<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby Witt Jr. will start the season in the minor leagues for Kansas City, as <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alec_lewis</a> said. <br><br>He shouldn’t be down for too long. Witt still hasn’t played above rookie ball. Likeliest spot for him is Double-A, where he’d play shortstop, 2B and maybe CF, too.</p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1373727139053268992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Assuming Rivero or Melendez emerge, Salvy will likely be DH'ing quite a bit for the last two years of that contract. I'm guessing we will not be extending Soler - which is fine. Santana can DH quite a bit next year, especially if Pratto has really turned things around at the plate.
On the Witt demotion, I think it's for the best. Truth is, we need to see if Lopez can figure things out at the plate, knowing he's going to provide fantastic defensive value in the mean time. If he doesn't figure things out, hopefully Isbel or Witt will be raking and pushing for a promotion. |
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My brain is hurting reading comments about the Royals manipulating service time by sending Bobby Witt to the minors.</p>— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) <a href="https://twitter.com/jjcoop36/status/1373738707979755522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Probably for the best
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I was good with either choice. Can understand both perspectives.
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk |
There was literally no way he was starting up here. He's played a small amount of minor league games. The hype around him however is unlike any that I can remember from a Royals prospect. What was hype like online for Gordon? Was it this crazy?
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I think Twitter doesn't help, even non-Royals fans were going wild over what Witt was doing. Gordon didn't have that really.
That said, it's hard to compare anyone to the hype around Johnny Damon. But some of that was the Royals fault for putting him in that commercial with Brett. |
I think we could use Bobbys offensive punch out of the gate........if he struggles, send him down
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You’re paying for the future not the past. Don’t be dense. I am agnostic on the deal - his bat was insane last year and looks great in Arizona. He can absolutely command that if he hits anywhere close. But you NEVER pay on the past. See: Alex Gordon. Mike Sweeney. |
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I knew you would think this, and understand your thoughts. I just disagree in some instances like this. There is value in paying the sentimental contract Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk |
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Sal got this deal crushing 2020 pitching. He’d have gotten a similar deal from someone else putting us into this iIs. (See Grandal, Realmuto) We have little committed so I’m fine with it. But the dude really earned it in 2020, not before |
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the two weak spots in the line-up are CF and 2nd.
Start Witt and Isbell in AA and if they're raking in a few weeks/a month and either guy in KC is stinking it up, bring 'em up, with the saved year of control. Win/Win. |
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If that’s the plan, I’d like to see them face AAA pitching first. You do get a lot of crafty vets who pitch backwards there, which is valuable experience. |
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I'm betting a combo of Alberto/Whit is the backup plan at 2B for now - not Witt Jr. As for Taylor, he's looked fine this Spring.
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Salvy was the most popular athlete in Kansas City until Mahomes came along
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Saw that Whitt will start in the minors. Makes sense to me.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Twins announced that Alex Kirilloff has been optioned to the alternate camp.</p>— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1374447130912321541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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/sarcasm |
Who is the 26th man? Is it a bat with O’Hearn or McBroom, or a reliever with Brach, Lovelady or Hernández?
-- @christiandr85, via Twitter Great question. This is one of the more intriguing decisions the Royals have to make heading into Opening Day. There are a few factors involved, the biggest one being the Royals don’t need a fifth starter until April 16, which opens up a spot on the 26-man roster for an extra reliever or an extra position player. One might think because of the question of workload looming over clubs with their pitchers this year, the Royals would put another reliever on the roster to have arms at the ready. But with all the off-days baked into the schedule to start the season, Royals pitchers will be well rested, so they could choose to have an extra bat off the bench. The names here are the most likely to break camp with the Royals as that 26th man. Ryan McBroom has fared better in Spring Training lately, hitting .306/.297/.639 with three home runs in 18 games. The strikeout rate is still high (11 strikeouts in 36 at-bats), but if he can come through in big spots like he did last year as a pinch-hitter, he’ll find a place on the roster. Ryan O’Hearn shot out of the gate this spring but has tailed off recently, so he’ll need to get back to being the hitter he was at the beginning of camp. But his left-handed bat gives him an advantage. Both players can play first base or the corner outfield, as well as serve as the designated hitter. Perhaps the Royals go with both if they decide to go with an extra position player to start the season. Another position player name to think about: Bubba Starling. He’s a non-roster invitee, so the Royals would have to clear a spot for him. But his defense is something teams would love to have, especially as a late-inning replacement. If the Royals choose to go that route, he’d be an intriguing choice. Will the Royals choose to go with a lefty and bring Richard Lovelady into the fold? He has impressed this spring, striking out eight in seven innings. So has Jake Brentz, a lefty who throws 100 mph, but he is a non-roster invitee who would have to have a 40-man spot cleared for him to make the roster. The Royals are preparing Carlos Hernández for a bullpen role, and the young right-hander has shown nasty stuff this spring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a high-leverage role at some point this season. Veteran right-hander Brad Brach, another non-roster invitee, has struggled mightily with location in his past few outings, but he still offers a different look because of that funky delivery. The Royals value that, so if they think he can turn his location issues around, they could clear a spot for him as well. |
Are you as excited about Hunter Dozier's recent performance as I am?
-- @JacobCr32955868 I know the Royals are excited. Dozier’s situation this spring is one of those where you can say, “That’s what Spring Training is for.” It took a while for him to get his timing and rhythm down, but a ton of swings in the batting cage and a B game in which he batted second every time seemed to help. Dozier’s swing is starting to look like it did in 2019 -- when he blasted a career-high 26 home runs -- and on Monday, he launched a three-run homer with an estimated distance of 445 feet. The Royals will take that. |
Best shortstops: 18. Mondesi 2.5 fWAR proj
If steals are your thing, the Royals have you covered. Mondesi is the premier speed merchant in baseball; the only limit to his thievery is his inability to get on base. The .292 OBP projection you see up above would be an eight point improvement on his career line, and you can’t steal second if you don’t reach first, at least until Rob Manfred gets his hands on the major league rulebook. Mondesi’s offensive problem is simple: he doesn’t make enough contact, so pitchers flood the zone to avoid putting him on base. That leads to huge swing rates — combine that with the aforementioned contact problems, and you get a career 19.6% swinging strike rate, second-worst in the majors behind only Jorge Alfaro. When he does make contact, he’s totally fine. He has an average hard hit rate, average barrel rate, and hits enough opposite-field grounders to take advantage of his speed. But when you swing through one fifth of the pitches you see, average isn’t going to cut it. He does enough on the defensive end that he’s an average player overall, but the whole package just feels like it should come out to more. And hey, if he makes more contact, it just might: you can’t teach speed, and no one has more of it than Mondesi |
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https://theathletic.com/2472542/2021...bullpen-spots/
Royals Opening Day roster projection: The infield makeup and final bullpen spots by Alec Lewis Quote:
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Witt barely beats out Kelenic, Andrew Vaughn of the Chicago White Sox and Alex Kirilloff of the Minnesota Twins. |
19. Major League Baseball gets clarity on the uncertain stadium situations for Oakland and Tampa Bay, as both teams secure new ballparks.
The league agrees to expand to 32 teams in 2025 as part of the new CBA. (The current CBA, which expires on Dec. 1, allows MLB to add two expansion clubs, but the pandemic pushed back the timeline.) The following cities are invited to be part of the bidding process: Las Vegas; Portland, Ore.; Charlotte, N.C.; Vancouver, Canada; Orlando, Fla.; Monterrey, Mexico; New Orleans; Nashville, Tenn. |
Mellinger Minutes: Royals’ dream season
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Remembrance of Royals’ Krispy Kreme promotion in 2000s strikes a chord with KC fans
BY PETE GRATHOFF Quote:
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Now there's a lineup.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today's Royals lineup against D-Backs:<br><br>Whit Merrifield 2B<br>Andrew Benintendi LF<br>Adalberto Mondesi SS<br>Salvador Perez C<br>Carlos Santana 1B<br>Jorge Soler DH<br>Hunter Dozier 3B<br>Michael A. Taylor CF<br>Kyle Isbel RF<br><br>Danny Duffy P</p>— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1375109130764087298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
https://www.royalsreview.com/2021/3/...-march-25-2021
Royals Rumblings by Max Rieper Quote:
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1. Whit Merrifield, RF 2. Andrew Benintendi, LF 3. Carlos Santana, 1B 4. Jorge Soler, DH 5. Salvy Perez, C 6. Adalberto Mondesi, SS 7. Hunter Dozier, 3B 8. Michael A Taylor, CF 9. Bobby Witt Jr, 2B Might see this one by the All-Star game. |
https://insidethecrown.substack.com/...ld-predictions
2021 Bold Predictions by David Lesky Quote:
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1. Whit Merrifield, 2B 2. Andrew Benintendi, LF 3. Carlos Santana, 1B 4. Jorge Soler, DH 5. Salvy Perez, C 6. Adalberto Mondesi, SS 7. Hunter Dozier, RF 8. Michael A Taylor, CF 9. Bobby Witt Jr, 3B |
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https://royalsreporter.com/2021/03/2...n-opening-day/
Could Hanser Alberto actually be the Royals’ starting second baseman on Opening Day? by Kevin O’Brien Quote:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Matheny on Kyle Isbel, who is starting today in RF for the second straight game: "He's another guy who is in the mix and conversation (for the Opening Day roster). We're trying to get as many looks as we can before we make our final decision."</p>— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1375139473533636621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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That was good timing. I was about to say everyone's talking about Witt, but I think they're discounting Isbel. Then Matheny said that.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">White Sox general manager Rick Hahn says Eloy Jiménez suffered a rupture of his left pectoral tendon. He needs surgery, and Hahn says the recovery timeline is typically 5-6 months</p>— James Fegan (@JRFegan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1375146717306363907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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I just spent $3000 for one of his rookie cards. :cuss: |
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CENTERFILDERS 25. Royals 0.7fWar
No matter how closely you follow offseason transactions, there are always a few players in the “oh that’s where this guy ended up” bucket come spring training. That makes for a good segue into Taylor and Dyson. Taylor figures to get the majority of reps in center. At this point, it’s clear that 2017’s three-win season was the anomaly for a player who hasn’t mustered a .300 wOBA since. I’m getting tired of pretending to make something of last year’s statistics, but for what it’s worth, Taylor actually hit for decent power while striking out less than normal in 2020. That doesn’t do much for me, personally, but rational people can plausibly forecast a one-win season here. Dyson’s speed and defense have aged remarkably well, but there will come a point when the bat deteriorates too much for it to matter, and he’s been testing those waters recently. He has a 54 wRC+ since the start of 2018 and, surprisingly for a fast guy who hits the ball on the ground a lot, a .251 BABIP. Hopefully he hits at least a little because he’s still magic on the bases. Merrifield is obviously the best player on this list; I imagine his time in center will be dictated in part by how well others play and whether Kansas City keeps afloat in the standings. Olivares is interesting on paper, but the tools will likely play down due to an awful approach. |
Does Matheny know this was 3 days ago
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RHP Jackson Kowar, LHP Daniel Lynch, INF Bobby Witt Jr. and OF Kyle Isbel have been reassigned to Minor League Camp. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1374023200426897419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
Inbox: Wander or Witt Jr.?
By Jim Callis | March 24, 2021 No prospect is generating more buzz right now in Spring Training than Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. or in college baseball than Vanderbilt right-hander Jack Leiter. So naturally, the Pipeline Inbox has questions about both of them. There has been the Witt vs. Abrams debate, but let me pose the Witt vs. Franco debate -- if you had to take one shortstop right now to build your franchise around, who would it be? And while it was a small sample size, would Witt's spring have impacted his Top 100 Prospects placement at all? -- Joe L., Easton, Md. I tackled the under-21 shortstop debate of Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) vs. CJ Abrams (Padres) vs. Marco Luciano (Giants) in a Pipeline Inbox last month, and I'm game for breaking down the top two shortstop prospects in baseball. Wander Franco (Rays) ranks No. 1 on our Top 100 Prospects list, six spots ahead of Witt. Franco is nine months younger and already has excelled in High Class A, while Witt had a so-so pro debut in Rookie ball, but this is still a tough call. I'll go with Franco because when two prospects are close, I'm going to bet on the superior hitter, and Franco has an 80-grade bat. He'll get every bit out of his plus raw power, he has solid speed and arm strength and he's a capable shortstop, even if he'll probably move to a different position because Tampa Bay has better defensive options there. All that said, it's hard to pass on Witt, who has the best all-around shortstop tools to come out of the Draft since Alex Rodriguez. Beyond his hitting ability, which is at least solid, his tools are all better than Franco's. He has well above-average raw power; his speed, arm and defense all grade as plus; and he's not moving off shortstop. As impressive as Witt was in big league camp, where he hit three home runs (including a 484-foot shot off Yusmeiro Petit), I don't read much of anything into Spring Training statistics because of the widely variant levels of competition and the small sample sizes. So if we were doing the Top 100 today instead of in January, he'd still rank seventh. |
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Brentz has looked good.
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^ To not just be immediately dismissed when compared to Wander Franco is high praise. Yes, he's a top 10 prospect, but Franco stands out among No. 1 overall prospects (as we have discussed in weeks past). |
I mean, Callis isn’t exactly a mouth breather, or an unknown. That’s some serious praise given who he is.
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I never spent any time worrying about Mondesi because his glove and speed automatically make him above replacement. Hes a 1-2 WAR guy floor. His bat is always gravy. Yes a great defensive SS (something I wanted to evaluate Witt on this spring but he didnt play there? That said he’s the 10-yr solution at SS - Ripken style - the day he arrives here) Singer and Dozier are the stars this year. 83-79. I’m pounding Vegas by 10 full. |
The hype around Bobby Witt Jr. is just totally insane to me. It reminds me of everything we were hearing about Mahomes before he became a starter. I have never been this excited about a Royals prospect. Back when we had the best farm system in the league and all kinds of highly regarded prospects, guys that absolutely lit up the minors too, I never thought any of them would turn into the type of star I think BWJ is gonna be. I just have this feeling that he is gonna be in a league with Tatis and Soto.
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He's got all the tools Mondesi did but the makeup, the adjustments, etc. set him so far apart. |
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I think that worked out pretty well for Cleveland, even though they wasted it. |
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Gordon was BB America minor league POY and the 2007 #2 overall prospect to Dice-K. |
Singer and Dozier are the stars this year.
yess sirr... |
https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/roya...raining-review
Royals confident after successful spring by Anne Rogers Quote:
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https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/roya...pring-training
Witt raked; what about other KC prospects? by Anne Rogers Quote:
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Yeah, I was working at SN then and he was our National minor league player of the year. But even then, the buzz was not the same. He didn’t have “best player in baseball” skills. |
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