Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (68-85) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (86-66)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

09/19: RHP Jake Junis (11-11, 4.40) vs RHP Kyle Gibson (14-5, 3.79)
09/20: RHP Jesse Hahn (0-1, 3.00) vs LHP Martin Perez (9-9, 4.37)
09/21: LHP Mike Montgomery (6-5, 4.92) vs LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-2, 21.21)
09/22: RHP Jorge Lopez (3-10, 5.76) vs RHP Jose Berrios (14-8, 3.04)

GAME RECAPS

Thursday, September 19th, 2019 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Kansas City (69-85) 13, Minnesota (86-67) 2
Winner: Jake Junis (12-11) Loser: Kyle Gibson (14-6) Save: None
HR-KC: Ryan O'Hearn (9) HR-MIN: None

KANSAS CITY THUMPS THE TWINS

Ryan O'Hearn's career-high six RBI led the Royals to a dominating 13-2 victory over the Twins to open a four-game road set at Minnesota. Whit Merrifield was 3-for-6 with two RBI, including an RBI double in the sixth. Jake Junis held the Twins to just two runs on six hits, striking out nine with just one walk. O'Hearn's three-run homerun in the first set the tone, as they scored three in the first, two each in the fourth and fifth, one in the seventh, two in the eighth, and three more in the ninth. Two Royals reached major season milestones -- Merrifield's three hits gave him an even 200 for the campaign, while Junis passed the 200-strikeout mark in the fifth inning. He finished his start with 202. He's the first Royal starter to pass the 200-punchout mark since 2009, when Zack Greinke did it in his Cy Young-winning season that year.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (69-85) 13, Minnesota (86-67) 2
LA Angels (74-79) 2, NY Yankees (99-55) 10
Toronto (61-92) 4, Baltimore (47-106) 2
San Francisco (74-79) 3, Boston (85-67) 4 (Final/10)
Detroit (50-101) 2, Cleveland (89-64) 8

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia (78-73) 3, Atlanta (98-55) 5
Seattle (59-94) 7, Pittsburgh (69-83) 9
San Diego (73-80) 4, Milwaukee (77-75) 7
St. Louis (78-75) 2, Chi. Cubs (82-71) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta to miss nine months after rotator cuff surgery
C Erik Kratz announces retirement after nine-year MLB career

Friday, September 20th, 2019 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Kansas City (70-85) 8, Minnesota (86-68) 7
Winner: Eric Skoglund (2-0) Loser: Sam Dyson (5-4) Save: Ian Kennedy (34)
HR-KC: Jorge Soler (41) HR-MIN: Nelson Cruz (40), Max Kepler (32), Jonathan Schoop (26), Mitch Garver (22)

ROYALS HIT 70-WIN MARK

Despite Nelson Cruz entering the record books with his 400th career homerun, the Royals scored three in the eighth inning to hold off the Twins by an 8-7 count. Jorge Soler hit his 41st homerun in that eighth inning, a two-run shot. Whit Merrifield also aided the Royals' cause with an RBI single. It wasn't a good start, however, for Jesse Hahn. Hahn allowed six earned runs in four-and-two-thirds, including four homeruns with just one strikeout. Eric Skoglund earned the win in relief, fanning two over two-and-one-third spotless innings. Martin Perez fanned eight for the Twins, but lasted just four-and-one-third innings after allowing five runs on seven hits.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (70-85) 8, Minnesota (86-68) 7
Seattle (59-95) 4, Baltimore (48-106) 14
Philadelphia (79-73) 8, Cleveland (89-65) 6
Boston (85-68) 1, Tampa Bay (89-65) 9
Chi. Sox (61-91) 14, Detroit (50-102) 0
Toronto (61-93) 2, NY Yankees (100-55) 6
LA Angels (75-79) 4, Houston (100-54) 2
Texas (81-73) 10, Oakland (79-75) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (78-75) 5, Pittsburgh (69-84) 3 (G1)
Pittsburgh (69-85) 3, Milwaukee (79-75) 5 (G2)
NY Mets (71-82) 13, Cincinnati (73-81) 4
Washington (81-70) 5, Miami (62-91) 0
San Francisco (74-80) 0, Atlanta (99-55) 10
St. Louis (78-76) 4, Chi. Cubs (83-71) 5
Arizona (80-74) 5, San Diego (73-81) 1
Colorado (68-86) 4, LA Dodgers (103-51) 11

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Nelson Cruz of the Twins enters the 400-homerun club in 8-7 loss to the Royals

Saturday, September 21st, 2019 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Kansas City (71-85) 10, Minnesota (86-69) 3
Winner: Mike Montgomery (7-5) Loser: Stephen Gonsalves (0-3) Save: Ian Kennedy (34)
HR-KC: Jorge Soler (42), Ryan McBroom (2), Whit Merrifield (21) HR-MIN: Nelson Cruz (41)

MCBROOM, ROYALS SECURE SERIES VICTORY

Ryan McBroom's career game propelled the Royals to a 10-3 whitewashing of the Twins, as the Royals continue their remarkable late-season success with a guaranteed series victory over the Twins. McBroom, acquired via trade roughly three weeks ago from the Yankees for international bonus money, collected four hits in four at-bats, which included two doubles and a homerun, driving in six runs in all. He connected for a three-run bomb off Stephen Gonsalves in the first before an RBI double in the third. He added two more RBI in the ninth against Blake Parker, stroking a fastball into the right-center gap. Mike Montgomery continued his solid Royals tenure, allowing three runs over seven innings to push his overall record to 7-5; including a 6-3 mark since joining the Royals via trade right before the deadline. Jorge Soler hit his 42nd homerun of the season; his third longball in his last four games.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (71-85) 10, Minnesota (86-69) 3
Seattle (60-95) 5, Baltimore (48-107) 3
Philadelphia (79-74) 4, Cleveland (90-65) 12
Boston (85-69) 3, Tampa Bay (90-65) 5
Chi. Sox (61-92) 3, Detroit (51-102) 6
Toronto (62-93) 5, NY Yankees (100-56) 2
LA Angels (75-80) 1, Houston (101-54) 3
Texas (82-73) 8, Oakland (79-76) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (70-85) 10, Milwaukee (79-76) 8 (Final/11)
NY Mets (71-83) 4, Cincinnati (74-81) 6
Washington (82-70) 1, Miami (62-92) 0 (Final/19)
San Francisco (74-81) 3, Atlanta (100-55) 6
St. Louis (79-76) 8, Chi. Cubs (83-72) 5
Arizona (81-74) 5, San Diego (73-82) 4 (Final/15)
Colorado (68-87) 1, LA Dodgers (104-51) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Veteran southpaw Jorge de la Rosa to retire after 2019 season

Sunday, September 22nd, 2019 - First pitch, 12:05 CST
Kansas City (72-85) 9, Minnesota (86-70) 6
Winner: Josh Staumont (2-0) Loser: Taylor Rogers (3-5) Save: Ian Kennedy (35)
HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert (11) HR-MIN: Logan Morrison 2 (10), Mitch Garver (23)

ROYALS FINISH OFF SWEEP OF STRUGGLING TWINS IN STYLE

The red-hot Royals continued their recent late-game heroics, as Cheslor Cuthbert drilled a three-run homerun against Twins closer Taylor Rogers to break a 6-6 tie in the ninth to propel the Royals to a 9-6 victory over the Twins. Minnesota has now lost five in a row, and are in danger of falling out of the second wildcard spot completely after holding a commanding lead just a few weeks ago. The four-game road sweep of the Twins is the first four-game road sweep by the franchise since the 2015 season. Alex Gordon, Whit Merrifield, and Nicky Lopez all had two RBI for the Royals, with Lopez's career-high three hits leading the way. Catcher Cam Gallagher also had three hits, while Gordon and Hunter Dozier each collected two. Josh Staumont picked up the victory in relief, fanning two with one walk in one inning of work. Ian Kennedy earned his 35th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning, working around a two-out walk.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (72-85) 9, Minnesota (86-70) 6
Seattle (61-95) 3, Baltimore (48-108) 2
Philadelphia (79-75) 4, Cleveland (91-65) 7
Boston (85-70) 2, Tampa Bay (91-65) 3
Chi. Sox (62-92) 4, Detroit (51-103) 3
Toronto (62-94) 7, NY Yankees (101-56) 8
LA Angels (75-81) 3, Houston (102-54) 8
Texas (83-73) 4, Oakland (79-77) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (70-86) 3, Milwaukee (80-76) 4 (Final/11)
NY Mets (72-83) 14, Cincinnati (74-82) 4
Washington (83-70) 4, Miami (62-93) 2 (Final/10)
San Francisco (75-81) 10, Atlanta (100-56) 3
St. Louis (80-76) 3, Chi. Cubs (83-73) 1
Arizona (81-75) 3, San Diego (74-82) 4 (Final/15)
Colorado (68-88) 1, LA Dodgers (105-51) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Angels OF/DH Justin Upton hits 300th career homerun in 8-3 loss to Houston

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

YOST TO RETIRE AT SEASON'S END
Matheny, Sveum floated as leading replacements
By artoodeetoo
09/24/2019

Yesterday on Monday morning, Ned Yost announced that 2019 would be his final season in the dugout, as the 64-year-old skipper called it a career in a press conference at the stadium earlier this morning. He leaves the dugout as the team's all-time leader in wins, and tied Royals HOF manager Dick Howser for World Series appearances (two), and titles (one).

GM Dayton Moore also spoke, and was a little choked up when discussing the differences between Yost when he took over until the present day. However, Yost did not rule out a return to the game at some point, saying that "he hadn't had a summer off in awhile".

"We'll see," he said. "I just need some time to enjoy my family, grandkids that I have. Maybe I'll come back to the game in some capacity, I don't know."

The conversation now turns to the burning question -- who will replace him? Currently, the in-house options are special assistant Pedro Grifol, bench coach Dale Sveum, and former Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny, who has been in the Royals front office since near the end of last season.

Sveum and Matheny have extensive MLB managing experience, with Sveum heading up the Cubs in 2012 and 2013, while Matheny had a lengthy stretch as the Cardinals' skipper from 2011 through July of last season.

Grifol has been a long-time Royals minor-league instructor, hitting coach, and catching coach; but has no managerial experience outside of some lower-minor league assignments for the Mariners. However, he was reportedly a finalist for the Orioles job that eventually went to Brandon Hyde.

Others that have been linked to the job are former Yankees and Marlins skipper Joe Girardi, former Royals Carlos Beltran and Raul Ibanez, and third base coach Mike Jirschele, who managed the Royals' Triple-A club for over a decade before taking over as third base coach in 2014.

KC begins their final homestand tonight with a two-game set against the playoff-bound Braves.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ATLANTA BRAVES (100-56) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (72-85)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

09/24: LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-6, 4.35) vs RHP Scott Barlow (3-6, 5.67)
09/25: LHP Max Fried (15-5, 3.81) vs RHP Jake Junis (12-11, 4.30)

GAME RECAPS

Tuesday, September 24th, 2019 - First pitch, 6:05 CST
Atlanta (100-57) 0, Kansas City (73-85) 2
Winner: Scott Barlow (4-6) Loser: Dallas Keuchel (7-7) Save: Ian Kennedy (36)
HR: None

ROYALS KICK OFF FINAL HOMESTAND WITH VICTORY

Scott Barlow fanned nine in his five-and-one-third innings, and three Royals relievers picked up the slack with three-and-two-third scoreless innings as the Royals picked up a 2-0 win over the AL East-leading Braves to kick off the final homestand of the season in the wake of manager Ned Yost's announced retirement yesterday. Barlow scattered four hits; but more importantly, didn't allow a run, or issue a free pass. Cheslor Cuthbert was 2-for-4 with one of the team's two RBI, while Jorge Bonifacio had the other. Dallas Keuchel picked up the rare complete-game home loss, going eight innings while allowing just the two runs and fanning seven.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (100-57) 0, Kansas City (73-85) 2
Baltimore (49-109) 13, Toronto (63-95) 3
Minnesota (86-71) 6, Detroit (52-103) 7
NY Yankees (102-56) 11, Tampa Bay (92-66) 1
Boston (85-72) 1, Texas (84-73) 2
Oakland (80-77) 6, LA Angels (75-82) 4
Cleveland (92-65) 13, Chi. Sox (62-93) 10
Houston (103-54) 9, Seattle (61-96) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (81-76) 6, Cincinnati (74-83) 2
Philadelphia (80-77) 1, Washington (85-71) 7
Chi. Cubs (84-73) 8, Pittsburgh (70-87) 4
Miami (62-95) 2, NY Mets (74-83) 3
St. Louis (80-78) 3, Arizona (83-75) 6
Colorado (68-89) 0, San Francisco (76-81) 5
LA Dodgers (105-52) 1, San Diego (75-82) 3

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Reds catching prospect Fraudy Rodriguez to miss ten-to-eleven months with undisclosed injury

Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 - First pitch, 6:05 CST
Atlanta (101-57) 5, Kansas City (73-86) 1
Winner: Kevin Gausman (5-6) Loser: Jake Junis (12-12) Save: Mike Foltynewicz (1)
HR-ATL: Tyler Flowers (15), Josh Donaldson (39) HR-KC: Ryan McBroom (3)

OFFENSE HELD PUNCHLESS AS WIN STREAK SNAPS

In what was likely his final start of the 2019 season, Jake Junis slogged through five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits (including two homeruns) as the Royals dropped the final game of their four-game season set with the playoff-bound Braves by a 5-1 margin. On the other side of the ledger, Kevin Gausman replaced an injured Max Fried, who left with an undisclosed elbow injury. Gausman fanned eight over four-and-one -third shutout innings in relief, and Mike Foltynewicz picked up a rare four-inning save, striking out seven while allowing just one earned run on a homerun by Ryan McBroom in the ninth.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (101-57) 5, Kansas City (73-86) 1
Baltimore (50-109) 4, Toronto (63-96) 1
Minnesota (86-72) 2, Detroit (53-103) 3 (Final/11)
NY Yankees (103-56) 7, Tampa Bay (92-67) 5 (Final/10)
Boston (86-72) 13, Texas (84-74) 3
Oakland (80-78) 1, LA Angels (76-82) 2
Cleveland (93-65) 10, Chi. Sox (62-94) 6
Houston (104-54) 10, Seattle (61-97) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (82-76) 7, Cincinnati (74-84) 1
Philadelphia (81-77) 10, Washington (85-72) 8
Chi. Cubs (85-73) 11, Pittsburgh (70-88) 1
Miami (62-96) 2, NY Mets (75-83) 7
St. Louis (81-78) 14, Arizona (83-76) 6
Colorado (69-89) 6, San Francisco (76-82) 2
LA Dodgers (106-52) 6, San Diego (75-83) 1

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rockies RHP Seung-hwan Oh calls it a career
Indians clinch AL Central division

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINNESOTA TWINS (86-73) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (73-86)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

09/27: LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-3, 20.86) vs LHP Eric Skoglund (2-0, 3.60)
09/28: RHP Jose Berrios (14-8, 3.09) vs LHP Danny Duffy (9-6, 3.87)
09/29: RHP Jake Odorizzi (16-9, 4.01) vs LHP Mike Montgomery (7-5, 4.84)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, September 27th, 2019 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Minnesota (86-74) 6, Kansas City (74-86) 9
Winner: Eric Skoglund (3-0) Loser: Stephen Gonsalves (0-4) Save: Ian Kennedy (37)
HR-MIN: Luke Raley (1) HR-KC: Cheslor Cuthbert (12), Jorge Soler (43)

SOLER EXTENDS HOMERUN RECORD

Kansas City continued their September dominance over the Twins, outslugging them 9-6 in what is turning out to be one of the more epic late-season collapses in recent memory. Jorge Soler extended his club-record in homeruns with his 43rd dinger of the season; and Cheslor Cuthbert led the way with three hits and three RBI, including two doubles and a homerun. Eric Skoglund remained unbeaten with the Royals on the season, allowing three earned over six.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (55-103) 4, Chi. Sox (63-95) 2 (G1)
Detroit (55-104) 1, Chi. Sox (64-95) 3 (G2)
Minnesota (86-74) 6, Kansas City (74-86) 9
Tampa Bay (93-67) 10, Toronto (63-97) 2
Baltimore (50-110) 1, Boston (87-73) 2
NY Yankees (103-57) 2, Texas (86-74) 10
Oakland (82-78) 8, Seattle (61-99) 7
Houston (106-54) 6, LA Angels (76-84) 5 (Final/13)

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cincinnati (75-85) 5, Pittsburgh (71-89) 6
Cleveland (94-66) 5, Washington (86-73) 4
Miami (63-97) 1, Philadelphia (82-78) 5
Atlanta (101-58) 1, NY Mets (76-84) 5
Milwaukee (82-78) 3, Colorado (71-89) 4
San Diego (76-84) 8, Arizona (83-77) 4
Chi. Cubs (87-73) 5, St. Louis (81-79) 2
LA Dodgers (108-52) 7, San Francisco (76-84) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Washington RHP Anibal Sanchez out for postseason with torn labrum
Cubs LHP Brian Duensing set to retire

Saturday, September 28th, 2019 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Minnesota (86-75) 2, Kansas City (75-86) 3
Winner: Danny Duffy (10-6) Loser: Jose Berrios (14-9) Save: Ian Kennedy (38)
HR-MIN: None HR-KC: Adalberto Mondesi (14)

ROYALS ELIMINATE TWINS FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

Adalberto Mondesi's 4-for-4 night helped lead the Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Twins, their sixth win over the Twins this month alone. It was the ninth straight loss for Minnesota, and officially eliminated them from the playoff race after Boston's victory. Danny Duffy outdueled Jose Berrios, fanning seven in six innings as he returned from an eight-game suspension following an altercation during the Royals-A's series last week. In addition to his four-hit night (which included a homerun), Mondesi extended his AL-best steals mark to fifty-two with two swipes.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (56-104) 4, Chi. Sox (64-96) 2 (G1)
Detroit (57-104) 9, Chi. Sox (64-97) 8 (G2)
Minnesota (86-75) 2, Kansas City (75-86) 3
Tampa Bay (93-68) 3, Toronto (64-97) 5
Baltimore (50-111) 3, Boston (88-73) 4 (Final/13)
NY Yankees (104-57) 8, Texas (86-75) 10
Oakland (82-79) 3, Seattle (62-99) 8
Houston (106-55) 2, LA Angels (77-84) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cincinnati (76-85) 3, Pittsburgh (71-90) 1
Cleveland (94-67) 3, Washington (87-73) 6
Miami (64-97) 12, Philadelphia (82-79) 4
Atlanta (102-58) 8, NY Mets (76-85) 6
Milwaukee (82-79) 1, Colorado (72-89) 6
San Diego (77-84) 10, Arizona (83-78) 7
Chi. Cubs (87-74) 2, St. Louis (82-79) 6
LA Dodgers (109-52) 6, San Francisco (76-85) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo will miss postseason with ACL strain

Sunday, September 29th, 2019 - First pitch, 1:05 CST
Minnesota (86-76) 0, Kansas City (76-86) 4
Winner: Mike Montgomery (8-5) Loser: Jake Odorizzi (16-10) Save: None
HR-MIN: None HR-KC: Jorge Soler (44)

SOLER POWERS K.C. TO SEASON-FINALE VICTORY

Jorge Soler finished the regular season with forty-four homeruns, hitting a three-run shot in the first inning off Jake Odorizzi, which was all the Royals needed as three relievers combined to one-hit the listless Twins in a 4-0 victory. Kansas City ended July with a 42-68 mark and in fourth place in the division, but went an AL-best 34-18 over the final two months to finish just ten games below .500, and third in the divisional race. Mike Montgomery picked up his eighth victory of the season, going five and two-third innings while allowing just one hit, walking four and fanning a season-high seven. Soler went 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Whit Merrifield finished the 2019 season as the AL hits leader, and became the first Royal since George Brett to hit at least 40 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homeruns, score 100 runs, and steal 20 bases in the same season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (57-105) 4, Chi. Sox (65-97) 8
Minnesota (86-76) 0, Kansas City (76-86) 4
Tampa Bay (94-68) 4, Toronto (64-98) 1
Baltimore (51-111) 4, Boston (88-74) 3
NY Yankees (105-57) 10, Texas (86-76) 6
Oakland (83-79) 9, Seattle (62-100) 1
Houston (106-56) 0, LA Angels (78-84) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cincinnati (76-86) 3, Pittsburgh (72-90) 6
Cleveland (95-67) 7, Washington (87-74) 6 (Final/11)
Miami (64-98) 0, Philadelphia (83-79) 1
Atlanta (102-59) 2, NY Mets (77-85) 3 (Final/13)
Milwaukee (83-79) 3, Colorado (72-90) 1
San Diego (77-85) 6, Arizona (84-78) 9
Chi. Cubs (88-74) 2, St. Louis (82-80) 0
LA Dodgers (110-52) 7, San Francisco (76-86) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (Sept. 30)
Atlanta (102-60) 2, Washington (88-74) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Braves 3B Josh Donaldson suspended for first two games of NLCS after on-field fight in season finale

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS HEADLINES
Royals to decline Alex Gordon's 2020 option
By artoodeetoo
10/01/2019

ROYALS WILL DECLINE GORDON'S OPTION

It's not unexpected, but per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Royals have confirmed that they will decline left fielder Alex Gordon's $23MM 2020 option, and will instead buy him out at a more manageable $4MM. The move will make the soon-to-be 36-year-old a free agent after the completion of the World Series, and throws his future not just with the Royals, but in baseball in doubt.

Despite a strong bounce-back season in which he posted a .280/.356/.425 slash over 652 plate appearances, Gordon's defensive metrics slipped to the point where he's likely not a shoo-in for the Gold Glove. His thirty-six doubles were the most since 2012, when he led the AL in two-baggers with fifty-one. He also had solid OPS+ and wRC+ numbers of 105 and 109, respectively, his best marks since 2015, and just 109 strikeouts in 652 plate appearances (16.7%), a career-best.

However, those numbers, while quite good; don't amount to a $23MM salary hit. It's not improbable that the Royals bring him back, but Gordon has made clear that if it looks as if he won't return to the Royals, he won't return to the game.

"I don't see myself playing for any other team at this point," Gordon mused before the team's final game two days ago. "Whether they take the option, decline it, doesn't matter. I just have to go and take it one day at a time."

Gordon is just twelve homeruns shy of two-hundred for his career, and would pass both Amos Otis and Mike Sweeney if he reached that milestone. Only George Brett has more, with 317 over his maginificent career. Gordon also ranks in the top ten in Royals history in career walks (3rd), HBP (1st), RBI (6th), doubles (5th), total bases (5th), hits (6th), runs scored (6th), AB's (6th), and WAR (5th).

The only other roster option pending is Jorge Soler's $4MM player option for the 2020 season, but it's almost a certainty that he will decline it and seek an increase in his salary through arbitration or extension with the club after placing second in the AL in homeruns with forty-four.

MONDESI TO UNDERGO SHOULDER SURGERY

Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will undergo a minor procedure to correct a throwing shoulder issue; and will miss the next few months as he rehabs, according to GM Dayton Moore.

Despite not playing at 100% most of the season; and missing time with several IL stints, Mondesi still hit a respectable .264/.292/.439 with career-highs in RBI (80), doubles (27), triples (11), steals (52), and hits (138).

His eleven triples and fifty-two steals led the AL, and did so despite missing about a month's worth of games over the season.

HURDLE LET GO AS PIRATES' SKIPPER

Former Royal outfielder and (now) former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was let go by the team earlier this morning. He's had a lengthy MLB managing career, beginning with the Rockies in 2002. He was sacked by Colorado about one-third of the way through the 2009 season, just two seasons after leading the Rox to their first and only World Series appearance in franchise history.

He joined up with the Pirates for the 2011 season, and after back-to-back losing seasons that year and in 2012, led the Pirates to three straight playoff appearances in 2013, 2014, and 2015. However, four straight seasons of missing the postseason, including a 72-90 mark this past season, led the Pirates to oust him as the skipper.

Rather than search for a new position, Hurdle announced that he is done managing; and will not seek another opportunity. Owner Bob Nutting and GM Neal Huntington stressed a search would begin right away.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

WILDCARD RECAP
League Divisional matchups set
By artoodeetoo
10/04/2019

The Nationals and Red Sox will be moving on to their respective leagues' LDS matchups, as they toppled the Diamondbacks and Rays, respectively. Boston will move on to face Houston, while the Nationals will square off with the Dodgers in a rematch of last year's NLCS.

Behind Chris Sale's eight-and-one-third strong innings, Boston marched past the host Rays to take the AL Wildcard matchup by a 3-0 count. Mitch Moreland's two-run second-inning homerun got the Red Sox off on the right foot, while Rafael Devers' sac fly in the third provided some insurance that ended up not being needed.

Sale struck out eight and scattered three hits over his stint, with Matt Barnes picking up the other two outs to get the save. Charlie Morton was solid, but couldn't match Sale pitch-for-pitch, allowing three runs over six-plus innings. He fanned six with nine hits and one walk.

On the National League side of the ledger, Washington overcame a 5-2 deficit to post a 7-5 victory in the late innings. Arizona led 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but three in that frame, and two more in the eighth helped push the Nats past the upstart D-Backs, and into the NLDS.

Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto had RBI hits in the seventh, while Victor Robles and Soto provided the go-ahead tallies in the eighth against Yoshihisa Hirano. Despite a 6.34 ERA in the season, Kyle McGowin got the start for the Nats, and was good enough to get the victory in six-and-two-third innings. He allowed four runs, fanned four, and walked three, defeating NL Cy Young candidate Robbie Ray in the process.

Ray allowed just two runs over five innings, but walked four and threw over 100 pitches.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

FINAL REPORT CARD
Merrifield, Kennedy, Soler earn A's
By artoodeetoo
10/04/2019

As the 2019 season comes to a close, it's time to look back on the season and hand out individual grades. Only three players received a grade in the 'A' range, and a handful of others garnered a 'B' or better. Any player that logged some time with the Royals late in the year, but didn't see much time, if at all, in the first handful of months of the season received an 'incomplete', regardless of how well or poorly that player performed.

GRADE 'A' PLAYERS
Whit Merrifield: A -- The 30-year-old put together one of the all-time great seasons in Royals' history, becoming the first player in franchise history to post a 200-hit, 40-double, 10-triple, 20-homerun, and 25-steal season. He led the league in hits for the second straight season, and also topped 100 runs scored for the first time. The only thing keeping this from being an A+? His paltry 63% steal rate (25/40), well below last year's rate.
Jorge Soler: A
Ian Kennedy: A-

GRADE 'B' PLAYERS
Hunter Dozier: B+
Alex Gordon: B
Cheslor Cuthbert: B -- After being DFA'ed in the offseason, Cuthbert was re-added to the 40-man roster in May, and has not disappointed since being re-called. In addition to playing four different positions, Cuthbert also flashed with the stick, hitting a remarkable .309/.348/.479 in 326 plate appearances. He's likely locked up the first base role for the time being, and will get every opportunity to put a stranglehold on the job in 2020. He could also feature in the outfield if the Royals do not retain Alex Gordon, as he played a handful of games between left and right field in September. He has enough arm strength to play either corner spot.
Brad Keller: B
Adalberto Mondesi: B
Jake Junis: B-
Danny Duffy: B-
Richard Lovelady: B-

GRADE 'C' PLAYERS
Mike Montgomery: C+ -- I know some will say this should be higher based on his Royals tenure, but the totality of his time with the Cubs AND Royals merits this grade. He did drop his walk rate after joining the Royals; but his hard-hit rate went up, and strikeout rate dropped after being acquired. He's controlled for the next two seasons after this one, so it appears that he'll be a pretty prominent member of the squad in some capacity for the near future, but if I'm owner-in-waiting John Sherman and the Royals' front office, I'm pursuing an upgrade here.
Scott Barlow: C
Tim Hill: C
Cam Gallagher: C
Jacob Barnes: C-
Bubba Starling: C-
Brett Phillips: C-

GRADE 'D' PLAYERS
Nicky Lopez: D+ -- Out of 472 qualifying players, Lopez was in the bottom 5% of the league in hard-hit rate, but also had a low strikeout rate of 16.5%, making him subsceptible to lots of soft contact. It's a small sample size so far, but unless he makes a huge leap in development (e.g., strength) over the offseason, it's hard to imagine him being more than a good-glove reserve guy. That said, he did hit .387/.406/.419 with an EV of 94.5 in thirty-two September plate appearances; mainly against righties, so it would be great to see him carry that over into the 2020 season.
Ryan O'Hearn: D+
Jake Newberry: D+
Kyle Zimmer: D+
Jorge Lopez: D
Glenn Sparkman: D

INCOMPLETES
Josh Staumont -- I really, really wanted to put him in the actual grades category; and based on his limited (19 2/3 IP) sample, he would have likely been in the low-A range. However, it's just too small a sample against mainly AAAA-type of players in the final two months. That said, maybe even more encouraging than his 13.7 K/9 rate is a decent 4.6 BB/9 rate. Well, decent for him, as he had a BB/9 in the minors north of 6.0. After walking eight in his first six outings, he walked just two over his final twelve, and notched at least one strikeout every time he took the mound for the Royals. If he can keep his walks in check, the Royals have their closer of the future. If not, he's probably a middle-innings filler arm.
Eric Skoglund
Jesse Hahn
Meibrys Viloria
Nick Dini
Jorge Bonifacio
Heath Fillmyer
Jose Castillo

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

LEAGUE DIVISIONAL SERIES RECAPS
Each series goes five games for first time
10/12/2019
By MLB.com Staff

CLEVELAND INDIANS VS NEW YORK YANKEES
Game 1: Cleveland 4, NY Yankees 2
W: Mike Clevinger L: Luis Severino S: Brad Hand
Game 2: Cleveland 1, NY Yankees 2
W: James Paxton L: Danny Salazar S: Aroldis Chapman
Game 3: NY Yankees 3, Cleveland 7
W: A.J. Cole L: Masahiro Tanaka S: None
Game 4: NY Yankees 5, Cleveland 3
W: J.A. Happ L: Logan Allen S: Aroldis Chapman
Game 5: Cleveland 5, NY Yankees 2
W: Mike Clevinger L: Luis Severino S: James Hoyt

BOSTON RED SOX VS HOUSTON ASTROS
Game 1: Boston 1, Houston 2
W: Gerrit Cole L: David Price S: Will Harris
Game 2: Boston 6, Houston 1
W: Eduardo Rodriguez L: Zack Greinke S: None
Game 3: Houston 6, Boston 2
W: Justin Verlander L: Chris Sale S: None
Game 4: Houston 5, Boston 9
W: Jenrry Mejia L: Collin McHugh S: None
Game 5: Boston 0, Houston 9
W: Gerrit Cole L: Marcus Walden S: None

CHICAGO CUBS VS ATLANTA BRAVES
Game 1: Chi. Cubs 2, Atlanta 3
W: Mike Soroka L: Kyle Hendricks S: Luke Jackson
Game 2: Chi. Cubs 6, Atlanta 1
W: Jose Quintana L: Mark Melancon S: None
Game 3: Atlanta 8, Chi. Cubs 5
W: Dallas Keuchel L: Cole Hamels S: Max Fried
Game 4: Atlanta 4, Chi. Cubs 7
W: David Phelps L: Julio Teheran S: None
Game 5: Chi. Cubs 6, Atlanta 3
W: Tony Barnette L: Luke Jackson S: Cole Hamels

WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Game 1: Washington 6, LA Dodgers 2
W: Max Scherzer L: Hyun-jin Ryu S: None
Game 2: Washington 3, LA Dodgers 6
W: Walker Buehler L: Patrick Corbin S: Josh Sborz
Game 3: LA Dodgers 4, Washington 1
W: Kenta Maeda L: Stephen Strasburg S: Marshall Kasowski
Game 4: LA Dodgers 4, Washington 7
W: Tanner Rainey L: Marshall Kasowski S: Hunter Strickland
Game 5: Washington 5, LA Dodgers 8
W: Kenley Jansen L: Tanner Rainey S: Josh Sborz

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

Been awhile, but with managerial openings being filled it's about time to start this back up.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RECAPS
Hoyt, Maeda named LCS MVP's
10/19/2019
By MLB.com Staff

CLEVELAND INDIANS VS HOUSTON ASTROS
Game 1: Cleveland 9, Houston 6
W: Tyler Clippard L: Joe Smith S: James Hoyt
Game 2: Cleveland 2, Houston 6
W: Collin McHugh L: Tanner Scheppers S: Will Harris
Game 3: Houston 2, Cleveland 4
W: Mike Clevinger L: Zack Greinke S: James Hoyt
Game 4: Houston 2, Cleveland 4
W: Logan Allen L: Gerrit Cole S: Brad Hand
Game 5: Houston 2, Cleveland 4
W: James Hoyt L: Ryan Pressly S: Nick Goody

CHICAGO CUBS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Game 1: Chi. Cubs 9, LA Dodgers 4
W: Jose Quintana L: Walker Buehler S: None
Game 2: Chi. Cubs 7, LA Dodgers 10
W: Kenta Maeda L: Tony Barnette S: Josh Sborz
Game 3: LA Dodgers 7, Chi. Cubs 3
W: Hyun-jin Ryu L: Kyle Hendricks S: None
Game 4: LA Dodgers 8, Chi. Cubs 5
W: Josh Sborz L: Tony Barnette S: JT Chargois
Game 5: LA Dodgers 4, Chi. Cubs 10
W: Jose Quintana L: Walker Buehler S: None
Game 6: Chi. Cubs 1, LA Dodgers 6
W: Kenta Maeda L: Tony Barnette S: None

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

WORLD SERIES RECAP
Pederson wins MVP
11/01/2019
By MLB.com Staff

CLEVELAND INDIANS VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Game 1: Cleveland 4, LA Dodgers 2
W: Brad Hand L: Josh Sborz S: None
Game 2: Cleveland 5, LA Dodgers 1 (F/22)
W: Tanner Scheppers L: Josh Sborz S: None
Game 3: LA Dodgers 2, Cleveland 1
W: Blake Wood L: A.J. Cole S: Zac Rosscup
Game 4: LA Dodgers 4, Cleveland 1
W: Ross Stripling L: Logan Allen S: Blake Wood
Game 5: LA Dodgers 4, Cleveland 5
W: Mike Clevinger L: Hyun-jin Ryu S: Nick Wittgren
Game 6: Cleveland 5, LA Dodgers 6 (F/10)
W: Marshall Kasowski L: James Hoyt S: None
Game 7: Cleveland 1, LA Dodgers 8
W: Kenta Maeda L: A.J. Cole S: Zach McAllister

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

FIVE BURNING OFFSEASON QUESTIONS
Gordon continues to mull retirement
11/04/2019

1. How will new ownership and a new manager affect the team on the field?
Sources have indicated that John Sherman likely will run the team much like Glass did, with an eye on financial stability from year to year. Don’t expect a ton of splashy free-agent signings early. The Royals may dip into the free-agent pool for a cost-efficient starting pitcher or two, and they likely will offer an extension to slugger Jorge Soler, who is likely to opt out of his $4.6 million contract for 2020 and go to arbitration this winter. The front office almost certainly will remain intact. New manager Mike Matheny has been known as a veteran-friendly skipper, so the relative youth of the 2020 Royals combined with Matheny's managerial background will be a storyline to pay attention to.

2. How will the Alex Gordon decision affect matters?
Though Gordon exercised his $23MM mutual option for 2019, the Royals declined it, opting instead to pay a $4MM buyout. A one-year deal now in the range of $5MM to $8MM seems likely. If Gordon doesn’t come back, one would assume that super-utility man Whit Merrifield could be the club's replacement in left field. There are also external candidates that could potentially fill that spot, such as free agents Nick Castellanos, Kole Calhoun, Hunter Pence, or even Marcell Ozuna; if he can be had at the right price.

3. How are the Royals set in terms of position players?
It doesn't appear that there will be a ton of position battles in Spring Training. Hunter Dozier is a rising star at third base, as is Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop. Nicky Lopez finished strong at second base. First base could be a platoon with Ryan O’Hearn and Cheslor Cuthbert. Having catcher Salvador Perez back from Tommy John surgery is like adding a big free-agent signing, although it could be a good battle to serve as Perez's backup between Nick Dini, Meibrys Viloria, and Cam Gallagher. Soler ranked second in the AL in homeruns with forty-three, and he will be the designated hitter. The outfield spots are a little less certain, but one could see an early platoon of Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips in center. If Gordon returns, Merrifield would likely slot into right field.

4. Will the Royals need more starting pitchers?
Oh, yes. Jake Junis had a great second half, and Brad Keller was shut down early in the midst of a solid 2019 campaign to limit his innings output. Left-handers Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery are solid veterans. But there is little depth after that. The Royals desperately need someone like Glenn Sparkman, Jorge Lopez or Eric Skoglund, or even one of their young prospects rising through the farm system (Jackson Kowar, Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, etc.) to make a big impression in Spring Training. There's also scuttlebutt that Scott Barlow could contend for a role after a strong finish to last year. In the end, this is where Moore might convince Sherman to add to the payroll, however.

5. Who will emerge to shore up a middling bullpen?
It’s no secret that the Royals’ bullpen wasn't great in 2019, despite a strong finish. Kansas City had the ninth-ranked bullpen ERA (4.38) in the AL, and their 4.52 team ERA ranked 8th. The answers most likely will have to come mostly internally. The Royals look likely to bring back closer Ian Kennedy (AL-best 38 saves, 2.80 ERA) for the final year of his five-year contract. Left-hander Tim Hill finished strong (3.60 ERA) and had 15 scoreless appearances out of 20 total; going back to July 18, to end the season. Josh Staumont proved to be a valuable arm late in the season, sporting a 1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with thirty strikeouts. But the Royals need relievers like Kyle Zimmer, Richard Lovelady, Jacob Barnes, Heath Fillmyer, Jesse Hahn, or Jake Newberry to stand out as shutdown relievers in the middle or as additional set-up guys.

Credit to Jeffrey Flanagan at MLB.com

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS OFFSEASON UPDATE
Cuthbert agrees to extension to avoid arbitration
11/12/2019

REPORT: ROYALS INTERESTED IN EXTENSION WITH GORDON

Even though the Royals declined his option roughly a week ago, there appears to be some interest in extending Alex Gordon from the Royals' side of things; according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, who writes about the Royals there. Gordon, who will be thirty-six when the first pitch is thrown on Opening Day 2020, hasn't indicated whether or not he'll seek to play another season.

Gordon hit .280 with fifteen homeruns and seventy-nine RBI in a fully-healthy, bounce-back year, but it was not enough for the Royals to guarantee him $23MM for 2020. He'll still get $4MM for his troubles after the buyout, and the team would likely factor that amount into any extension that they agree to.

Another reason why the Royals might be keen on bringing the six-time Gold Glove recipient back is the dearth of MLB-ready outfielders in the upper echelons of the minors. Top prospects Seuly Matias and Khalil Lee are probably slated for 2022 at the earliest; and Kansas City doesn't figure as a prominent spender on the free agency scene, even with a new pending ownership group that might loosen up the purse strings in the future.

As it stands, only Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips are likely penciled in as starters in the outfield. Gordon (if he returns) slides back in as the left fielder, but it seems as if the Royals may pursue an upgrade in center or right even with Gordon in the mix. Starling hit ten homeruns in roughly two months, but cooled off in September, hitting .114 (5-for-43). Phillips hit a respectable .252 in about 100 PA with his new approach, but had just eight XBH among his thirty-two hits, including just one homerun.

POSITION CHANGE IN THE FUTURE FOR MONDESI?

If Alex Gordon indeed does not return, could that mean a potential change of position for Adalberto Mondesi? While the young shortstop has one of the strongest arms on the 40-man roster, his defensive metrics slipped from 2018 to 2019, notably his UZR and DRS. GM Dayton Moore has talked in the past about moving Mondesi to the outfield; an idea that he brought up again, this time unprovoked, when discussing Alex Gordon's future.

"If Alex ends up not returning, I think we have some potential internal options to consider," he said a few days ago in a post-season luncheon at the stadium. "Whether we give Jorge (Soler) an expanded role in the field, or someone like Brett Phillips or even Adalberto (Mondesi) there, it's something that we'll consider with the new manager, whomever that may be."

It certainly is interesting to consider. His father, former All-Star Raul, was a prominent fixture on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the late 90's and early 2000's, and featured one of the strongest throwing arms to ever patrol right field. A shortstop by trade, Mondesi the younger has played a few games in the outfield in the minors, and routinely shags BP flyballs in pre-game warmups.

And even if Gordon does come back, it's not something I think should be ruled out. Phillips and Bubba Starling, while they had their moments late in 2019, are not sure things. Soler has been squarely an average to below-average defender in his career. An outfield of Gordon in left, Mondesi in right, and a platoon of Phillips and Starling in center is a strong, strong defensive group that could produce 50+ homeruns between them, all the while still playing above-average-to-great defense.

CUTHBERT, ROYALS AGREE TO EXTENSION

Kansas City agreed to a one-year extension with utility player Cheslor Cuthbert, avoiding arbitration. Cuthbert, who will likely open 2020 as the team's starting first baseman, also played third, left, and right field this past season. He hit a respectable .309/.348/.479 in 326 plate appearances, socking a dozen homeruns and driving in a career-best fifty-one runs.

Cuthbert is the first of the team's five arbitration-eligible players to sign an extension, with Jorge Soler, Mike Montgomery, Jacob Barnes, and Jesse Hahn also still yet to sign or be offered arbitration. Teams have until the 23rd to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PREDICTING THE OPENING DAY ROSTER
Positional players likely to stay intact
11/13/2019

The Royals’ Opening Day roster in 2020 may not look all that different from the active roster that finished the 2019 season, especially among the position players. Club officials have expressed content with their positional lineup moving forward. Now, when it comes to the bullpen, which finished second-to-last in the American League in ERA, there certainly is room for adjustments.

With that, let’s take a way-too-early stab at the Opening Day roster decisions for next March -- and keep in mind that rosters will expand to 26 next season.

CATCHER
Locks: Salvador Perez
Possibilities: Meibrys Viloria, Cam Gallagher, Nick Dini
Synopsis: Getting Salvy back is just like a huge free agent signing. With the rosters expanding to twenty-six during the season, there's a fair chance that the Royals opt to carry three catchers over an extra pitcher. New manager Mike Matheny, a former backstop himself, has talked about the need to limit Perez's innings going forward, but don't be shocked if he logs at least 1,000 innings again, which is roughly 110 games. Viloria put together a small, but not insignificant solid chunk of time late in the season, slashing .298/.343/.383 in 101 plate appearances.

FIRST BASE
Locks: Cheslor Cuthbert
Possibilities: Ryan O'Hearn, Ryan McBroom
Synopsis: Cuthbert was just re-signed through this year after a strong 2019 campaign, and likely opens up the 2020 season at first base. Both Ryans have options, so it appears likely that one (or even both) could end up in Omaha, unless one of them goes off in the spring.

SECOND BASE
Locks: Nicky Lopez
Possibilities: Whit Merrifield
Synopsis: Merrifield really isn't a 'reserve' here. If Lopez gets injured, or off to a slow start through the first few months, then it's entirely possible that he slides down from left or right field and re-asserts himself at second. Lopez can certainly handle himself defensively; and even though his bat picked up late, there are still questions about whether he'll hit enough to stick as a starter in the bigs.

SHORTSTOP
Locks: Adalberto Mondesi
Possibilities: Lopez
Synopsis: There are questions surrounding Mondesi after electing to have minor shoulder surgery to correct an issue from earlier in the season, but all indications are that Mondesi should be ready for the start of the season. If not, Lopez could slide over while Merrifield takes over second.

THIRD BASE
Locks: Hunter Dozier
Possibilities: None
Synopsis: Barring injury, Dozier should remain one of the more promising young hitters in all of baseball. It's still pretty unlikely that he sticks at third for more than another year or two, but until then, he's played a pretty decent third base defensively.

OUTFIELD
Locks: Merrifield, Alex Gordon, Brett Phillips, Bubba Starling, Jorge Soler
Possibilities: Jorge Bonifacio, Khalil Lee, Nick Heath, Free agent
Synopsis: This assumes that Gordon returns in 2020. If not, it likely opens a path for Heath or a free agent acquisition to find their way onto the Opening Day roster. Absent that, Lee is likely a year or so away, but he'll almost assuredly get an invite to Spring Training. Impress there, and who knows what will happen? It's also a possibility that Merrifield slides over to left, but he has played only a handful of games in left since the beginning of 2018. With Starling and Phillips out of options, the Royals need to find out what they're made of.

STARTERS
Locks: Brad Keller, Jake Junis, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery
Possibilities: Glenn Sparkman, Jorge Lopez, Jesse Hahn, Eric Skoglund, Free agent
Synopsis: Keller and Junis are a solid one-two at the top, but in reality, they're not front-of-the-rotation type pitchers. Junis had a bonkers second half that saw him go over the 200-strikeout plateau, the first Royal to do so since Zack Greinke in 2009. Going into last season, it was thought that Junis might be a better bullpen option; but thanks to an outstanding slider that improved in the second half, that talk has been quieted for now. Keller should be unencumbered by an innings limit this year. Duffy and Monty are solid vets, but there's little depth behind them -- Sparkman and Lopez had their moments, but struggled with the homerun ball mightily. Jesse Hahn is recovering from elbow surgery, and Eric Skoglund has been up-and-down in his brief MLB stints. This may be a situation where a low-cost free agent might be a solid choice while Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubic continue to develop. Jackson Kowar, another 2018 draftee, will miss the entire 2020 season after TJ surgery late in 2019 season, so that option is off the table.

BULLPEN
Locks: Ian Kennedy, Scott Barlow, Tim Hill, Josh Staumont, Richard Lovelady
Possibilties: Lopez, Hahn, Kyle Zimmer, Kevin McCarthy, Jose Castillo, Heath Fillmyer, Gabe Speier, Free agent
Synopsis: Kennedy is a lock to remain the closer, with a solid quartet of Barlow, Hill, Staumont, and Lovelady not far behind. However, Barlow could also figure into the rotation mix. If that happens, the Royals could be in the market for another right-handed arm. They've also been linked to Jake Diekman again, who is from Nebraska and enjoyed his brief time with the Royals before getting dealt to the A's right before the deadline last season. Zimmer and McCarthy are also out of options, along with Lopez and Hahn, so they'll have a leg up.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PRE-FREE AGENCY RECAP
JDM, Chapman among notable opt-ins
11/23/2019
By MLB.com Staff

MAJOR OPT-IN: JD Martinez, Boston; Aroldis Chapman, NY Yankees; Elvis Andrus, Texas; Jake Arrieta, Philadelphia; Yu Darvish, Chi. Cubs; Kenley Jansen, LA Dodgers

MAJOR OPT-OUT: Jorge Soler, Kansas City; Matt Adams, Washington; Stephen Strasburg, Washington; Yasmani Grandal, Milwaukee; Mike Moustakas, Milwaukee

TEAM VOIDED: Edwin Encarnacion, NY Yankees; Alex Gordon, Kansas City; Kole Calhoun, LA Angels; Yusmeiro Petit, Oakland; Starlin Castro, Miami; Sean Doolittle, Washington; Matt Carpenter, St. Louis

TEAM PICKED UP: Nelson Cruz, Minnesota; Jose Quintana, Chi. Cubs; Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco

GOING TO ARBITRATION: Michael Fulmer, Detroit; C.J. Cron, Minnesota; Justin Bour, LA Angels; Robbie Grossman, Oakland; Delino DeShields, Jr., Texas; Lance McCullers, Houston; Miguel Rojas, Miami; Corey Knebel, Milwaukee; Steven Souza, Arizona

QUALIFYING OFFERS EXTENDED/ACCEPTED: None