Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Santana
Mike Minor
Michael Taylor
Ervin Santana
Top 10 Prospects:
1 Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2 Asa Lacy, LHP
3 Daniel Lynch, LHP
4 Jackson Kowar, RHP
5 Erick Pena, OF
6 Nick Loftin, SS
7 Kyle Isbel, OF
8 Khali Lee, OF
9 Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
10 Carlos Hernedez, RHP [Reply]
Originally Posted by gblowfish:
I'm no Fairweather Johnson. But when they suck, I'm not going to sugar coat it. When they play well, we'll congratulate them and be happy. They've been pretty damn awful for the last month or so. Don't be mad at me for pointing out the Emperor has no clothes.
But that’s simply not true. They are exactly 14-14 over the last month, after this shitty road trip. A .500 club. Which is about what MOST of us thought the ceiling was for this club this year. It’s a damn miracle that they had the best record in all of MLB the first month of the season. The run differential should have warned everyone ‘don’t buy the hype’. The White Sox were always the best team in this division and we’re always gonna win it running away. They have more talent than the Royals right now at the Big League level and more importantly, most of their young guys, especially their pitchers, have established themselves at the major league level after REALLY struggling for a couple years.
It’s no different for the Royals 2018 draft crop. They’re all gonna have to take their lumps for a while. It’s how you learn. When Hosmer, Moose, Salvy, Duffy, Yordano came up they didn’t have immediate success. It took a few years to build something. Give em time.
But your comments towards the Royals lately come across as nothing more than snide comments of someone reveling in their losing, which other people in this thread have pointed out besides me. [Reply]
I think if you accept that this team isn’t making the playoffs and out young players are going to have some very expected growing pains this season gets to be a lot easier to watch. No one expected playoffs before Game 1 this year, and we’ll have some ups and downs - but hopefully end on a high enough note to generate excitement for next year. [Reply]
Tell ya what Tom. I'll go all Baghdad Bob for you over the next week just to make your nipples hard. I won't say a single bad thing. Not one. I can go Little Mary Sunshine with the best of them. Physioc and Wonder Dog make a living at it. We'll start tonight: Even with a 1-6 road trip, they're only three games under .500 with the Detroit Tigers coming in. Tigers are last in the AL Central and just got swept by the Chisox. Surely we should get back to .500 against them, right? Then we get the Red Sox, and Benny ought to rake against his old team. We'll probably win five or six at home next week. All these pitchers will bounce back, especially Kowar, and Soler and Dozier and Taylor and Merrifield will all start hitting like crazy. Can't wait to see it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by gblowfish:
Tell ya what Tom. I'll go all Baghdad Bob for you over the next week just to make your nipples hard. I won't say a single bad thing. Not one. I can go Little Mary Sunshine with the best of them. Physioc and Wonder Dog make a living at it. We'll start tonight: Even with a 1-6 road trip, they're only three games under .500 with the Detroit Tigers coming in. Tigers are last in the AL Central and just got swept by the Chisox. Surely we should get back to .500 against them, right? Then we get the Red Sox, and Benny ought to rake against his old team. We'll probably win five or six at home next week. All these pitchers will bounce back, especially Kowar, and Soler and Dozier and Taylor and Merrifield will all start hitting like crazy. Can't wait to see it.
Don’t do it on my account, George.
Rather you be a miserable old SOB than a disingenuous one.
Was just pointing out that all you’ve done on here lately is hop on and take potshots, without even attempting to engage in any meaningful baseball discussion. That’s fine if that’s your thing. You do you, I guess. But weren’t you the one that a few pages back made a half a page post about how you didn’t ‘trust’ the Royals based on the last 50 years, while virtually ignoring the same exact history for the Chiefs pre-Pat?
The Royals are who we thought they were. Sorry you didn’t recognize that from the get go like most of us and they’re letting you down.
I’m sure it’s keeping them up nights to disappoint you. [Reply]
As I said before the season began, I think the Royals will end up winning between 72-75 games this season.
For several weeks, they surpassed my expectations, then they came back down to earth during their 11 game losing skid, then slowly but surely dug themselves out of that hole and back to .500, then they began slipping again about a week ago.
All in all, I'm super impressed with the will of this squad. In past years, once a losing streak began, the season was virtually over because everyone just gave up. DM started trading off anyone that could bring back even a slight return, guys were injured and it was just exhausting to watch. Since around 2018, I couldn't make it past May because it was just embarrassing to see and IMO, a waste of my time. But this year, they've been a roller-coaster for sure but somehow, they just keep fighting and clawing their way back to .500.
Is that because of Matheny? Salvy? The new additions in Benintendi or Santana? I have no earthly idea. But regardless of whether or not this team finishes at .500 or below, this is a team I can watch because they do not give up. And really, outside of seeing how the young guys progress, that's the most important aspect of watching the games for me, that fight. Because if they're fighting when they're young and inexperienced, they're going to fight when they're veterans and that's what it's going to take for this team to become a consistent contender.
But anyone that expected this team to contend for a playoff spot this season was only fooling themselves. While Salvy is still awesome and still a huge factor, they don't have a superstar that who can put the team on his back and will them to a win.
Maybe that guy is Bobby Witt or maybe that guy is Brady Singer or maybe it's a combination of young guys. It's really unfortunate that Mondi has been too injured to make a difference and the other young guys aren't quite ready to come up, but when that day happens, it's going to be a blast to watch because these guys have the will to win.
They just don't have enough talent right now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by gblowfish:
Tell ya what Tom. I'll go all Baghdad Bob for you over the next week just to make your nipples hard. I won't say a single bad thing. Not one. I can go Little Mary Sunshine with the best of them. Physioc and Wonder Dog make a living at it. We'll start tonight: Even with a 1-6 road trip, they're only three games under .500 with the Detroit Tigers coming in. Tigers are last in the AL Central and just got swept by the Chisox. Surely we should get back to .500 against them, right? Then we get the Red Sox, and Benny ought to rake against his old team. We'll probably win five or six at home next week. All these pitchers will bounce back, especially Kowar, and Soler and Dozier and Taylor and Merrifield will all start hitting like crazy. Can't wait to see it.
Originally Posted by Mama Hip Rockets:
Injury updates from the Royals website:
*Mondesi could be back as early as this week.
*Duffy could be back by late June.
Did they specify if he could be back beginning or the end of the week? Also I don't really trust them in regards to when they think he will be back, because they were basically putting it out there that he wouldn't even need to go on the IL. [Reply]
I standy by my prediction that Royals will be slightly above .500 at season's end, but will be the last AL team outside looking in RE: playoffs.
Cut the dead weight next offseason, sign a couple good FA's, hopefully a couple stud minor league guys will be called up to major roster like Witt etc.
I expect Royals to make postseason next yr. If not Dayton Moore should be teetering on the hot seat. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
Did they specify if he could be back beginning or the end of the week? Also I don't really trust them in regards to when they think he will be back, because they were basically putting it out there that he wouldn't even need to go on the IL.
It’s not necessarily an issue with him.. it’s that all his injuries this year are soft tissue injuries and those often have unpredictable return timings. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
Did they specify if he could be back beginning or the end of the week? Also I don't really trust them in regards to when they think he will be back, because they were basically putting it out there that he wouldn't even need to go on the IL.
SS*Adalberto Mondesi*(left hamstring strain)
Expected return:*First eligible to come off the IL on June 14
Mondesi was*placed on the IL*in a move retroactive to June 4 after feeling his hamstring pull on a defensive play against the Pirates on Memorial Day. After a few days of rest, he has been taking batting practice with the team as well as participating in infield drills. “It’s not out of the question” that Mondesi returns sometime during the next homestand on June 14-20, Matheny said. Swinging and playing defense both look normal for him; it’s the running that’s a concern with a hamstring strain. In Oakland on June 12, Mondesi was on the field pregame with Royals trainers doing agility drills -- quick bursts of running -- to simulate fielding at shortstop and running the bases.
Originally Posted by Mama Hip Rockets: SS*Adalberto Mondesi*(left hamstring strain)
Expected return:*First eligible to come off the IL on June 14
Mondesi was*placed on the IL*in a move retroactive to June 4 after feeling his hamstring pull on a defensive play against the Pirates on Memorial Day. After a few days of rest, he has been taking batting practice with the team as well as participating in infield drills. “It’s not out of the question” that Mondesi returns sometime during the next homestand on June 14-20, Matheny said. Swinging and playing defense both look normal for him; it’s the running that’s a concern with a hamstring strain. In Oakland on June 12, Mondesi was on the field pregame with Royals trainers doing agility drills -- quick bursts of running -- to simulate fielding at shortstop and running the bases.