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Dayton Moore.
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Until I looked back on those draft classes from the middle teens I had forgotten how bad those draft classes actually were.

While I'm not happy with the Frank Mozzicato and Kundrna draft approach, they did not do this.

Mozzicato is absolutely a legitimate talent. He was a huge riser leading up to the draft. If he had done the type of stuff he did in HS in a larger state, or even 90 percent of it, he would have had top 15 draft slotting.

Kudrna is the same. Easy 1st round grade if he wasn't a small-state guy with a tough college commitment to buy him out of.

The Royals decided to bet big on their ability to develop those guys. I don't like it primarily because of the bust rate of HS picks. But this was not a "we like his personality" choice. It was a "Let's spread out our draft dollars in this draft" approach.

It's not the way I would have gone. I would have run to the podium to take 1 of the 2 instant top 50 prospects on the board (Rocker, Khalil Watson, probably the latter).

And as much as Asa Lacy has struggled with control coming back from the COVID year (he's now hurt, haven't seen details), Austin Martin got hurt earlier this year and is slugging an uninspiring .376 with wood bats this year. (His ability to hit for pop was a big question with him). They DID advance him aggressively to AA, so it will be interesting to see if he starts to drive the ball more as he gets healthy and acclimates better to pro ball.

The 17 draft class looked rough at this time two years ago. Now Nick Pratto is making top 50 prospect lists (Keith Law has him in his top 50, which says A LOT considering Pratto is a 1B-only guy), MJ Melendez is leading AA in HR while playing good defense, and the whole thing looks completely different.

The 18 draft has had differing returns at the MLB level, but it still is incredibly positive overall. Singer, Lynch, Kowar, Bubic, Kyle Isbel, Jon Heasely, Jon Bowlan... highly likely they get at least an average MLB starting OF, a back-end starter, a mid-rotation guy, and at least one high leverage dominant reliever out of that group.

And obviously Bobby Witt is hitting if not exceeding expectations. If they're in position to take another player that good, I don't think they'd pass on them.

They're currently 7th in the 22 draft order, after winning 4 straight. I'm not sure they'll play poorly enough down the stretch to get higher than 5 (that would take some doing). And it's too early to tell how that draft class will shake out.

My early guess at someone the Royals will love?

Andruw Jones.

That's right. Andruw Jones. The son of Andruw Jones. He checks all their boxes. Super tooled up. Son of a former player. Great defensive ability. Can run. And the bonus box of having an Atlanta Braves tie can only help. (Dayton Moore started working as a scout in Atlanta in 94, which is - I believe - the year after Jones signed as an international FA).

The younger Jones would be in the mix at #5, at least right now. Still plenty of time for him to travel up or down the board.

LSU 3B Jacob Berry is also another name I'll be watching closely. He is a dynamite switch hitter (average and power from both sides) who plays a good 3B.

That 15 class is enough to write a manifesto about why small market teams should NEVER draft high school pitchers in the top 2 rounds.

I really thought (and hey, this was backed up by talking to someone who worked with scouts and front office folks in scouting) the Royals had realized that after the disaster that draft was.

Maybe some of it was driven by hesitance from ownership to bet on HS arms, that now is not present. I don't know.

Thanks for reminding me how old I'm getting Duncan.

Andruw Jones was an up and coming prospect that I remember. That he now has a son in the same spot is sobering. Kind of like Mondesi.

He's been retired for 9 years but he's still only 44 years old. Seems crazy but he got called up in 1996 at 19 years old and never looked back.

Jones should be in the Hall already. 400+ HR, elite-elite CF defense.

@Feinsand: The Dodgers have joined the Giants as a contender with interest in Royals LHP Danny Duffy (currently on the IL with a left flexor strain), per source. Duffy has often spoken about wanting to stay in KC, but the CA native could waive his 10-5 no-trade rights for a West Coast team.

Isn't he out for a few weeks atleast?

Soler is waking up. 4th homer this week.

Far too late for me to want to see him in a Royals uniform ever again. This team is going to ruin its draft status.

I don't know why so many people both here and elsewhere are obsessed with draft status. Good players fall in every draft anyway, and the single most important thing for this team is for the young pitchers like Bubic and Lynch to start throwing well. If that leads to wins, that's a great thing.

If that isn't going to happen to coincide with Witt and Pratto and company being on the team next year, then you might as well blow the whole thing up and trade Witt, Singer, and the rest of them and start over and start planning for 2026.

Lynch pitching well.

I wouldn't mind Soler back cheap if he hits .250 with power the 2nd half

Actually it gives ownership the false hope that Moore/Methy/Eldred should keep their jobs.

It's a really tough call. Depends on how good his second half is, and how cheap the deal is.

This is the Lynch the Royals thought they were bringing up. Deep arsenal, good velocity and ride on his fastball. Two useful secondaries and the ability to get swing and miss on his slider.

I think 2/3 of them are basically secure, anyway. Unless the team were to completely crater again and Matheny were to get publicly blasted,

Lynch has look good so far!👍

That 5+ era in Omaha must really be exciting the org.

Or the fact that he's pitching a gem of a game against a MLB team today?

I realize that. That's why I said that. The org brought him back up despite his horrible AAA numbers. Hes been god awful this year so good to see. Maybe it was a simple adjustment. Crossing my fingers but Ive never seen a pitcher quite get tagged like he did earlier in the year. Maybe he really was tipping pitches.

Pretty good day when you drop your season ERA by almost 8 runs.

@anne__rogers: What Daniel Lynch has done today has been pretty incredible. Eight shutout innings. Five hits, no walks, four strikeouts. It's the longest outing from a Royals starter all year.

Royals fans and Lynch needed this

So glad to see Lynch pitching like this! Gotta do wonders for his confidence and hopefully he's able to keep this up.

However, I'm interested in the thought process of the organization as to why they brought him up instead of Kowar. Lynch has been absolute trash in AAA. His last nine starts look like this

9 gs/40.33 IP/60 Hits/32 ER/7.14 ERA

Opponents over that time have a slash of

.345 BA/.389 OBP/.598 SLG/.987 OPS

Is it just because his start lined up with today?

But thank God he had the start he did today.

Brewers and Tigers were both hot and we swept them both. Baseball.

That was like a 2:20 game too. Don't see many of those anymore.

They may have asked Lynch to work on something specific because they thought that would fix his issues from his first call up and not worry about whatever the stats would show.

You know how some have suggested we send Singer down and force him to throw his changeup almost exclusively with zero sliders?

It's quite possible the Royals org had Lynch work on something similar and regarded his numbers as a secondary priority. That's my glass half full take, anyways.

Bingo.

Hud said a little birdie told him that Lynch was tipping his pitches, last time up, which is why you saw him hold the ball in his glove in front of his face this time, prior to each pitch.

Were discussing his terrible AAA stats. He's been god awful in Omaha. Trying to figure out why he got the call over Kowar.

Nice game Lynch! Way to go! :clap:

They sent him down to iron out some flaws in his mechanics and to fix his motion when throwing different pitches so it wasn’t noticeable which he was throwing.

He definitely was tipping his slider.

Results were rough early but improved over time, and that’s why he got promoted.

Nice win for the kid. Hope he continues to have success in the second half of the year. If we can get at least one of these young pitchers to blossom, that will be a useful second half in a throwaway season.

@Feinsand: The Mariners are making a push to trade for INF/OF Whit Merrifield of the Royals, sources tell me and @DKramer_. Merrifield is under control through 2023 at a reasonable cost (approx. $10M over 2 years incl. ‘23 option) and offers positional versatility, a good bat & great speed.

I'll take one of their 2 OF's.

all of a sudden our lineup is looking much improved

seems like the Mets are in on Whit too....bidding war?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Royals just announced the signing of NC State C Luca Tresh. Alrighty. That&#39;s all 21 draft picks signed, folks.</p>&mdash; Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1419426467482644481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

@Ken_Rosenthal: Mariners also made offer for Adam Frazier and did not ask Pirates to put cash in deal, sources tell @TheAthletic. Pirates sent $1.4M to Padres in part because they value Marcano highly. If he evolves into Frazier type, Pirates get six years of him for 1-plus of Frazier.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">While the Royals are willing to discuss Whit Merrifield in trade rivals expect the price to be “very steep,” and a person close to the situation said he still thinks it’s “highly doubtful” he’s dealt. In case, the Mets and many others are monitoring.</p>&mdash; Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1418311376414683138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I’m feeling more okay about the draft now.

I've thought from the beginning a team like the Mariners is the perfect match. It's amazing how baseball has changed, if you go after a big team like the Dodgers they won't give up prospects, you need to go after a small/mid market team that's trying to make a playoff push and is willing to take a risk. Plus the Mariners have a very highly ranked farm system.

Also huge move by the Padres tonight. They traded for Pirates 2B Adam Frazier, who is a really good hitter.

The Padres can now move Jake Cronenworth from 2B to 1B and have an entire infield of All-Stars from this year. The question is, what happens to Hosmer?

He becomes the most expensive PH in baseball.

That’s a really nice get

It should also be noted that Frazier has an extra year of control. Padres gave up their #5 prospect, although he was ranked lower than that by groups like Fangraphs and Baseball America... a 21-year old contact hitting middle infielder, plus a couple of other prospects who aren't in the Padres top 30 prospects but playing well in the minors.

Whit definitely has a better track record historically but you'd have to think that's a pretty good base for a Whit trade.

Ho-hum

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby Witt Jr. just homered at Triple-A Omaha. He’s batting .393 there with a 1.036 OPS. Seems good.</p>&mdash; Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1419445487837589504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BOBBY BOMB.<a href="https://twitter.com/BwittJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BwittJr</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChasersFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChasersFamily</a> <a href="https://t.co/RycnClt7LX">pic.twitter.com/RycnClt7LX</a></p>&mdash; Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) <a href="https://twitter.com/OMAStormChasers/status/1419446935996542979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

@Shauncore: Grand slam from Pratto puts Omaha in the lead (via Omaha Storm Chasers) https://twitter.com/Shauncore/status...230469/video/1

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Go-ahead grand slam from Nick Pratto?<br><br>GO-AHEAD GRAND SLAM FROM NICK PRATTO!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/n_pratto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@n_pratto</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChasersFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChasersFamily</a> <a href="https://t.co/6Hg99foa9I">pic.twitter.com/6Hg99foa9I</a></p>&mdash; Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) <a href="https://twitter.com/OMAStormChasers/status/1419458395946590212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

@jonmorosi: The #Padres are working to acquire a starting pitcher, sources say. Adam Frazier probably won't be the last acquisition they make before Friday's deadline. @MLB @MLBNetwork

I can’t wait until next season to see him in a Royals uniform.

Already had one--gave it out last month. It was supposed to be a 2020 giveaway commemorating him breaking the Royals HR record in 2019, but was delayed to this season.

Padres twitter in mass celebration at the apparent end of the Hosmer era.

I've seen some speculation that Frazier make play some OF because Profar and Myers aren't exactly awesome out there.

Doug Eddings umped a game so badly yesterday he's trending on Twitter. The Padres Broadcast made ALL of their "plays of the game" video of his calls and said he was the reason "the fans came to the ballpark".

https://streamable.com/7qobaj

Profar is the biggest loser, IMO. But Hosmer will sit more now unless he goes on one of his white hot streaks.

Re: These Merrifield to the Mariners rumors...

That's a team with a pretty deep farm system with a lot of guys of value close to the majors. I could see that actually working.

Julio Rodriguez, Jarred Kelenic, George Kirby, and Emerson Hancock are off the table. Noelvi Marte should be (I can't imagine the Mariners would consider it, and he's at High-A, but he's so good you jump at it if they're willing to do it, even straight-up).

But I could see something like Taylor Trammell (who is a very, very Royals player - incredible tools, could play a good CF at the K) + Brandon Williamson (big lefty P at AA with good strikeout numbers) or Zach DeLoach (all-around OF at AA, college guy with good blend of average/power/obp).

I am probably selfish, but I am not sure they are enough for Witt. He is a legit all-star, cheap contract, should have a five years or more left at his style.

Hopefully we get more from someone.

Who has now came out of his prime and already slowing down productivity-wise.

When you extrapolate Whit's WAR based on Baseball Reference he should finish the year with a 3.5-4.0 WAR. Since
June 1st he has a .296 BA and .755 OPS. Hell, May is the reason his stats don't look too great. In the month of May he had a .230 BA and .656 OPS.

All players have a cold spell and by the time the season is over Whit is gonna have himself a normal Whit year.

You are right though that he is technically out of his prime and he's already 32 years old. He has a pretty affordable contract, but that doesn't really add as much value when the player is 32 and a half years old already.

Yeah if you go off Twitter and message boards fans across the league all think it's Whit for someone like Taylor Trammell and a couple other smaller pieces, especially since the Mariners have too many OF prospects and he's the kind of raw talent Dayton would like. He's a former top 100 prospect but he does strike out a ton.

The Royals have had a good week.... Dayton will not trade Whit, then we will go 0-for-August.

It's fair/reasonable. It's likely the Royals would view Trammell similarly to still being a top 50 prospect. Kind of like Alcides Escobar/Greinke trade.

But I don't think it's a "blow away" offer. Not sure it would be enough for KC/Moore to pull the trigger.

All would come down to KC's eval of him.

I'm not sure it's quite enough, even with them lowering their asking price for Merrifield, to make it happen.

Whit's contract is damn cheap. This year he is at 6.5 million. Next year is 2.75 million and he has a club option for 2023 for 6.5.

I’d like for whit to go somewhere relevant and maybe win something. He ain’t winning shit in KC.

He's a similar player to Zobrist in that he gives good value no matter where you plug him in. So he'd be a great fit for many teams in the hunt, not just the few that need a 2b or a RF'er or whatever. He has so much versatility that the market is pretty much any\every team being buyers.

Kind of why many were pissed 2 seasons back when he was not traded at his absolute peak when we knew the team was going to suck for years to come. Obviously, it's easy to sit here and say he should have been traded, but if the offers weren't there then they weren't there.

I think that is more team related. You put him on a playoff team and I feel like he exceeds prior records.

I think he has 4 to 5 years left.

For all the talk about Merrifield's age and etc, his sprint speed, hard-hit rate, and exit velocities are all pretty much right where they've been. He's still in the 90th percentile for sprint speed (and faster than Michael Taylor, for example).

I don't anticipate a big decline any time soon.

You just have to wonder how far away the Royals are...if you think this team isn't going to be even competitive till say 24 or 25 then you should be moving him.

They aren't punting on two or three seasons.... I mean these assholes thought they were going to push for the playoffs THIS SEASON, which shows how pie in the sky GMDM can be. I don't agree with them, but from everything i've read, they think they are closer to the end of the rebuild than the beginning... which again, take the source. I mean even hiring Bible Matheny was a win now sorta move... he's terrible with kids.

This organization is so ****ing delusional. Hopefully Sherman isn't an idiot and cans these clowns sooner than later. ****ing DM thinks he can pray his problems away or ask God who he should sign/draft and if Dayton has proven anything it's that God doesn't know shit about baseball.

Soler is red hot. Another Dong

They should be tanking on purpose but Dayton refuses to do that....they could have flipped Soler and Dozier in the past couple of years for solid returns yet now we're stuck with them or will get nothing in return.

Yea, Solar is a guy who should have been flipped.

I think that time is over. Honestly Witt and Pratto might be ready to be up now. Some of the pitchers should be starting to figure things out over the next year or two.

There's zero reason to tank now, otherwise you're just trading for guys who aren't going to be up until like 2025 and by then you'll have wasted most of this group's service time.

I mean more so the last few years...guys like Soler aren't really going to help this generation of the team. He should have always been a player to flip if he had a big year...which he did.

Soler is going to break his team record by hitting 45 homers in the second half of the season.

Soler is fisting Kuechel tonight


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Wow.

Soler is locked in right now. Crushing everything and looking like the guy that led the AL in HR’s a couple years back.

Soler must have found a roids guy over the All-Star break

“I thought it was ringworm cream!”

Anyone else think that Lopez’ absence the last two games has more to do with his hammy than the fact that the opposing starters were left handers?