Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS EXTEND SOLER; HAHN, BARNES NON-TENDERED
Deal sets table for long-term pact
11/23/2019

Kansas City and OF/DH Jorge Soler avoided going to arbitration, as the sides agreed to a one-year, $9.5M deal. It's an insanely good figure for the franchise, as Soler is coming off a season in which he slashed .256/.346/.527 with forty-four homeruns, 113 RBI, and thirty doubles. It also keeps the opportunity open for a more long-term deal down the road, perhaps later next summer.

Soler finished second in the AL homerun race to Mike Trout, who topped fifty longballs with 52 of his own, a new career-high for the long-time Halo.

On the flip side, the Royals have elected to non-tender right-handers Jesse Hahn and Jacob Barnes, making them free agents. Hahn isn't a surprise since he has missed so much time in recent years, but Barnes is more so -- he had a 2.41 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with the Royals after being acquired via waivers from the Brewers, but taking into account his Brewers tenure, he pitched to a 4.70 ERA in 38 1/3 innings in all of 2019.

Hahn made three starts towards the end of the season, and really struggled to put much of anything together. He fanned just four in 13 2/3 innings, surrendering six homeruns and allowing seventeen hits in all while finishing with a 5.93 ERA. GM Dayton Moore expressed an interest in bringing them back, but likely on minor-league deals if they do not sign elsewhere.

Yesterday, southpaw Mike Montgomery signed a $2.78MM contract to avoid arbitration, and will figure into the team's rotation plans most likely in 2020. Aside from Alex Gordon, who is still mulling retirement, the Royals should return largely intact from a season ago.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

***2019-2020 OFFSEASON***

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ATLANTA BRAVES
3B Josh Donaldson
4-year, $88.8M ($2.2MM in incentives)

2B Howie Kendrick
1-year, $6.8MM

BOSTON RED SOX
RHP Stephen Strasburg
6-yr, $153.5MM ($25.6MM 2025 vesting opt., 25 GS)

CHICAGO CUBS
RHP Chihiro Kaneko
2-yr, $17MM ($7.9MM 2021 team opt.)

RHP Michael Pineda
2-yr, $16.4MM ($8.8MM vesting opt.)

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
OF Brett Gardner
1-yr, $4.68M ($1.25M in incentives)

COLORADO ROCKIES
LHP Cole Hamels
3-yr, $45MM ($6M total in bonuses, 2022 vesting opt. (25 GS)

HOUSTON ASTROS
LHP Will Smith
2-year, $20MM

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
OF Alex Gordon
2-year, $18MM ($10.25MM mutual 2021 opt.)

LHP Jake Diekman
2-year, $10MM ($5.75MM mutual 2021 opt.)

RHP Tanner Roark
2-year, $12.5MM (includes $1MM 2021 buyout, $2MM incentives)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS
C Yasmani Grandal
5-year, $77.5MM ($17.5MM 2024 mutual opt., $5MM buyout)

3B Anthony Rendon
7-year, $255MM ($41MM 2026 team opt., $8MM buyout plus $7MM in incentives)

RHP Gerrit Cole
7-year, $217MM ($8.75MM in incentives)

LHP Sean Doolittle
2-year, $13.8M

MILWAUKEE BREWERS
LHP Hyun-jin Ryu
4-year, $87MM ($22.5M 2023 team opt., $5MM buyout)

MINNESOTA TWINS
RHP Alex Colome
1-year, $5M

LHP Wade Miley
2-year, $11MM

NEW YORK YANKEES
RHP Craig Kimbrel
2-year, $14.25MM ($1.5MM in performance bonuses)

SS Didi Gregorius
7-year, $134MM ($19M mutual option for 2026; $3MM buyout)

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
LHP Dallas Keuchel
4-year, $54.4MM ($1MM in performance bonuses)

OF Marcell Ozuna
6-year, $108MM

SEATTLE MARINERS
OF Wladimir Balentien
2-year, $9MM ($5MM 2021 mutual opt.)

TEXAS RANGERS
RHP Rick Porcello
2-yr, $11.8MM

IF Asdrubal Cabrera
2-year, $11.1MM (incl. $700K 2021 buyout)

WASHINGTON NATIONALS
1B Edwin Encarnacion
1-year, $7MM

3B Mike Moustakas
6-year, $110.8MM ($7.2MM in incentives)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019-2020 OFFSEASON BLOG

11/23/2019: COACHING STAFF TO STAY LARGELY INTACT

With Pedro Grifol no longer in contention for the Giants' managerial opening, the entire coaching staff is expected to return for 2020. That includes bench coach Dale Sveum, who at one point was considering taking a front office role, much like the role Matheny had last season. That appears to have changed.

Matheny has touched base with all of the returning staff, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. However, he has a extended relationship with one Royals coach -- pitching coach Cal Eldred. The two played together in Milwaukee, and their big-league careers overlapped. Their relationship goes back some two-and-a-half decades, and the new manager has leaned on Eldred to evaluate the returning pitching staff.

11/24/2019: GORDON WINS SEVENTH GOLD GLOVE

It was a subpar defensive year for Alex Gordon if you look at the major defensive metrics, but he came through with his seventh Gold Glove award. The award breaks the second-place tie he had with teammate Salvador Perez for the most in team history, behind only Frank White's eight.

He'll be thirty-six by the time the first pitch is thrown on the 2020 season. Right now, if I had to handicap it, he's leaning towards coming back. At this point, if you're still having fun playing the game, and it doesn't feel like a chore to go to the ballpark 162 times per year, then he should come back. That being said, he really can't take too much longer, because I think he's the linchpin in the Royals' offseason plans. Gordon returns, Merrifield plays RF and their outfield is pretty much set. Retire, and they have some decisions to make.

But he has two AL pennants and a World Series ring in his pocket. He has seven Gold Gloves, and a Platinum to go with it. He's accomplished more than just about any Royal has in history. His #4 is a shoo-in to go up there with #5, #10, and #20. On top of all that, he's made roughly $75MM over the last four years, and around $100MM in earnings over his career. If he walked away at this point, I would not blame him

11/25/2019: SHERMAN OFFICIALLY IN AS OWNER

It's now official -- John Sherman's purchase of the Royals officially went through today, as he takes over ownership of the franchise on the same day that the free agent market officially opened for business. The sale was approved unanimously by the other owners, paving the way for a smooth transition from the Glass family to the Kansas City-native Sherman.

In fact, he has had a hand in most of the decisions made in recent months, including the $9MM extension for Jorge Soler, despite not holding ownership until today. At the Glass family's behest, he also okayed the Cheslor Cuthbert and Mike Montgomery signings, and also stated publicly that he'd like to have Alex Gordon back for 2020.

He also won't bust the budget in his first season as the owner, which is probably much to the chagrin of most Royals fans. It's not surprising, since Ian Kennedy and Danny Duffy are eating up about 30% of the estimated payroll for 2020, which is going to be in the $95-$100MM range if current trends hold. Now, 2021 and beyond -- I would expect the franchise to be more than just bit players.

That said, I'll be a little disappointed if they don't at least try and get involved with some of the middle-tier free-agents-to-be. Ian Kennedy and/or Danny Duffy getting moved likely changes the calculus, which will free up some capital to be more active in the market; but until that happens, you shouldn't hold your breath on a super-busy offseason.

11/26/2019: ROYALS MAKE FIRST MOVE OF FREE AGENCY

It's not a major signing by any stretch, but it's been a long time coming for right-hander Bryan Brickhouse, who signed an MLB contract with the Royals after seven years in the minors since being drafted in the third round by Kansas City all the way back in 2011.

It's a bit of a minor miracle he's still even in the game after experiencing multiple shoulder and elbow issues, but after missing the entirety of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he returned in 2018 and posted a 1.99 ERA in 31 2/3 innings with the team's High-A affiliate in Wilmington, earning him a mid-season promotion to NW Arkansas.

He struggled there, posting an 11.81 ERA in a handful of innings, but turned in another strong first-half performance for the Naturals before getting the call to Omaha midway through last season.

He posted a 1.42 ERA with nine saves for the Storm Chasers in the final half of 2019, fanning twenty-five with just eleven walks and no homeruns allowed. He's not likely to make the Opening Day roster as he'll have a fresh set of options to work with, but with a live arm and two plus-plus offerings (four-seamer, curve), and an average changeup, he'll have a chance to succeed in a bullpen with a few open spots up for grabs.

11/30/2019: ROYALS DESIGNATE THREE FOR ASSIGNMENT

Jorge Lopez's time with the Royals has seemingly come to an end, at the very least with the MLB club. He, along with utility man Erick Mejia and fellow righty Trevor Oaks, were all designated for assignment by the organization earlier today. Oaks has been on the disabled list with a hip subluxation issue that caused him to miss the entire 2019 season. They all have to pass waivers in order to remain in the organization.

Lopez, acquired along with outfielder Brett Phillips in the Mike Moustakas deal of 2017, has been one of the more frustrating pitchers in recent seasons; as he has flashed great potential in a variety of roles, including a near-perfecto last year against the Blue Jays late in the season. But the inconsistency has likely become too great to ignore, and his confidence had suffered greatly as a consequence.

To me, it's a move that's long overdue. It's a signal that the Matheny-led Royals are looking to revamp not just the bullpen, but to cut some of the chaff off the 40-man roster. It's a bit surprising they're throwing in the towel on Oaks as well, though, as he was another guy they haven't really had a chance to evaluate due to injuries.

Expect all three to have a chance in the spring if they are not claimed by other clubs, however.

12/01/2019: LEE, BUBIC EARN HONORS

Northwest Arkansas outfielder Khalil Lee and Wilmington lefty Kris Bubic were named the Royals' Minor League Players of the Year at the team's awards banquet earlier this week.

Bubic led the entire minor leagues in strikeouts with 185, and that was despite a stretch late in the season where he struggled with a 7.20 ERA over his last three starts. A 22-year-old left-hander who was selected 40th overall in the 2018 Draft, Bubic went 11-5 with a 2.23 ERA in stops at Class A Lexington and Class A Advanced Wilmington.

In spending the entire season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, the 21-year-old Lee continued to get on base (.363 OBP) and wreak havoc once there (career-high 53 stolen bases).

12/04/2019: RYU TO MILWAUKEE

You thought this was just going to be a Royals blog?

Milwaukee made the first big splash of the offseason, signing Hyun-jin Ryu to a four-year, $87M contract to front their rotation through 2023. His 2023 season comes with a team option and a hefty $5M buyout, but his team option if picked up is worth $22.5MM. He also can make an additional $2MM per season in performance and vesting bonuses, which would take his potential earnings up to $95MM over the life of the deal.

From a Royals perspective, this is not going to matter...but it does establish the market for starting pitching, and this is a great pitching market. You have Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and MadBum as the other three big-name arms, along with the now off-market Ryu, as the free agent prizes. Dallas Keuchel is a tier below that. Cole is seemingly going to get an AAV of $32MM to $35MM, likely from the Angels or Yankees. Strasburg is going to get something close to that range from someone, whether that be the Nats, Cubs, or Boston, who appear to be the other teams most closely associated with him.

MadBum and Keuchel are similar pitchers, although I'd argue that MadBum still has better stuff than Keuchel at this point at the same age. Keuchel is a guy that could be had for Kansas City, but they already have Danny Duffy on the roster at $30MM through next year, and I don't see a big splash on the horizon -- at least until after this season, when Ian Kennedy's contract is off the books.

12/07/2019: ROYALS DISCUSS THREE-CATCHER SET-UP

There's a chance the Royals could carry three catchers with the rosters expanding to twenty-six for the 2020 season, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Both general manager Dayton Moore and new manager Mike Matheny have stated that they would like to limit the number of games that Salvador Perez plays behind the plate, but that he'll still likely log close to 1,000 innings there while playing a handful of games elsewhere, including at first and occasionally as a DH.

There are four catchers on the 40-man roster, with Nick Dini likely ticketed to head back to Omaha unless he has a big spring. The remaining three are all different types of players, with youngsters Meibrys Viloria and Cam Gallagher in contention to back up the six-time All-Star in Perez. Viloria has shown well in his limited MLB experience, albeit with little power (.289/.333/.372), fashioning those numbers over 130 MLB plate appearances.

The more defensive-minded Gallagher set new career highs offensively nearly across the board, but there are concerns about his long-term chances to continue his improvement at the dish. Like Viloria, he doesn't hit for a ton of power, slashing .243/.313/.339 over 350 MLB plate appearances, including a .252/.328/.341 in 252 PA just this past season. However, Viloria hits from the left side, and could find himself getting a significant chunk of time against RHP and when Perez isn't behind the plate.

12/11/2019: KEUCHEL, GIANTS AGREE TO DEAL

There was a time when the Giants and Madison Bumgarner might re-unite, but it appears that ship has sailed with the signing of free-agent lefty Dallas Keuchel to a four-year deal worth $54.4MM that runs through 2023. He also has an innings bonus that vests an extra $250K per season, adding up to an additional $1MM over the life of the deal.

Statistically, it was the worst season for the veteran southpaw in a half-decade, allowing 1.2 HR/9 while fanning just 6.8 per nine. His FIP of 4.62 was also the worst mark of his career since his first full season with the Astros.

Keuchel was the only realistic target from the top-tier of free agent pitching for the Royals, but with him off the board, it looks like that they'll have to shop in the bargain bin. I'm not sure there was ever real interest from Keuchel's end; his name was never linked to Kansas City at all.

12/16/2019: WINTER MEETINGS THOUGHTS

Not that much was expected from the Royals' point of view, but it was an uneventful four days in Nashville, as the only news to come out from the team was the signing of minor-leaguers Matt Reynolds and Vince Fernandez to minor-league deals. However, if you're a fan of the game in general, this was a huge handful of days. To wit:

Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Didi Gregorius, and Cole Hamels all signed long-term contracts, with only Gregorius returning to the team he played for in 2019 (Yankees). Rendon (Angels, seven years, $255MM), Strasburg (Red Sox, six years, $155MM) and Gregorius (seven years, $134MM) all had big paydays. Hamels still net a $45MM deal over three years at age thirty-six with the Rockies. This all came on the heels of Dallas Keuchel signing with the Giants for four years at $55MM total a few days ago.

Gerrit Cole, Marcell Ozuna, Madison Bumgarner, Josh Donaldson, and Mike Moustakas are still out there, so the rest of the offseason should provide some nice headlines for seamheads.

This was also a busy Winter Meetings for trades. A.J. Preller again stole the show, dealing Kirby Yates to the Cubs, grabbing three of their top twenty prospects in return for the Friars and new manager Jayce Tingler. He would later get outfield prospect Kyle Lewis from the Mariners in a three-team deal (along with Miami) that saw Garrett Richards end up in the Emerald City. Starling Marte is now a Giant.

The Rule 5 draft is coming up tomorrow. There are currently two open slots on the 40-man roster. Some notable names in the organization not on that list are LHP Foster Griffin and Jake Kalish, along with OF Khalil Lee, Seuly Matias, and Michael Gigliotti. Matias is a bit less likely than the others because he's much more raw than the others, but also has the highest potential of any of them outside of Lee.

12/17/2019: ROYALS TAKE DE LEON; WITT TO START WITH WILMINGTON

With two open spots on the 40-man roster, the Royals filled one of those spots with Jose De Leon, a 27-year-old righty from the Tampa Bay Rays with the 10th pick in the 2019 Rule 5. He missed the entire 2018 campaign after off-season Tommy John prior to that season. He looked strong in six rehab assignment starts with the Triple-A Durham squad, fanning 41 in 40 innings of work, going 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA there before getting a September call-up.

For Tampa Bay, he pitched 8 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, fanning seven with just two walks and four hits allowed. It's a small sample size, but the Royals obviously felt good enough to make the decision to nab him. Kansas City took two in the Rule 5 last season, including one from Tampa Bay (Sam McWilliams). Both ended up back with their respective clubs, but it's a nice way to pick up good talent that doesn't fit on their 40-man.

In addition, Dayton Moore also made some headlines by telling reporters in the wake of the Rule 5 Draft's completion that 2019 first-round pick Bobby Witt, Jr., would not start at Lexington as originally planned, but will bump up to High-A Wilmington instead to begin 2020. Moore also said that they want him to work some at third base as well as shortstop, but that he's going to get the bulk of the work at short.

Witt had a solid start to his professional career in 2019, slashing an impressive .259/.388/.358 with an impressive 17% walk rate to just twenty strikeouts in 98 PA. He did hit only four XBH amongst his twenty-one hits, but scouts still think he'll be an impact power bat at shortstop (or third base, if it comes to that), with .300/20/100 potential.

Eventually, I think Witt will move to third, despite what Moore stipulates. He played six games at third with the Royals' Arizona rookie affiliate, and netted an impressive +4.4 DRS in just fifty-two innings there, compared to just +1.1 at SS in 2.5x the innings.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019-2020 OFFSEASON BLOG (CONT'D)

12/19/2019: GORDON IS BACK -- NOW WHAT?

Alex Gordon and the Royals made it official today, as the long-time Royal inked a deal that will pay him $7.75MM in 2020, and a mutual option for 2021 that is worth $11.5MM ($1.25MM buyout included in that). One has to figure that Gordon was a key linchpin in the Royals' offseason plans, and it wouldn't be difficult to expect that this could set the team's offseason plan in motion knowing that one of their franchise cornerstones is returning for a 14th MLB season.

With Gordon back in the fold for 2020, he and Merrifield should occupy the corner outfield spots with a platoon of Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips in center. Jorge Soler is a capable outfielder, but he's a pretty big downgrade at any outfield spot, so the Royals may choose to carry a sixth outfielder (perhaps newly 40-man minted Nick Heath?) instead of a third catcher on the 26-man active roster to serve as a backup, or comb the free agent or trade market for a guy who is capable of playing any outfield spot.

As to why Gordon decided to come back, I think the hiring of Mike Matheny played a role. Reports were even prior to Matheny's hiring that he was "60/40" on returning; and after the his hire it was reported he "had the itch" to play again, so it might be different had they gone with Pedro Grifol or Vance Wilson instead of the veteran skipper. It also can't hurt that the team finished strong last year, and could make some noise in the playoff race if they can carry that success over into 2020. I can't imagine that he wouldn't like to go out with a playoff appearance.

That said, where do the Royals go from here? With the position players now largely set aside from trying to find some depth, the attention should turn to trying to beef up the bullpen behind Ian Kennedy. Josh Staumont and Richard Lovelady showed real promise last year, but it wouldn't hurt to add some depth behind those two in case they take a step back. Tim Hill was solid in the final two months of the season; but he still struggles to put away RHB on a consistent basis, and I'm not sure what to make of Kyle Zimmer.

They're not hurting for southpaws -- in addition to Hill and Lovelady, Jose Castillo, Eric Skoglund, Gabe Speier, and even Mike Montgomery could all see time out of the pen -- but a reunion with lefty Jake Diekman seems like a good route to go. Oliver Perez is thirty-eight years old, but is coming off a season where he fanned a career-best 13.2 per nine, and had fWAR and rWAR marks of 1.3 with division-rival Cleveland. Tony Sipp is slightly younger (36), and is just two years removed from a 2018 season where he spun a 1.86 ERA with a K/9 ratio of 9.8 with the Astros.

The starting rotation could also use some attention -- not that it's bad, but the fact that aside from Brady Singer, none of the vaunted 2018 pitching class will likely be ready for MLB action this season, necessitating the need for a one or two-year stopgap solution in the meantime. Jackson Kowar is expected to miss the entire 2020 season after elbow surgery. Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch will likely spend 2020 with NW Arkansas unless they blow through the hitter-friendly Texas League.

Some names to watch out for on that front -- Rick Porcello, Tanner Roark, Wade Miley, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey. Yep, we could see a reunion with another former Royal-turned-Athletic this offseason.

12/22/2019: MONDESI TO FOCUS ON PLATE DISCIPLINE

With just twenty-two walks in 555 PA last year, Adalberto Mondesi had one of the lowest walk rates amongst big-league regulars last season -- a paltry 4.0%. He also saw just under 3.5 PPA (pitchers per plate appearance), and fanned 165 times, or 29.7% of his PA.

It's no surprise that he's been drilling down with second-year hitting coach Terry Bradshaw this offseason to improve on his strike zone recognition, reviewing tape and going over in simulated situations. Despite a .264/.292/.436 line in 2019, he still managed to steal fifty-two bases to lead the American League, and first-year manager Mike Matheny thinks he can improve that number by double-digits with by just simply doubling his walk total from last year.

"They say the sky's the limit, and I think it's tossed around a bit much," he went on to say in a recent interview with ESPN's Jeff Passan, who has been talking with the eight first-year managers in recent weeks. "But I really believe it with him. I think he's going to be on the level of a Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor, Trea Turner as soon as this year."

He was the only player in the league last year with 25+ doubles, 10+ triples, 10+ homeruns, 80+ RBI and 40+ steals. His teammate, Whit Merrifield, would have been the second had he not slipped a few rungs in the stolen base department.

12/23/2019: IS THE ANGELS' GAMBIT WORTH IT?

We know that the Angels have deep pockets; but in addition to Mike Trout's massive extension he signed last year, they're going for broke with Yasmani Grandal and Anthony Rendon. Now, it's been reported that Gerrit Cole has agreed to a seven-year, $217MM deal with the Angels to anchor their rotation. He can also earn up to $1.25MM in bonuses per year, giving him a maximum of just over $225M if all incentives are met.

It's a homecoming for Cole, who prepped at Orange Lutheran (CA) HS, and then starred at UCLA for three seasons before going first overall in 2011. He went 28th overall in 2008 out of high school, the same year the Royals took Eric Hosmer third overall.

If Shohei Ohtani comes back healthy, that's a pretty good one-two punch at the top of the rotation. They still have holes at first base and in the outfield, but the bullpen is stellar and they should be much better than they were this past season. Will they catch the Astros? Perhaps, but the Angels are as equipped as any team to do so. And they're likely not done.

12/27/2019: ROYALS MAKE FLURRY OF MOVES

Jorge Bonifacio was the biggest name amongst a cadre of names that were designated by the Royals today, along with catcher Nick Dini and right-handers Arnaldo Hernandez and Conner Greene. Left-hander Foster Griffin, right-hander Carlos Hernandez, and Jeison Guzman were added to the 40-man, leaving the Royals with a spot open.

Carlos Hernandez, 22, finished last season at Class A Lexington and struck out 43 hitters in 36 innings there while posting a 3.50 ERA. Arnaldo (no relation) fanned just thirty-three in 56 1/3 innings, making eleven starts for the Storm Chasers.

Griffin, 24, was a first-round pick in 2014 but is somewhat of a surprise to be put on the 40-man. He was not protected last season, and was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft last December. Rival scouts have described him as more of a “pitch-ability” type of pitcher with a fastball in the low 90s.

Guzman, 21, is a strong defender who had a .669 OPS at Class A Lexington last season but who stole 15 bases and has shown athleticism as he has risen through the system.

Dini, 26, made his MLB debut this season, playing in just two games with a .125 BA (1-for-8).

Bonifacio, 26, had a breakthrough season in 2017 when he hit 17 home runs with a .255 average in 113 games. He was suspended for 80 games in 2018 after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance banned by MLB. He hit just .225 in 69 games for the Royals in 2018, and he played in just five games for the Royals in 2019.

Greene, 24, was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals last fall. He had a 5.13 ERA splitting time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha in 2019.

01/01/2020: MOOSE FINALLY LANDS HIS BIG PAYDAY

With Anthony Rendon now in SoCal, the Nationals had a huge hole to fill at third base. After Josh Donaldson settled on re-signing with the Braves just a few days ago, the Nationals inked former Royal and Brewer Mike Moustakas to a six-year, $111M deal, including incentives that could add an extra $1.2MM per season.

After a series of short-term deals, Moose seems to have found a long-term home after his six-and-one-half seasons with the Royals. Posting career highs in homeruns (41), doubles (34), RBI (111), and OPS+ (131), he helped lead the Brewers to a playoff berth in 2018, before falling just short this past season.

01/03/2020: ROYAL FLUSHED: KENNEDY TRADED TO WASHINGTON

In a bit of a surprise move, the Royals have finally found a trade suitor for Ian Kennedy. For weeks, the Royals' brass have insisted that he'll open the season in the team's bullpen unless 'the right deal' came along.

He'll head to the nation's capital, where he'll likely have a pretty easy path to the closer's role for the Nationals with Sean Doolittle now gone. In return, the Royals received a fairly impressive haul, even just in quantity -- right-handed pitcher Jhon Romero and the team's 11th-ranked prospect, outfielder Ricardo Mendez, being the headliners. In addition, rookie ball catcher/first baseman Frailin Turbi and Double-A outfielder David Oppenheim will also join the Royals organization.

Even though the team is eating a pretty significant portion of the remainder of Kennedy's contract, which comes to about $6.6MM if you follow Jeffrey Flanagan's great reporting on this, getting four players back in the deal is remarkable. It's comparable to the deals that the Cubs pulled off for Kirby Yates, and the one for Ken Giles that sent four prospects back to the Blue Jays. Both Romero (24) and Oppenheim (26) are a bit old for Double-A, so expect them to be pushed.

The Nationals have one of the lesser farm systems, so Mendez being the 11th overall prospect in that system isn't really much to write home about. Still, this kind of return for a mid-30's closer is a great deal by Dayton Moore. At the very least, it opens up a bit more capital to spend; although I do wonder why they waited so long to pull the trigger on a deal. Most of the higher-end free agents have begun to sign, and unless they plan to use the additional capital to nab a few mid-level free agents this offseason, it doesn't make sense.

01/07/2020: MONDESI HAS SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi underwent surgery to repair some minor scar tissue problems stemming from an injury back in May, and then a re-injury in August.

He is not expected to miss any time, and should be back for Spring Training.

01/18/2020: DIEKMAN, ROYALS AGREE TO TERMS

Diekman's World is back! The Royals signed lefty reliever Jake Diekman to a similar arrangement as last season -- a one-year deal worth $3.75MM, with a mutual option for 2021 valued at $5.25MM. He also has an innings bonus that will pay out an additional $1M combined over the two seasons if he meets that requisite each year.

In the wake of the Ian Kennedy trade, the Royals had a pretty good hole to fill in the bullpen, and Diekman provides a pretty cost-effective solution. His 4.95 ERA is a bit on the ghastly side, but a 3.68 FIP combined between his Royals and A's stints paints a different picture. Despite a high walk count, he'll still get swings and misses -- at a 12% clip, to be exact. He fanned seventy-nine in 56 2/3 innings in 2019, which is the third-best K/9 of his career.

The Nebraska native also expressed a desire to return to Kansas City, talking openly about being closer to his home in Wymore. He also played collegiately in the Jayhawk Conference, a conference of small Kansas junior colleges. He was arguably the best remaining lefty relief arm on the market until now, with righties Addison Reed, Brad Brach, and Tyler Clippard seemingly the best remaining options.

His 2021 option is a bit on the high side, but not unaffordable if Richard Lovelady and/or Tim Hill regress in 2020, and Diekman shows with a strong season in 2020. But it's also a pretty easy-to-swallow number for potential trade partners -- I would think the Royals don't intend to deal him, as he might actually be insurance as a potential closer option, but it's not crazy to think that the Royals won't get as close to 76 wins in 2020.

01/22/2020: ROYALS SIGN PAIR OF PITCHERS

General manager Dayton Moore announced a pair of free-agent pitching signings, as right-handers Tanner Roark and Chris Flexen were signed to MLB deals late last night. Roark, 33, signed a one-year guaranteed deal that carries a mutual option for 2021. His guaranteed contract in 2020 will pay out $5M with $2M in performance bonuses, while his mutual option is worth $6.5M with the same bonus structure in addition to a $1M buyout.

Roark started 2019 with the Reds, but was traded near the deadline to the A's for outfield prospect Jameson Hannah. He made just four starts, posting a 6.75 ERA before being shut down for the remainder of the season with a forearm strain. Prior to that, he was solid in Cincinnati, fashioning a 7-6 mark with solid ERA and strikeout numbers, posting a 3.76/4.27 ERA/FIP combo. He also fanned nearly a batter per inning with an excellent 61.4% groundball rate, all in 115 innings of work.

Flexen is a bit of a different case. He's expected to miss most of the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but was signed to a two-year deal that will pay him about $2.1M in guarantees. He suffered the injury on August 14th while pitching for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in St. Lucie, Fla., and was placed on the 60-day injured list a few days later after successful surgery before being non-tendered this past November. It's expected that Flexen may see some time late in 2020; but it all depends on how he progresses this season, and hope that he comes back healthy for the 2021 campaign.

The Royals have had a similar type of arrangement before, most recently (and mostly successful!) with Kris Medlen back in 2014. Medlen, who was still recovering from his second Tommy John procedure, signed a two-year deal with the team; but didn't make his first appearance until after the All-Star break. He had a solid 2015, going 6-2 with a 4.01/4.23 ERA/FIP in helping the Royals secure their first World Series title since 1985. He fell off the proverbial cliff the following year in 2016, going 1-3 with a 7.77 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work before landing on the 60-day injured list.

It's a nice low-risk move, and Flexen's $1.1M tag in 2021 isn't a massive price to pay. At worst, he gets to arbitration and they can non-tender him in a few years, and the best-case is he ends up as a rotation contributor on the back-end.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2019-2020 OFFSEASON BLOG (CONT'D)

01/30/2020: VALERA, PERAZA SIGNED FOR INFIELD DEPTH

GM Dayton Moore and the Royals signed a pair of young-ish middle infielders, as Breyvic Valera and Jose Peraza both inked free-agent contracts early on Sunday. Valera's contract situation is a bit different than Peraza, as Peraza's 2020 salary is guaranteed, while Valera's contract has a clause that allows him to test free agency if he's not added to the active roster by May 2nd.

Peraza, who was non-tendered by the Reds, signed a two-year contract that will pay him $3MM, and has a $150K buyout if the Royals don't pick up his 2021 option. Both figure to be insurance policies for Nicky Lopez, who is a candidate to be sent down to Omaha if he doesn't have a strong spring, or gets off to a slow start in the regular season.

In 2018, Peraza had the makings of a future star with a .288/.326/.416 line, swiping 23 bags in 29 attempts with fourteen homeruns and thirty-one doubles, coming out to a tidy 3.1 rWAR. However, he slipped to a part-time role last season, hitting just .238 in 300 plate appearances.

Valera has already logged service time with three different franchises, despite the fact that he has less than one year accrued. He was part of the Manny Machado deal in 2018 that sent the long-time Oriole to the Dodgers, and than was traded to the Giants for cash in January of last year, only to be waived by the Giants in May before recording an at-bat for them.

02/04/2020: JAYS RELEASE LUCIANO; ASSIGNED TO LEXINGTON

Toronto took right-hander Elvis Luciano in the Rule 5 Draft last year, but have decided to release him prior to Opening Day, which means he's headed back to the Royals' organization. He'll begin the season with the Lexington Legends, the team he was plucked from in that Rule 5.

Luciano, who doesn't turn twenty for eleven more days, had some early success with the Blue Jays, but ended up with a gnarly 6.51/6.38 ERA/FIP combo, and walked more (23) than struck out (22). He's not cleared to pitch until mid-April, but interestingly was not added to the 40-man roster nor was he invited to big-league camp.

Despite the lack of success, he has plenty of time to work things out, so there's no need to rush to stick him back on the 40-man. His velocity is appealing (mid-to-high 90's), but needs a third pitch to develop to stick as a starter.

02/08/2020: GOHARA SIGNED; PITCHERS, CATCHERS TO REPORT

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise, Ariz., tomorrow, and going with them will be southpaw Luiz Gohara. Gohara, who was released by the Braves in July, and then signed by the Angels only to be released at season's end, has signed a minor-league contract with the Royals.

Attached with the contract is an invite to the big-league camp for the on-again, off-again hurler, as conditioning and attitude issues have plagued him throughout his brief pro career. It is similar to Breyvic Valera's deal -- he'll earn a big-league salary if he gets added to the active roster by May 2nd.

He was released by the Braves after a 6.03 ERA in 34 1/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett in 2019, and didn't even suit up for the Angels' organization after suffering a non-baseball injury while helping a friend move to a new apartment, ending his 2019 campaign.

It's the kind of low-risk, high-reward kind of move that could really end up benefitting the Royals this season. Gohara, Breyvic Valera, and Jose Peraza are all solid talents either 1) coming off bad years, or 2) are in need of a change of scenery.

02/11/2020: PEREZ 'HAPPY' TO BE BACK

Salvador Perez is a jovial person to be around anyway, but this Spring should especially be uplifting for him as he returns from Tommy John surgery that kept him out for the entirety of the 2019 season.

He's been throwing for a while, dating back to August. But he hasn't resumed normal activities until recently -- which means normal catching drills.

The year off likely did some good, and Perez said that he was 'happy' to be back, and that he's well-rested coming off a season where his work was extremely limited.

"He's in great shape, the energy is still there, and I think he's going to have a great year," said manager Mike Matheny. "Getting that year off from squatting down a thousand or so innings is going to probably add a year or two to his career, hopefully for us."

While the team missed his leadership on the field last year, Matheny is probably right -- this might be a blessing in disguise as the Royals were never going to be competitive in 2019; and now they have their star catcher back, refreshed and ready to roll.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2020 SPRING OUTLOOK: KANSAS CITY
Bullpen, rotation battles figure to be interesting
02/13/2020
By MLB.com Staff

Coming off an 76-win season, including a 36-19 record after July 21st, the Kansas City Royals have some optimism heading into the 2020 campaign. New owner John Sherman is also a source of optimism, but they didn't really open the purse strings any more than they usually have. They return pretty much everyone of note except for closer Ian Kennedy, who was traded to the Nationals in early January for four players. That said, the Royals feel they have enough internal options to offset the loss in Josh Staumont, Richard Lovelady, and free-agent acquisition Jake Diekman.

The Royals also mulled trading franchise cornerstone Whit Merrifield, but eventually did not pull the trigger on a deal. The Cubs were the team most interested, but the Royals (rightfully so) are still requesting a pretty extensive prospect package to consummate any deal.

With the position player roles virtually set, there isn't much drama in position battles there (except for reserve roles), but the pitching battles should be fun to watch, as youngsters and vets alike try to finagle their way onto the 26-man active roster to begin the season. The aforementioned three, including southpaw Tim Hill and Rule 5 pick Jose De Leon, figure to be the front-runners to land roles.

Manager Mike Matheny has said he'll carry thirteen pitchers; so the bullpen competition should be especially good, with no shortage of contenders. There's also a potential competition brewing for a reserve role on the bench, as Humberto Arteaga was designated for assignment earlier in the month. Newcomers Jose Peraza, Breyvic Valera, and veteran Matt Reynolds figure to be the top candidates to fill Arteaga's shoes. Depending on how the bullpen shakes out, there may be room for two utility players, especially if Nicky Lopez can't get going in the early parts of the season.

We'll begin our Royals spring entry with the pitching staff, as that is where the biggest battles will likely be.

STARTER LOCKS: Danny Duffy, Brad Keller, Jake Junis, Tanner Roark
CONTENDERS: Mike Montgomery, Jose De Leon, Scott Barlow, Heath Fillmyer, Eric Skoglund, Scott Blewett, Luiz Gohara, Foster Griffin

BULLPEN LOCKS: Josh Staumont, Richard Lovelady, Jake Diekman, Tim Hill, De Leon
CONTENDERS: Barlow, Montgomery, Gohara, Skoglund, Fillmyer, Kyle Zimmer, Bryan Brickhouse, Gabe Speier, Jhon Romero, Connor Sadzeck

ANALYSIS: This could actually end up being one of the better units in the AL. The starters are largely set, with one spot seemingly up for grabs. Roark could end up being the best of the bunch, despite signing for a meager $5MM a few weeks ago. Junis got off to a slow start, but caught fire in the second half and is a breakout candidate to make his first All-Star squad in 2020, striking out 207 hitters in 194 innings while posting a 12-12 record. In addition, Keller should be unencumbered by an innings limit, so it will be interesting to see what he does in his third full season.

Duffy, the long-time Royal, doesn't have ace stuff anymore, but should slot somewhere as the number-two or three guy despite diminished stuff. There are no shortage of contenders for the fifth spot, with holdovers Mike Montgomery, Scott Barlow, and Heath Fillmyer the leaders in the clubhouse to begin the spring.

Those three, along with southpaws Eric Skoglund and Luiz Gohara, who is a non-roster invitee, could also figure into the bullpen situation if they don't make the rotation out of camp. De Leon is likely to make the team in the pen at the very least due to his Rule 5 status. Bryan Brickhouse, Gabe Speier, and Jhon Romero are longer shots, but have options to burn. Sadzeck is a recent acquisition via waivers from the Mariners who has big-time stuff, but is out of options and has struggled with command in the past.

Even without Ian Kennedy, the Royals have a ton of confidence that at least one of their young relievers in Staumont or Lovelady can handle the ninth inning. Diekman is a nice veteran presence who has handled closing before, in a 'break glass' kind of emergency. There's also the chance someone completely off the radar, such as right-handers Grant Gavin or Yunior Marte, could make some noise if they get a camp invite.

CATCHER LOCKS: Salvador Perez
CONTENDERS: Meibrys Viloria, Cam Gallagher, Xavier Fernandez

ANALYSIS: Getting Perez back is like a big free agent acquisition. The veteran backstop is back after a lost 2019 season, where he suffered a torn UCL in the spring and had surgery right before the season began. It was not intended to be a competitive year for the Royals, but the team sorely missed his on-field leadership and infectious personality that keeps the clubhouse loose.

Behind him are Gallagher, last season's backup, and Viloria, a left-handed hitter with some pop that lacks the defensive acumen of the other two. There is some concern that Gallagher has maxed out offensively, so the younger Viloria has a chance to steal a spot with a strong spring. Plus, he actually has fewer options to give than the older Gallagher.

INFIELD LOCKS: Nicky Lopez, Adalberto Mondesi, Hunter Dozier
CONTENDERS: Cheslor Cuthbert, Ryan O'Hearn, Jose Peraza, Matt Reynolds, Breyvic Valera

ANALYSIS: Only first base is up in the air on the infield, but even then it's presumed that O'Hearn and Cuthbert will split the plate appearances largely platoon-style. Dozier should be entrenched at third base for the next handful of years, and the Royals really like the chances that the middle infield with Mondesi and Lopez could be one of the league's better duos. Peraza was a nice pickup for the Royals as a fallback option in case Lopez stumbles out of the gate, along with Valera and Reynolds.

There's also the chance that Whit Merrifield could end up back at second base in the event that Lopez struggles or gets injured, but new manager Mike Matheny and the Royals' staff appears to be pretty committed to him in right field.

OUTFIELD LOCKS: Alex Gordon, Whit Merrifield
CONTENDERS: Brett Phillips, Bubba Starling, Jorge Soler, Nick Heath, Peraza

ANALYSIS: Gordon and Merrifield are the only locks to be everyday players, as Phillips/Starling should provide a nice defensive platoon in center. The jury is out on both of them as hitters, but they're going to get plenty of opportunities to show they can stick as big-league regulars. Soler will be the team's primary DH, but figures to play a dozen or so games in the outfield, so we'll list him here.

The Royals really like Heath, but unless the Royals decide to stick with twelve pitchers instead of thirteen, we can't see Heath winning a spot. Peraza also has outfield experience, and can play left or center in a pinch.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

SPRING TRAINING RESULTS

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2020 AL CENTRAL PREVIEW
Cleveland, Minnesota likely top two teams again
03/30/2020
By MLB.com Staff

Defending AL champion Cleveland appears to still be the strong favorite to win the division again in 2020, but the Twins will be motivated to atone for their late-season collapse in 2019, where they lost their last ten games and missed the postseason by two games, mainly due to their pitching. Overall, the division is better than a season ago, but will likely just have one playoff team as the East and West divisions as the Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Astros, and Angels are all teams with 90+ win potential, as well as the Indians.

Expected record in parentheses.

1. CLEVELAND INDIANS (91-71)
Key adds: RHP Pedro Strop, RHP John Axford, RHP Brandon Kintzler, C Curt Casali, IF Greg Garcia, RHP Silvino Bracho
Key losses: LHP Oliver Perez, RHP Nick Goody, RHP Nick Wittgren, OF Oscar Mercado

Mercado, who burst onto the scene last season, is now gone after being dealt to the Diamondbacks for Bracho and former top pick Seth Beer, but there's enough left over to sustain the success that the Indians have attained the last few years. Jose Ramirez looked more like his old self in the second half, and Carlos Santana had a triumphant return in 2019. Unlike most teams, the Tribe are opting to go with a deeper bench, as they have fourteen position players on the roster, including three catchers. Goody and Wittgren were both non-tendered by the organization in the offseason, and Bracho was brought in along with Axford, Kintzler, and Strop to shore up the bullpen. Southpaw extraordinaire Perez is also gone, leaving Tyler Olson to fill that role. In 2017, Olson was the only pitcher in baseball to record a 0.00 ERA in more than 20 IP.

2. MINNESOTA TWINS (85-77)
Key adds: RHP Alex Colome, RHP Julio Teheran, LHP Wade Miley, RHP Emilio Pagan
Key losses: LHP Martin Perez, RHP Ryne Harper, RHP Michael Pineda, RHP Addison Reed, 1B Logan Morrison

On the heels of their late-season collapse, the Twins went out and bolstered the pitching staff; grabbing Teheran and Miley to team-friendly deals to offset the losses of Perez and Pineda (who wasn't likely to pitch this year anyway), and Colome and Pagan to deepen the bullpen. However, the closer's role is still up in the air -- Ryne Harper was lost to waivers, and Taylor Rogers appears to be the front-runner after twenty-two saves in 2019; although Colome, Pagan, and Andrew Vasquez all received extended looks in the spring. The power-hitting lineup that set a new AL record for homeruns returns virtually intact, including a deep bench with veterans Marwin Gonzalez, Ehire Adrianza, and Willians Astudillo all returning. Outfielder Eddie Rosario also signed a four-year extension with the team, keeping him with the club through 2023.

3. KANSAS CITY ROYALS (79-83)
Key adds: RHP Tanner Roark, RHP Connor Sadzeck, LHP Jake Diekman, IF Jose Peraza
Key losses: RHP Ian Kennedy, RHP Jacob Barnes, RHP Jorge Lopez, OF Jorge Bonifacio

The biggest move isn't listed here, and that's bringing back seven-time Gold Glover Alex Gordon on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2021. Roark is a nice veteran addition that should shore up the rotation while prospects Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, and Daniel Lynch likely play their final year or so in the minors before making the jump. Sadzeck was surprisingly waived by the Mariners after fanning forty-eight in thirty-seven innings last season, and was picked up by the Royals in early February. He was one of the pitching standouts in the spring, fanning nine in ten innings while posting a 2.70 ERA. Despite the loss of Kennedy, the Royals' new brass feel they've improved the bullpen over last year, when it was a bottom-third unit in all of baseball. Diekman is back for the 2020 season after being dealt to the A's near the deadline, and youngsters Josh Staumont and Richard Lovelady combined to fan twenty-two in 13 2/3 spring innings with just two walks. How new manager Mike Matheny handles a bullpen that is stocked with youngsters will be one of the storylines to watch in the AL Central this season.

4. DETROIT TIGERS (78-84)
Key adds: OF Kevin Pillar, OF Denard Span, RHP Ryne Harper
Key losses: LHP Daniel Norris, RHP Buck Farmer, RHP Tyler Alexander

Span and Pillar represent a massive upgrade defensively, and even add a bit more offensive punch over the tandem of Jacoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook, who is still on the roster as a reserve outfielder. Melky Cabrera is also suiting up for his ninth MLB team, as he signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal in the offseason. The question is going to be pitching, pitching, pitching. After Matt Boyd, who would front many rotations around the league, it's a bit murky. Michael Fulmer regressed last year, and it remains unclear whether Spencer Turnbull can replicate his solid first full campaign. The bullpen is even more opaque -- who is going to get the ball to Kevin Ginkel in the ninth? Ginkel was a revelation after being claimed off waivers from Arizona last year, notching twenty-one saves, twenty-six strikeouts, and a 2.53 ERA in 21 1/3 innings of work. Former closer and All-Star Joe Jimenez continues to miss bats, but was hit for eleven homeruns in just over sixty innings, leading to a ballooned 5.25/4.85 ERA/FIP combo. The Tigers elected to non-tender Buck Farmer, who was one of their more reliable relievers, in the offseason; and also lost another bullpen candidate in Beau Burrows to a torn labrum roughly a week ago.

5. CHICAGO WHITE SOX (74-88)
Key adds: RHP Trent Thornton, OF Brett Gardner, OF Dwight Smith, Jr., 2B Brian Dozier, RHP Robert Gsellman
Key losses: LHP Ross Detwiler, OF Brandon Guyer, C Welington Castillo

Franchise cornerstone Jose Abreu is back through 2022, as he signed a two-year extension beginning in 2021 that will keep him on the South Side through the following season, 2022. That is on top of the qualifying offer he signed for this season, giving him a total of nearly $60MM through the next three seasons. In addition, Rick Hahn brought some extra help in the form of Gardner, Dozier, and Smith, with the latter coming in off waivers from the Orioles despite 16 homeruns in 2019. Gardner was signed for one year, while Dozier inked a three-year deal. What will likely be the Achilles' heel of this team is the pitching staff, especially the bullpen. After Alex Colome was dealt near the deadline, the White Sox struggled to close games, with Aaron Bummer coming out of the spring as the closer according to manager Rick Renteria. However, he's been more of a lefty specialist in his brief career, and Renteria along with pitching coach Don Cooper are hopeful that hard-throwing youngsters Dylan Cease, Zack Burdi, or Matt Foster can eventually assume the role.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

2020 SEASON OUTLOOK: KANSAS CITY
Royals look to build on strong 2019 second half
04/01/2020
By MLB.com Staff

2019 RECORD: 76-86 (3RD, AL CENTRAL)
MANAGER: Mike Matheny, 1st Year

OVERVIEW: Despite winning seventy-six games a year ago, the Royals are still squarely in rebuilding mode. They traded away closer Ian Kennedy to the Washington Nationals, saving them $10M on this year's payroll after agreeing to eat the remainder ($6.6MM); and their priciest pickup was right-hander Tanner Roark, whom they guaranteed only $6M over the next two years. They also get outfielder Alex Gordon and catcher Salvador Perez back, with the latter missing the entirety of the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery. Gordon, who contemplated retiring, signed a $7.75MM contract for this season with a mutual option for the 2021 season, valued at $10.25MM ($11.50MM if you throw in the $1.25MM buyout).

The other dynamic is how new manager Mike Matheny meshes with a much less veteran clubhouse than he has typically dealt with. Having veteran leadership in Gordon and Perez will help, but his bullpen this season is also much younger than the units he fielded in St. Louis, which was part of his undoing as a skipper there. He's been quoted as saying that there have been "lessons learned" from his previous experience, which includes a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of advanced statistics and sabermetrics. However, Royals fans have mained skepticism that he'll change much, if at all, until they see results on the field.

BEST PLAYER: With all due respect to Jorge Soler, who ranked second in the AL in homeruns and third in RBI last year, the team's best player can't be anyone other than Merrifield, who has led the league in hits two years running. He also became the first player in team history to hit 20 homeruns, 40 doubles, 10 triples, drive in 80 runs, score 100 runs, and steal 25 bases in the same season. If the Royals beat expectations and field a playoff contending squad, Merrifield is going to be a big reason why.

BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: You could put shortstop Adalberto Mondesi here as well, but with 207 strikeouts in 191 innings a season ago, right-hander Jake Junis could vault himself into the conversation as one of the best young righties in the Junior Circuit if he can build on his outstanding second half from a season ago. His 4.77 FIP is a bit on the worrisome side, but posted career-bests with 12 victories, an outstanding 63.7% GB%, and 9.6 K/9, boasting one of the top sliders in the game. His 3.1 rWAR from 2019 is nothing to sneeze at, either.

TOP PROSPECT TO WATCH: Right-hander Brady Singer is the most likely top prospect to see time with the Royals this season, but is likely going to take a few months' detour for Omaha before making the jump. He struggled with his command last season, but if he gets that under control, look out. If the rotation gets off to a slow start, he may get pressed into action quicker.

CONCLUSION: The Royals had the best record in baseball over the last fifty-five games of the season (36-19), which inflated their overall win-loss from last year. It remains to be seen if the late-season run translates into early-season success this season; and most statistical analysis agrees, as the Royals have been predicted to win anywhere from 70 to 80 games, depending on the model. Getting Perez and Gordon back this year will help, but much will depend on young players taking another step forward -- namely Mondesi, Junis, and Brad Keller, who is the defacto 'ace' of this staff, Junis' second half last year notwithstanding. The gap between the bottom and top of the division has narrowed, but the Royals aren't quite at the level they need to be to take advantage of that.

PROJECTED LINEUP: RF Whit Merrifield, LF Alex Gordon, DH Jorge Soler, 3B Hunter Dozier, 1B Ryan O'Hearn, SS Adalberto Mondesi, C Salvador Perez, CF Brett Phillips, 2B Nicky Lopez

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/02: RHP Brad Keller vs RHP Carlos Carrasco
04/04: RHP Jake Junis vs RHP Corey Kluber
04/05: LHP Danny Duffy vs RHP Mike Clevinger

GAME RECAPS

Thursday, April 2nd, 2020 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Kansas City (1-0) 2, Cleveland (0-1) 1
Winner: Brad Keller (1-0) Loser: Carlos Carrasco (0-1) Save: Josh Staumont (1)
HR-KC: Brett Phillips (1) HR-CLE: None

PHILLIPS, ROYALS TAKE SEASON OPENER

All the Royals needed was a Brett Phillips homerun in the second inning, as Brad Keller shut the Indians' offense down in six innings, fanning six with just one walk as the Royals held on for a 2-1 victory to spoil the defending AL champions' home opener.

Kansas City managed just five hits in the game, with Whit Merrifield going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. In addition, the Royals' 1-through-4 hitters were a combined 2-for-16 with twelve strikeouts and no walks.

"Yeah, that has to get better," said first-year Royals manager Mike Matheny, who picked up his first win as the team's skipper. "They say the first few weeks are dominated by offense as the pitching gets their legs under them, but you couldn't tell that was true today."

Carlos Carrasco fanned eleven Royals in his season debut, but was the tough-luck loser as he left in the eighth down 2-1. He surrendered just four hits, but one of the hits was the costly homerun to Phillips.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (0-1) 0, Detroit (1-0) 3
Kansas City (1-0) 2, Cleveland (0-1) 1
Seattle (1-0) 3, Boston (0-1) 2
Chi. Sox (0-1) 2, NY Yankees (1-0) 5
Tampa Bay (1-0), 2, Baltimore (0-1) 0
Texas (0-1) 3, Houston (1-0) 10
TOronto (0-1) 2, LA Angels (1-0) 7
Atlanta (1-0) 7, Oakland (0-1) 1

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray leaves start early with shoulder tightness
Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard day-to-day with mild oblique strain

Saturday, April 4th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:10 CST
Kansas City (1-1) 2, Cleveland (1-1) 5
Winner: Corey Kluber (1-0) Loser: Jake Junis (0-1) Save: Brad Hand (1)
HR-KC: Brett Phillips (2), Adalberto Mondesi (1) HR-CLE: Franmil Reyes (1), Francisco Lindor (1), Greg Garcia (1)

HOMERUNS DOOM JUNIS, ROYALS

Jake Junis cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one baserunner as the Royals played the Indians to a 0-0 tie after three. But Greg Garcia broke the tie with a homerun in the third, and Franmil Reyes and Francisco Lindor each added a solo shot in the fifth to chase Junis from the game after four and two-third innings as the Royals fell 5-2.

Lindor also smacked a pair of two-baggers as the two teams are now even at one win apiece in their opening series of the season. It wasn't the prettiest of outings for Corey Kluber, but the long-time Indians ace allowed just two runs over seven and one-third, walking one with ten hits and five strikeouts.

The Royals scored both of their runs thanks to a pair of solo homeruns, with Brett Phillips going deep for the second straight game in the sixth, and Adalberto Mondesi hit his first round-tripper in the seventh.

Danny Duffy will go against Mike Clevinger tomorrow afternoon at 12:05.

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

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray placed on 15-day IL (rotator cuff strain), could miss 4-6 weeks
Pirates designate OF's Patrick Kivlehan and Jose Osuna for assignment
White Sox RHP Robert Gsellman placed on 15-day IL with elbow strain, could miss 6-8 weeks

Sunday, April 5th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:10 CST
Kansas City (1-2) 2, Cleveland (2-1) 8
Winner: Mike Clevinger (1-0) Loser: Danny Duffy (0-1) Save: None
HR-KC: None HR-CLE: Franmil Reyes (2), Francisco Lindor (2), Curt Casali (1)

INDIANS STRIKE FIRST; CRUISE TO VICTORY

Cleveland struck for three more homeruns in the rubber match of the two teams' opening series, getting out to a 6-0 lead before cruising to an 8-2 victory over the visiting Royals.

Franmil Reyes and Francisco Lindor homered again, with Lindor going yard in the first, and Reyes putting an exclamation point on the game with a 456-foot bomb against Kyle Zimmer in the seventh. Curt Casali hit a three-run homerun in the fourth against Duffy, which is the blow that knocked him from the contest.

Making his first non-Opening Day debut start since 2016, Duffy was pelted for six earned runs over just three and two-third innings before being replaced by Mike Montgomery, who dealt two and one-third scoreless with one walk and just one hit allowed.

Meibrys Viloria went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Adalberto Mondesi and Whit Merrifield each singled and stole a base for the Royals, who fall to 1-2 on the young 2020 campaign.

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

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Mets SS Luis Guillorme suffers shoulder strain, listed as day-to-day
Padres RHP Andrew Cashner designated for assignment
Mariners claim IF Hanser Alberto off waivers from Baltimore

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/06: RHP Tanner Roark vs LHP Wade Miley
04/08: RHP Brad Keller (1-0, 1.50) vs RHP Jose Berrios (0-1, 4.05)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 6th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:40 CST
Kansas City (2-2) 8, Minnesota (1-3) 1
Winner: Tanner Roark (1-0) Loser: Sam Dyson (0-1) Save: None
HR-KC: Salvador Perez (1) HR-CLE: Jonathan Schoop (1)

ROYALS EVEN RECORD BY DOUBLING THE TWINS

Adalberto Mondesi continued his torrid start, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and two stolen bases as the Royals claimed an 8-4 victory at Minnesota to open a quick, two-game series with the Twins.

Mondesi also walked and scored three times, while Hunter Dozier went 3-for-5 with three RBI, including an RBI double. Tanner Roark picked up the victory, allowing four runs on five hits in six and one-third innings of work. Connor Sadzeck fanned three in relief of Roark, while Richard Lovelady worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

Salvador Perez snapped an 0-for-10 start with a three-run homerun in the seventh, which kicked off a five-run inning that propelled the Royals into the lead for good.

Brad Keller will stride to the bump on Wednesday to make his second start of the season; as they'll skip the number-five starter in the rotation, Mike Montgomery, due to the day off.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (1-4) 3, Baltimore (1-3) 2
Kansas City (2-2) 8, Minnesota (2-2) 4
Seattle (3-2) 7, Oakland (0-4) 5 (Final/12)
Tampa Bay (3-1) 6, NY Yankees (4-1) 4
Cincinnati (2-3) 8, Boston (3-2) 9
Toronto (0-5) 7, Houston (5-0) 18
Texas (1-4) 14, LA Angels (4-1) 10

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
LHP Derek Holland claimed off waivers by Colorado
Miami designates RHP Jose Urena for assignment

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:10 CST
Kansas City (2-3) 0, Minnesota (2-3) 6
Winner: Jose Berrios (1-1) Loser: Brad Keller (1-1) Save: None
HR-KC: None HR-MIN: Max Kepler (1)

ROYALS BLANKED TO END ROAD TRIP

A big third inning did the Royals in, as they fell behind 4-0 and couldn't recover in a 6-0 defeat to fall to 2-3 on the season. Brad Keller went just five innings, fanning five with just one walk, but surrendered a three-run homerun to Max Kepler in the four-run Minnesota third.

Kansas City managed just five hits, including one extra-base hit, which was a Brett Phillips double in the seventh. Adalberto Mondesi and Whit Merrifield each stole a base, as the Royals are off to a fast start in the stolen base department.

After a 2-3 road trip to begin the season, they'll open the home portion of the schedule with a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels, with the first pitch going off at 7:05 tomorrow night. It should be a dynamite pitching matchup with Shohei Ohtant and Jake Junis squaring off. Ohtani is coming off a start where he went eight and one-third innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with nine strikeouts.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Detroit (4-1) 6, Cleveland (2-3) 5
Chi. Sox (3-4) 16, Baltimore (1-5) 1
Kansas City (2-3) 0, Minnesota (2-3) 6
Seattle (5-2) 10, Oakland (0-6) 4
Tampa Bay (4-2) 8, NY Yankees (5-2) 4
Cincinnati (3-4) 3, Boston (4-3) 2
Toronto (0-7) 6, Houston (7-0) 8
Texas (1-6) 4, LA Angels (6-1) 5

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Dodgers 3B Justin Turner placed on 15-day IL (lower back strain), could miss 2-3 weeks
Indians RHP James Hoyt (shoulder) placed on 15-day IL
Mariners designate OF Derek Fisher for assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/09: RHP Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00) vs RHP Jake Junis (0-1, 9.64)
04/11: RHP Alex Meyer (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 14.73)
04/12: LHP Andrew Heaney (0-0, 7.71) vs RHP Tanner Roark (1-0, 5.68)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 9th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:15 CST
LA Angels (6-2) 1, Kansas City (3-3) 2
Winner: Josh Staumont (1-0) Loser: Hansel Robles (0-1) Save: None
HR-LAA: None HR-KC: Brett Phillips (3)

PHILLIPS DONG WALKS THE ANGELS OFF

Brett Phillips sent Royals fans home happy after the home opener, drilling a two-run walk-off homerun as the Royals knocked off the red-hot Angels 2-1. Shohei Ohtani and Jake Junis battled pitch-for-pitch, with neither one leaving the game having allowed an earned run. Ohtani struck out nine in six innings, while Junis fanned seven in six.

Josh Staumont picked up the victory, coming in with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth. Los Angeles loaded the bases against southpaw Tim Hill with no one out, but Hill managed to strike out Justin Bour before giving way to Staumont, who fanned both Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons to end the Angels' half of the ninth.

"Just a gritty, gutty victory," said manager Mike Matheny. "We battled, battled, kept it close in the end to pick up the victory with some timely hitting."

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

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Miami (3-4) 5, Philadelphia (3-3) 2
Pittsburgh (4-4) 4, Washington (3-4) 5
Atlanta (3-3) 10, Arizona (5-1) 12
San Francisco (4-2) 2, LA Dodgers (3-4) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
LHP Derek Holland claimed off waivers by Colorado
Miami designates RHP Jose Urena for assignment

Wednesday, April 11th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:15 CST
LA Angels (7-2) 5, Kansas City (3-4) 0
Winner: Felix Pena (2-0) Loser: Danny Duffy (0-2) Save: None
HR-LAA: Justin Upton (1), Shohei Ohtani (3) HR-KC: None

OFFENSE SPUTTERS IN DEFEAT

Shohei Ohtani homered, doubled, and drove in three runs as the Royals were blanked for the second time in as many weeks in a 5-0 defeat. Ohtani hit a two-run drive against Danny Duffy in the first, with Justin Upton hitting a two-run shot in the sixth to finally chase Duffy from the contest.

Duffy went six innings, but allowed five runs and fanned six. Alex Meyer went just four and one-third innings, walking four and fanning two. Felix Pena and Manuel Soliman finished out the game, allowing no earned runs in four and two-thirds innings of relief.

The Royals had just three hits, with Alex Gordon's second-inning double the only extra-base hit of the game for Kansas City.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (3-4) 4, Chi. Sox (4-5) 3 (Final/13)
NY Yankees (5-5) 2, Minnesota (5-3) 3
LA Angels (7-2) 5, Kansas City (3-4) 0
Oakland (2-7) 5, Texas (2-8) 1
Houston (8-2) 3, Seattle (7-2) 5
Baltimore (1-7) 1, Tampa Bay (6-2) 3 (Final/15)

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Rockies designate RHP Wade Davis for assignment
Astros sign OF George Springer to 6-year, $244M extension through 2026

***ROYALS NEWS***

SENSATIONAL SINGER: Royals hurler and top pitching prospect Brady Singer made his season debut for the Omaha Storm Chasers, tossing six innings of one-run ball. He fanned seven while walking just one in a 3-2 victory over Oklahoma City on the road.

ROYALS INK SOTO TO MINOR-LEAGUE DEAL: Left-hander Giovanni Soto was signed to a minor-league deal by the organization after purchasing his contract from the New Britain Bees of the independent Can-Am League. He last pitched in the majors in 2015 with the Indians, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings in six appearances that year. He had a 1.99 ERA in 31 innings with New Britain last season, and had been on some MLB teams' radars before re-signing with the Bees.

Sunday, April 12th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:10 CST
LA Angels (7-3) 1, Kansas City (4-4) 3
Winner: Tanner Roark (2-0) Loser: Andrew Heaney (0-1) Save: Josh Staumont (2)
HR-LAA: None HR-KC: Jorge Soler (1)

SOLER POWERS ROYALS VICTORY

It wasn't the prettiest outing for Tanner Roark, but the veteran righty got it done against the visiting Angels, holding them to one hit and no runs over five innings as the Royals took a 3-1 victory to win their home-opening series of the season.

Roark struggled with his command, walking five with eighty-eight total pitches thrown. But he fanned seven, including getting Anthony Rendon on strikes twice.

Jorge Soler provided the decisive blow, hitting a two-run homerun against Richard Bleier in the sixth. The 420-foot shot to center put the Royals up 3-0 at the time, and it was Soler's first homerun of the season.

Kansas City welcomes Boston in for a three game set, beginning tomorrow night at 7:05. Mike Montgomery will make his first start of the season, as the Red Sox will counter with right-hander Josh Smith.

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

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Toronto (2-9) 7, Chi. Cubs (4-6) 6
Pittsburgh (4-6) 1, Washington (5-4) 2
Milwaukee (9-1) 7, Cincinnati (3-7) 2
Boston (7-3) 6, St. Louis (1-9) 2
Colorado (6-4) 9, Arizona (6-3) 4 (Final/10)
Miami (5-5) 15, Philadelphia (4-5) 4
Atlanta (6-3) 7, NY Mets (5-5) 6
Detroit (6-2) 0, San Diego (2-6) 3
San Francisco (4-4) 0, LA Dodgers (5-4) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Marlins claim RHP Mark Leiter, Jr., off waivers from Toronto

***ROYALS NEWS***

LEE PROMOTED: Just three games into 2020, the Royals have promoted outfielder Khalil Lee to the Omaha Storm Chasers, the team's Triple-A affiliate. He was 4-for-11 (.364), hitting a double, a homerun, and driving in three runs as the Naturals opened Double-A play with a 2-1 mark.

Lee managed a .264/.363/.372 in 535 plate appearances with the Double-A NW Arkansas Naturals last season, but a long-term injury to Vince Fernandez at the Triple-A level has necessitated a promotion.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/13: RHP Josh Smith (0-0, 6.23) vs LHP Mike Montgomery (0-0, 0.00)
04/14: LHP David Price (1-0, 3.52) vs RHP Brad Keller (1-1, 4.09)
04/15: LHP Chris Sale (1-1, 2.79) vs RHP Jake Junis (0-1, 4.22)

GAME RECAPS

Monday, April 13th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:15 CST
Boston (8-3) 3, Kansas City (4-5) 0
Winner: Josh Smith (1-0) Loser: Mike Montgomery (0-1) Save: Durbin Feltman (5)
HR: None

KC SHUT OUT FOR THIRD TIME

The Royals managed eight hits and a walk, but couldn't push a run across as they were blanked 3-0 by the Boston Red Sox. Josh Smith didn't allow a run in 5 2/3 innings of work, while Mike Montgomery lasted just four innings, allowing three runs with two walks and a strikeout.

Salvador Perez and Jorge Soler each had two hits, snapping cold streaks to begin the season. Scott Barlow tossed two and two-third innings of scoreless relief, and the Royals' pen threw five total innings of scoreless relief.

Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts had three and two hits apiece for Boston, who is off to an 8-3 start to begin the 2020 campaign. No other Red Sox player had more than one hit.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Boston (8-3) 3, Kansas City (4-5) 0
Baltimore (1-9) 3, Seattle (8-3) 10
LA Angels (8-3) 6, Cleveland (3-6) 1
NY Mets (5-6) 6, Texas (3-9) 7
Houston (10-2) 1, Tampa Bay (7-3) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (7-3) 5, Cincinnati (3-8) 4
Milwaukee (10-1) 2, Washington (5-5) 1
Philadelphia (4-6) 3, Atlanta (7-3) 6
Pittsburgh (4-7) 1, St. Louis (2-9) 2 (Final/14)
San Francisco (4-5) 2, San Diego (3-6) 5

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Padres designate RHP Michael Wacha for assignment
Tigers place RHP Spencer Turnbull (elbow) on 60-day IL, will have Tommy John procedure

Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:15 CST
Boston (8-4) 6, Kansas City (5-5) 10
Winner: Kyle Zimmer (1-0) Loser: David Price (1-1) Save: None
HR-BOS: Jackie Bradley, Jr. (1), Mookie Betts (3), Rafael Devers (3) HR-KC: Salvador Perez (2), Whit Merrifield (1), Adalberto Mondesi (2), Hunter Dozier (1)

KANSAS CITY GOES BOMBS AWAY ON BOSTON

Behind four homeruns, the Royals busted out of a cold snap by scoring double-digit runs in a 10-6 victory over the Red Sox to even their three-game series.

Five different Royals had two hits, including Bubba Starling, who reached base all four plate appearances (two hits, two walks). Only Cheslor Cuthbert came away empty from the Royals' starting lineup (0-for-4, 3 K).

He didn't figure into the decision, but Brad Keller went five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He fanned five with two walks. Kyle Zimmer was the victory, fanning two in one and one-third innings of work.

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

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Oakland (3-8) 0, Chi. Cubs (5-6) 1
Detroit (6-3) 0, LA Dodgers (6-4) 3
Colorado (7-4) 3, Miami (5-6) 2
Arizona (8-3) 6, Cincinnati (3-9) 4
Milwaukee (10-2) 4, Washington (6-5) 9
Pittsburgh (5-7) 3, St. Louis (3-9) 4
San Francisco (5-5) 5, San Diego (3-7) 4

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (elbow tendon) to miss remainder of season; will have surgery

***ROYALS NEWS***

HICKLEN ONE TO WATCH: With Vince Fernandez headed to the disabled list, outfielder Brewer Hicklen was promoted to Omaha from NW Arkansas to take his spot on the roster.

Hicklen, 24, was crushing Double-A pitching to date, hitting .381/.458/.762 in twenty-four plate appearances. It is likely a temporary move, but the 2017 seventh-rounder out of UAB has made a quick rise through the system in just a handful of seasons.

BRICKHOUSE TO INJURED LIST: Once thought as a bullpen contender with the Royals, Omaha's Bryan Brickhouse was placed on the 7-day IL with shoulder tightness, but is not expected to miss more than a couple of weeks.

Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 - First pitch, 8:15 CST
Boston (8-5) 2, Kansas City (6-5) 4
Winner: Jake Junis (1-1) Loser: Chris Sale (1-2) Save: Richard Lovelady (1)
HR-BOS: Mookie Betts (4) HR-KC: Salvador Perez (3)

JUNIS DOMINATES AS ROYALS TAKE BOSTON SERIES

Jake Junis looked like the pitcher that was billed as one of the up-and-coming stars of the league in the preseason, fanning ten Red Sox hitters as the Royals rolled to a 4-2 victory over Boston.

Junis walked three and allowed just four hits over seven and two-third innings, picking up his first win of 2020. Richard Lovelady picked up the four-out save, striking out two while not giving up a hit or walk.

Salvador Perez homered for the second straight game, going 2-for-4 in the process. Hunter Dozier also had a two-hit game, including an eighth-inning double.

The Royals have tomorrow off before heading to Baltimore for a three-game weekend series at Camden Yards against the struggling Orioles, just 2-10 on the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (7-4) 13, Chi. Sox (6-6) 6
Boston (8-5) 2, Kansas City (6-5) 4
Baltimore (2-10) 9, Seattle (9-4) 5
LA Angels (9-4) 3, Cleveland (4-7) 8
NY Mets (6-7) 3, Texas (4-10) 8
Houston (12-2) 4, Tampa Bay (7-5) 3

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Marlins RHP Jordan Yamamoto to return from rehab assignment
Indians place LHP Logan Allen (tired arm) on 15-day IL; retro to 04/16/2020

***ROYALS NEWS***

QUENTIN SIGNED TO MINOR-LEAGUE DEAL: Former big-league outfielder Carlos Quentin could be eyeing a return to the majors, as the 36-year-old signed a minor-league pact with the Royals earlier this morning.

He'll report to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, taking Brewer Hicklen's spot on the roster. Outfielder Michael Gigliotti was also promoted to Double-A from Class-A Wilmington.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

@@@

PITCHING MATCHUPS

04/17: LHP Danny Duffy (0-2, 10.24) vs RHP Bryan Mitchell (0-0. 4.15)
04/18: RHP Tanner Roark (2-0, 3.18) vs LHP Daniel Norris (0-0, 5.92)
04/19: LHP Mike Montgomery (0-1, 4.26) vs RHP Jharel Cotton (0-3, 19.39)

GAME RECAPS

Friday, April 17th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Kansas City (6-6) 2, Baltimore (3-10) 3
Winner: Tanner Scott (1-1) Loser: Josh Staumont (1-1) Save: None
HR: None

ROYALS WALKED OFF IN NINTH

Josh Staumont came on in the ninth to try and protect a 2-1 lead, but a two-out, two-run double from Danny Santana sent the Royals packing with a 3-2 defeat. The blown save spoiled a fine effort from veteran Danny Duffy, who allowed just one run on three hits in six innings, striking out four and walking three.

First baseman Ryan O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI to snap out of a 2-for-16 slump to begin the season. Whit Merrifield chipped in with two hits, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

Matt Wisler gave the Orioles three-and-one-third inning of solid relief; striking out four in place of starter Bryan Mitchell, who allowed eight hits in four and two-third innings. Tanner Scott fanned the side in the ninth, picking up the victory for the Orioles, just their third on the season.

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

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
White Sox place 3B Yoan Moncada (oblique) on 15-day IL, could miss up to a month

***ROYALS NEWS***

BLANCO SIGNED TO MINOR-LEAGUE CONTRACT: The Royals have signed another veteran outfielder for minor league depth, bringing back former Royal Gregor Blanco. Blanco, 36, last played in the majors in 2018 with San Francisco, slashing .217/.262/.317 in 208 plate appearances that season.

Blanco played with the Royals in 2010 after being acquired at the 2010 deadline from the Braves. That year, he hit a respectable .274 in 179 at-bats with the Royals, driving in eleven runs and going 10-of-12 on steal attempts.

Saturday, April 18th, 2020 - First pitch, 7:05 CST
Kansas City (7-6) 4, Baltimore (3-11) 0 (Final/11)
Winner: Kyle Zimmer (2-0) Loser: Tommy Kahnle (0-1) Save: None
HR: None

ROARK STYMIES ORIOLES' OFFENSE

Tanner Roark didn't factor into the decision, but the veteran right-hander was a big catalyst in the team's 4-0 extra-inning victory on Saturday night. He went seven and two-third shutout innings, allowing just five hits and a walk with five strikeouts while leaving the game in a 0-0 tie.

Kyle Zimmer picked up his second win in relief, working around a one-out walk. Jose De Leon pitched a scoreless 11th to finish out the contest with the 4-0 lead. In all, Royals' pitching held the Orioles to just five hits, with only one Oriole (Trey Mancini) collecting more than one hit. Danny Santana had the team's only extra-base hit, a sixth-inning double against Roark.

Nicky Lopez was the offensive standout for Kansas City, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, including the go-ahead two-bagger against Tommy Kahnle with two outs in the ninth that scored a pair. Kahnle had Bubba Starling struck out in the previous plate appearance, but Baltimore catcher Pedro Severino was charged with a passed ball on the play, giving the Royals another chance that Lopez took advantage of. None of the runs that were charged to Kahnle were earned.

Kansas City went on to score twice more, as Whit Merrifield singled home a run, and then Lopez scored on a Drew Steckenrider wild pitch to increase the lead to four.

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

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Tigers place RHP Michael Fulmer (shoulder) on 60-day IL after labrum surgery

Sunday, April 19th, 2020 - First pitch, 1:05 CST
Kansas City (7-7) 1, Baltimore (4-11) 4
Winner: Jharel Cotton (1-3) Loser: Mike Montgomery (1-1) Save: Chaz Roe (1)
HR-KC: None HR-BAL: Cedric Mullins (1), Anthony Santander (2)

OFFENSE SPUTTERS; LEAVES BALTIMORE WITH SERIES LOSS

With just four hits allowed over six and one-third innings, Jharel Cotton held the Royals scoreless as the visitors eventually went on to fall 4-1 to Baltimore, dropping the rubber match of the three-game series. Cotton came into the game with a 19.39 ERA, and had shaved that nearly in half (10.13) by the time he left the contest.

Kansas City's only run came in the seventh on an RBI single by Bubba Starling to cut the Royals' deficit to three, but it was too little, too late. Mike Montgomery allowed four runs in five-plus innings, including back-to-back jacks to begin the sixth. Scott Barlow replaced him, and finished out the game with three scoreless; walking two and fanning two.

Cheslor Cuthbert notched his second straight two-hit game, getting him back to the Mendoza line for the season. Despite just seven hits, the Royals managed four doubles; including Alex Gordon's team-high fifth of the season. Kansas City heads back home for a quick three-game series with Cleveland before striking back out on the road to end the month of April.

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

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

MAJOR NEWS/TRANSACTIONS
Mets place LHP Justin Wilson (elbow) on 60-day IL after successful Tommy John procedure
Braves activate SS Johan Camargo (elbow); send to Triple-A on rehab assignment