fourth outfielder with plus-defense and speed, with good baserunning acumen. He could also be a candidate to outright win the job in center if the Royals decide not to pick up Billy Hamilton's 2020 option.

SAMIR DUENEZ, DH/1B/OF -- Once a member of the Royals' 40-man roster, Duenez was designated prior to the season and somehow slipped through waivers. He's making a pretty good case that the Royals shouldn't have given up on him so soon, as the 23-year-old is leading the PCL in hitting with a .359 BA, including a remarkable .409 in June. He plays both first base and left field defensively, but is below average at both positions, so if he's going to stick as a big-league regular, he'll have to hit consistently. He's also a nifty basestealer, with seventy-four career steals since 2013. He'll still be 23 when 2020 begins, but it appears he's hit the proverbial ceiling; so he's likely going to be on the roster next year, or a part of an offseason trade.

CODY PONCE, RHP -- The six-foot-five, 260-pound Ponce has been the mainstay of the Storm Chasers' rotation in 2019 as others have been shuffled in and out, making twenty-three starts with an 13-4 record, spinning a 3.69 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 139 innings of work. He was acquired from Milwaukee over the offseason for Brian Flynn, who had a good year for the Royals in 2018, but has been up-and-down with the Brew Crew in 2019. There currently isn't any room in the rotation, but figures to be a September call-up to pitch out of the bullpen.

DANIEL LYNCH, LHP -- One of the four first-round picks used on collegiate pitchers in 2018, Lynch is currently the most advanced of the four. After a strong showing at High-A Wilmington, he was bumped up to the hitter-friendly Texas League, where he's been inconsistent while flashing decent swing-and-miss numbers. He's also managed to keep homeruns in check, although he's been batted around with ninety-five hits in seventy-two innings. Like with Ponce, there's no room as of now in the rotation, but could be similar to Brandon Finnegan, who pitched out of the bullpen before becoming a starter in Cincinnati.

BRAD KELLER, RHP -- So far in 2019, he's been unable to recapture the success of last season, but the Royals don't appear to be abandoning him yet, nor should they. He's currently working in the bullpen in Omaha, and while he has an ERA of over 6.00 there, his strikeout rate has jumped since making the transition. He has a good, hard fastball and nice slider, but a third pitch will set him apart. The good news is that he's still just twenty-four, so plenty of time to get that pitch repertoire worked out.

SEULY MATIAS, OF -- This is truly a wildcard, out-of-left-field pick, but if there's a guy in the system capable of skipping Triple-A from Double-A, it's Matias. He currently has the best power tool in the system (65/80), but all of that potential power is going to be matched with lots of strikeouts. He'll only be beginning his age-21 season in 2020, but he couldn't do much worse than Jorge Soler or Jorge Bonifacio have, and they are six and seven years older. He is also a superior defender to the aforementioned Jorges, with an arm that ranks near the top of the scale and above-average range that plays in any outfield spot.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (63-58) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (51-70)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/15: RHP Jake Junis (9-5, 3.61) vs LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-7, 6.57)
08/16: RHP Trevor Oaks (11-5, 3.10) vs RHP Shelby Miller (2-8, 5.14)
08/17: RHP Luis Cessa (10-5, 3.52) vs RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-10, 5.98)
08/18: RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-4, 4.72) vs LHP Wade Miley (8-9, 6.94)

GAME RECAPS

August 15th, 2019
Kansas City (64-58) 6, Minnesota (51-71) 3
Winner: Jake Junis (10-5) Loser: Adalberto Mejia (1-8) Save: Corey Knebel (25)

JUNIS JOINS 10-WIN CLUB AS ROYALS DOUBLE UP THE TWINS

Jake Junis became the third Royal since the last week of July to join the ten-victory club, notching his tenth win of the season in a 6-3 triumph over Minnesota to begin a four-game road set in the Twin Cities. His command wasn't as sharp as usual, allowing four walks with just two strikeouts, but still allowed just two earned runs in six and two-third innings of work. Peter Alonso continues his strong bid for AL Rookie of the Year, pounding out three more hits, including an RBI double in the first and a three-run homerun in the second as part of a 3-for-5 game. Salvador Perez fell just a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 and hitting his team-best 19th homerun of the season in the sixth inning off Trevor May.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (50-71) 1, Chi. Sox (61-60) 0
Kansas City (64-58) 6, Minnesota (51-71) 3
Toronto (51-70) 3, Baltimore (55-66) 9
LA Angels (57-65) 3, Oakland (57-66) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (74-46) 3, Washington (62-59) 2
San Diego (54-67) 8, Atlanta (62-58) 2
Miami (48-74) 2, Chi. Cubs (76-46) 7
Pittsburgh (59-62) 6, St. Louis (72-50) 5
San Francisco (58-63) 3, LA Dodgers (75-49) 5

August 16th, 2019
Kansas City (65-58) 2, Minnesota (51-72) 0
Winner: Trevor Oaks (12-5) Loser: John Curtiss (5-6) Save: Corey Knebel (26)

ROYALS WIN BEHIND NINTH-INNING RALLY

A sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter David Peralta and an RBI single from Brian Goodwin, both in the top of the ninth, was all it took for the Royals to notch a 2-0 shutout win over the Twins to clinch at least a split of the road series. Trevor Oaks tossed eight shutout innings, and likely would have gone for the shutout had he not already thrown 113 pitches. He fanned five while scattering four hits and a walk to move to 12-5 on the season. His counterpart, Shelby Miller, also threw eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts, but struggled with command at times in issuing six walks. Closer John Curtiss, who has struggled against the Royals this season, allowed both ninth-inning runs and took the loss to fall to 5-6.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (50-72) 1, Baltimore (56-66) 3
Kansas City (65-58) 2, Minnesota (51-72) 0
Toronto (51-71) 4, NY Yankees (79-44) 5 (Final/11)
Boston (78-45) 10, Detroit (42-79) 4
Chi. Sox (61-61) 1, Cleveland (63-59) 7
Arizona (58-65) 1, Houston (79-44) 6
Seattle (50-72) 4, Texas (56-65) 6
LA Angels (58-65) 6, Oakland (57-67) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (74-47) 6, Washington (63-59) 10
San Diego (54-68) 3, Atlanta (63-58) 7
Philadelphia (61-63) 6, Miami (48-75) 5
Pittsburgh (60-62) 7, St. Louis (72-51) 1
Colorado (78-45) 18, Milwaukee (61-61) 17
San Francisco (58-64) 5, LA Dodgers (76-49) 8
Cincinnati (40-84) 2, Chi. Cubs (76-47) 0

August 17th, 2019
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Winner: Tyler Kinley (2-1) Loser: Luis Cessa (10-6) Save: None

KANSAS CITY WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT FOUR

Minnesota scored two runs in the first, and single tallies in the second, third, fifth, and sixth innings to deal the Royals a 6-2 defeat at Target Field. Luis Cessa has suffered through back-to-back rough starts for the first time this season, allowing six earned runs in five and one-third innings of work. Peter Alonso hit his seventeenth homerun of the season, but left after getting hit in his left knee by a pitch in the eighth inning, and was replaced at first base by Hunter Dozier. Alonso will be listed day-to-day according to manager Ned Yost, but is expected to be back in the lineup against the Pirates after the off-day on Monday. The Twins hit four homeruns in the contest, including a pair from Max Kepler. Miguel Sano and Robbie Grossman also hit homeruns for the Twins, who have now evened up their August record at 7-7.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (51-72) 6, Baltimore (56-67) 3
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Toronto (51-72) 4, NY Yankees (80-44) 5 (Final/11)
Boston (79-45) 11, Detroit (42-80) 4
Chi. Sox (61-62) 1, Cleveland (64-59) 3
Arizona (58-66) 2, Houston (80-44) 6
Seattle (51-72) 12, Texas (56-66) 6
LA Angels (58-66) 3, Oakland (58-67) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (75-47) 9, Washington (63-60) 2
San Diego (54-69) 6, Atlanta (64-58) 8
Philadelphia (61-64) 5, Miami (49-75) 10
Pittsburgh (60-63) 4, St. Louis (73-51) 6
Colorado (78-46) 0, Milwaukee (62-61) 1
San Francisco (58-65) 2, LA Dodgers (77-49) 3
Cincinnati (41-84) 9, Chi. Cubs (76-48) 8 (Final/11)

August 18th, 2019
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Winner: Richard Lovelady (5-5) Loser: John Curtiss (5-7) Save: Blake Treinen (10)

LATE HOMERUN BRINGS IT HOME FOR K.C.

With his homerun in the ninth off John Curtiss, Brett Phillips handed the four-game road set to the Royals with a 4-3 victory. The win also kept Kansas City in first place in the division with a half-game lead over the defending divisional champion Indians. Blake Treinen picked up the save with a spotless ninth, his tenth of the season. After a rough first inning where he allowed three earned runs, Jimmy Nelson pitched five more scoreless innings, but didn't factor into the decision. Peter Alonso didn't start due to the bruised knee he suffered in last night's game, but pinch-hit for Billy Hamilton in the seventh and drove in a run with a single.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (52-72) 2, Baltimore (56-68) 1
Kansas City (66-59) 4, Minnesota (52-73) 3
Toronto (51-73) 3, NY Yankees (81-44) 7 (Final/11)
Boston (80-45) 7, Detroit (42-81) 1
Chi. Sox (61-63) 3, Cleveland (65-59) 6
Arizona (58-67) 1, Houston (81-44) 6
Seattle (52-72) 8, Texas (56-67) 7 (Final/11)
LA Angels (59-66) 4, Oakland (58-68) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (60-63) @ St. Louis (73-51) -- PPD
NY Mets (76-47) 8, Washington (63-61) 4
San Diego (55-69) 10, Atlanta (64-59) 7
Philadelphia (62-64) 7, Miami (49-76) 5 (Final/12)
Colorado (79-46) 6, Milwaukee (62-62) 3
San Francisco (58-66) 1, LA Dodgers (78-49) 6
Cincinnati (41-85) 1, Chi. Cubs (77-48) 2 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/15: Orioles RHP Alex Cobb (forearm) placed on 10-day disabled list, retro to 08/10/2019
08/16: Miami 3B Brian Anderson to miss season with fractured ankle
08/16: Dodgers RHP David Phelps has finger surgery; will miss up to four months
08/16: Cleveland ace Corey Kluber has surgery to remove elbow bone chips; out 4-6 weeks
08/17: Orioles claim RHP Jacob Lindgren off waivers from Atlanta
08/17: Arizona activates 3B Jake Lamb from disabled list; designate OF Jarrod Dyson
08/18: Milwaukee IF Chase Utley to miss rest of season with Achilles injury