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]
The #Royals optioned Kris Bubic to Triple-A Omaha. The lefty has been working through adjustments to keep his pitch count down and shorten at-bats, among other things.
It's important to note that KC really doesn't need a fifth starter to begin the year because of the off-days.
Originally Posted by Rukdafaidas:
Bally Sports has purchased the Regional Fox Sports Networks. I'm still hearing they're going to offer the games directly through their new app that is supposed to go live March 31st. I think the app will be called Bally Sports. Supposedly, you will be able to subscribe to the local network without having to have a subscription to a cable or dish network. Hopefully.
Do you think wiz1.net will carry the games ? [Reply]
Notes: Isbel makes OF case; Duffy; Davis by
Anne Rogers
Originally Posted by :
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Thanks to the Statcast setup at Salt River Fields, Kyle Isbel's leadoff home run in the Royals’ 6-6 tie with the D-backs on Saturday did more than pass the eye test -- it gave some definitive data. It went a projected 428 feet with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph, the highest of the game.
“He’s a good hitter,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He figures out how to put a good approach together. He hasn’t looked overmatched at all, put together some great at-bats overall.”
The talk around camp has been, deservedly so, about Kansas City top prospect Bobby Witt Jr., who is fighting for a spot and making a case to be on the Opening Day roster. But what Isbel -- the Royals’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline -- has done this spring hasn’t gone unnoticed by the coaching staff, either. Isbel went 2-for-5 on Saturday with the home run to right field and a single the opposite way. He’s hitting .346/.419/.654 across 31 plate appearances this spring.
“I think a number of times I talk about Bobby, I’ve been talking about Kyle in the same sentence,” Matheny said last week. “Talking about two guys we’re just watching do things really well on a pretty consistent basis. The little details, the skillset, the consistency of the at-bats.”
Isbel’s arrival in the Majors is blocked for a little bit by a crowded Royals outfield, with Andrew Benintendi, Michael A. Taylor and Whit Merrifield as the regulars to start the regular season, and Jarrod Dyson as the fourth outfielder. But if outfield depth is needed, Isbel could be one the club turns to based on a solid spring.
“We keep track of the quality of at-bats, and Kyle Isbel, percentage-wise, has probably had the highest percentage of quality at-bats all the way through so far,” Matheny said. “Hard hit, deep counts. Grinding at-bats, getting guys over, getting them in. Those sorts of things go into how we have our own metric of quality at-bats. But Kyle’s been as good as anybody we’ve had.
“It’s been impressive, and we really like how he plays defensively. He’s a smart baserunner. The whole package there with the skillset of being able to do just about everything we’d like to see.”
Isbel started in left field against the D-backs before moving over to center, where he made an impressive catch at the wall on David Peralta’s deep fly ball in the fifth inning. The Royals have no issues with Isbel’s ability to one day play the expansive center field at Kauffman Stadium.
“And saying that while wearing a Royals uniform is a big statement,” Matheny said. “I have as much confidence in him as any of the young players we have to be able to cover center field.”
Kicking off a two-hit performance, Isbel belted a 425-foot home run in the Royals' 6-6 tie with the D-backs. In the third inning, the left-handed-hitting outfielder connected with Luke Weaver's 1-1 pitch to produce an exit velocity of 110.3 mph and send the ball well out of the yard in right field. Facing Taylor Widener in the seventh, he drilled a liner to left with a 107.1-mph exit velocity for a single. Isbel is 9-for-26 (.346) with two long balls this spring.
Duffy happy with what he sees
Danny Duffy isn’t what he calls a “scoreboard peeker” when it comes to the radar gun -- most of the time, that is. The lefty admits he did check a few times on Saturday, though, when he felt how the ball came out of his hand and was pleasantly surprised. The Royals starter was flashing 94-95 mph with his fastball, a jump from the 91-92 mph he typically hits.
“Pretty explosive stuff today,” Duffy said. “Not much of a scoreboard peeker, but I saw a couple ‘fives out there today I was really excited about. So the electricity seems to be there. My fastball command was pretty good. … I’m used to seeing a lot of ones and twos, but I worked really hard to put on some weight this offseason and get what I had before back. I feel really good.”
Duffy allowed four runs (one earned) in four innings, giving up two hits and striking out six D-backs. The third inning got away from him when Hunter Dozier dropped an infield popup, but otherwise, Duffy looked sharp with his changeup and slider.
Davis continues strong spring
Wade Davis has not allowed a run scored in six Cactus League outings this spring, continuing that streak on Saturday when he got through a scoreless sixth inning. The right-hander yielded just one hit, a hard-hit ball through the left side of the infield that shortstop Jeison Guzmán made closer than it typically would be.
Davis, a non-roster invite this spring, seems on track for an Opening Day bullpen spot with what he’s shown thus far, from a jump in fastball velocity to his experience. The 35-year-old has allowed four hits across six innings in game action, but Davis has avoided any damage against him.
“He’s been really fun for us to watch not knowing exactly what we were going to see coming into camp,” Matheny said. “Came in prepared, came with an edge, came in to fight and earn a spot. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him, and just watching him go about his business, he’s just a pro. And then he gets the job done when he’s on the mound. It’s fun to watch him.”
Worth noting
• Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Royals minority owner Patrick Mahomes was in attendance at Salt River Fields on Saturday, taking in the game from the top deck with his family.
• Right-hander Brad Keller, tabbed as the Royals’ Opening Day starter, will start Sunday’s game against the Rockies in his second-to-last Cactus League outing before April 1.
Lefty Mike Minor will follow on Monday against the Padres. Both games will start at 3:05 p.m. CT.
How will Royals line up on Opening Day? by
Anne Rogers
Originally Posted by :
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Although it featured a few faces that likely won’t be penciled into the lineup on Opening Day, the Royals’ first inning of Thursday’s Cactus League game against the White Sox provided a snapshot of the lineup that the front office spent much of the offseason piecing together.
Andrew Benintendi laid down a one-out bunt, followed by Adalberto Mondesi's single to left field and Salvador Perez loading the bases after being hit by a pitch. Carlos Santana drew a bases-loaded walk to score the first run. After Jorge Soler popped out in foul territory, Hunter Dozier lined a three-run double to left field for the biggest hit of the inning -- batting seventh in the lineup.
“I think that’s kind of the team we have,” Benintendi said. “We have a bunch of guys around the big boppers in the middle of the order, and our job is to be on the bases and create havoc, and score runs when those guys come to the plate.”
Lineup combinations vary over the course of the season, depending on the opposing pitcher and other factors. Still, with two weeks until Opening Day, the Royals’ lineup is beginning to come together. Here’s how it could look on April 1:
Leading off: Whit Merrifield
It’s not a surprise to see Merrifield at the top, as he’s batted leadoff in more than 400 games over the previous four years. The right fielder has led the Majors in hits twice in his career (192 in 2018 and 206 in ’19), and he makes for a tough at-bat with his ability to foul off pitches and lengthen the plate appearance. That’s what you want out of a leadoff hitter.
Batting second: Andrew Benintendi
Benintendi is a contact hitter with a career .353 on-base percentage, a combination that fits best near the top of the lineup. He has seen the most time batting second in his career, with a .281 average and a .351 on-base percentage across 960 plate appearances -- more than twice as many as in any other spot. His approach and comfort there make it a good fit with the Royals.
“I think second is my favorite spot,” Benintendi said. “It gives me time to go on deck and watch the pitcher as the leadoff hitter hits, just to kind of gain a little information. … But wherever I hit in the order, wherever it may be, it is what it is. It’s not going to change my approach.”
Batting third: Carlos Santana
Santana drawing a bases-loaded walk on Thursday was exactly the kind of plate appearance the Royals wanted to see when they signed him. He’s a dangerous hitter because he can take his walks, but Santana also isn’t afraid to swing it, as he showed on Friday when he ripped a two-run double to center field in the fourth inning.
If the Royals want to see someone else, like Adalberto Mondesi, near the top, Santana could easily be pushed down to fourth or fifth because he can still do damage as a middle-of-the-order bat.
Batting fourth: Salvador Perez
Some might argue Soler fits better hitting cleanup because he’s the hitter most likely to do damage when healthy. And that may be true, and these fourth and fifth spots could be in flux to start the season until manager Mike Matheny finds the order he likes. But if Soler can return to the hitter the Royals saw in 2019, and Perez finds the production he had last season, those two going back-to-back gives Kansas City serious power in the middle of its lineup.
Batting fifth: Jorge Soler
Soler is healthy after an oblique strain caused him to miss time in 2020, and he’s beginning to find his rhythm in Spring Training. The way he turns on a ball and cranks a moonshot is something not many hitters can do, and batting him fifth allows him to appear in different situations for the Royals, whether it’s driving runs in or getting on base for the rest of the lineup.
“What he brings is unique, just how much power he has, and when he gets into one, what it looks like,” Matheny said. “You’ve got some depth behind him on guys that can do some damage as well. He’s one they’ve got earmarked -- don’t let this guy hurt you.”
If Matheny wants to utilize left-right matchups, the switch-hitting Santana could slot in fifth and push Perez and Soler up one slot.
Batting sixth: Hunter Dozier
Dozier is praised for his versatility on defense, but he also is versatile on offense. The third baseman could appear in almost any spot for the Royals' lineup. He had a .344 on-base percentage despite seeing a dip in production in 2020, which allows him to set the table for those who bat behind him. But he has power potential, as Kansas City saw during his breakout year in '19, with 26 home runs and 10 triples. Batting sixth utilizes that power if the inning is extended or utilizes his on-base ability if he’s first up in the later frames.
“Any spot really,” Dozier said about his batting order preference. “I know it’s going to change throughout the year depending on how guys are swinging it. We have a really good lineup right now. If I’m hitting seventh one day, fifth the next day, ninth, whatever. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Batting seventh: Adalberto Mondesi
Mondesi is the wild card in this lineup. His highest single-season on-base percentage is .306, so it might make sense to have him in the bottom half. But based on how he finished 2020 -- .356/.408/.667 across 100 plate appearances in the final month -- and how his swing looks this spring, Mondesi can do damage at the top of the lineup. Being a switch-hitter gives the Royals versatility, too, so it’s not unreasonable to think he could hit near the top -- and use his speed to help the sluggers behind him, too.
“If we’re watching Mondi be Mondi like we saw at the end of the season, where do you want him?” Matheny said a few weeks ago. “Where’s the best spot? That’s the kicker. When he’s going right, you want to see him as often as you can.”
Batting eighth: Michael A. Taylor
Taylor offers speed at the bottom of the lineup to go along with production he has shown this spring. He sprays line drives to all parts of the field, getting on base for when the lineup turns over. Taylor also has some pop, which lengthens the lineup and provides depth down the order.
Batting ninth: Nicky Lopez
The Royals' weakest hitter on paper is Lopez, who figures to start the season at second base -- although the club is being “open-minded” on whether to promote Bobby Witt Jr. and have him play second base. But if Lopez, who has already shown he's an elite defender, can see it click at the plate, he doesn’t have to more than find ways to get on base. That will let his speed play on the bases, as well as set the table for the lineup to turn over.
“That’s the kind of player Nicky is going to need to be, and whether you call them little things or not, the idea of moving runners over, the idea of laying down a bunt, the idea of putting pressure on,” Matheny said. “There’s certain players, with what we know about them, this is the kind of player we need you to be.”
Originally Posted by kstater:
Salvy 4 year extension aav of 20.5m. Will he good to see him retire a royal.
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk
Adding to that news -
Originally Posted by :
The Royals announced a four-year contract extension with franchise catcher Salvador Pérez this afternoon. The contract also contains a club option for a fifth season, reports Alec Lewis of the Athletic, who has the full breakdown of terms. Pérez will make $18MM in 2022, $20MM apiece in 2023 and 2024, and $22MM in 2025. The 2026 club option is valued at $13.5MM and comes with a $2MM buyout, for a total guarantee of $82MM with the potential to max out at $93.5MM if the option is exercised. Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star was first to report the deal’s $20.5MM average annual value.
Previously set for free agency at the end of the year, Pérez will now remain in Kansas City for the next half-decade.
