Do the Royals need more pitching?
David Lesky looks at how the Royals might decide roster spots this spring.
They don’t have a ton of competitions really. I think you can look at the roster and know that probably 20 of the 26 roster spots are decided. A few of those that aren’t are relievers, which matter but are a little different because of how teams utilize the minors in their 26-man roster. But, for example, do the Royals go with Cavan Biggio over Nick Loftin in spite of the fact that Loftin is doing pretty much everything right this spring? He’s hit the ball harder than he did last year while showing defensive versatility. He’s younger. He’s a better defender. And they have similar skill sets in both being very patient hitters while neither has excelled in the big leagues (at least not in awhile in Biggio’s case). I continue to hear positive things about Biggio this spring, but do the Royals have a preconceived notion about Loftin that a few weeks in the Arizona sun can change? Or are they hoping he can win that job? We’ll find out, but it’s interesting.
Craig Brown writes that Kris Bubic was a bit erratic in his outing this week.
He fell behind frequently and then was living in the middle of the zone with his sinker. It manifested as a problem as the pitches piled up in his first inning of work and again in the third as the balls put in play against him were tattooed. It’s better illustrated on this chart from just the seventh inning offerings.
The slider in the zone was the first pitch to Crawford. Bubic then uncorked three consecutive pitches that weren’t anywhere near the zone. Two batters later, he fell behind 2-0 to Dominic Canzone. In both cases, Bubic delivered a center-cut sinker. The cutter in the zone was a first-pitch out off the bat of Ryan Bliss. Still, he got three outs. A case of the results being good while the process wasn’t so hot.
Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter reacts to reports that Adam Duvall turned down the Royals.
While Duvall would’ve provided a nice platoon option with MJ Melendez, I am not sure the Royals should pay $3 million for a guy who doesn’t play every day and wasn’t as good as Garrett Hampson or Adam Frazier last season.
Thus, I credit Picollo and the Royals’ front office for holding firm on not overpaying veterans past their prime. The Royals had to do that last season to attract veterans to Kansas City and help change the culture after a 106-loss season. This year, however, they are more selective in their transactional process, which is good, as the Royals won 86 games last year and aren’t adding bad deals to their books in 2025 either (which opens up more options for in-season trades).
Dylan Pescatore, writing in the Star, profiles speedster Tyler Tolbert.
“It’s not just the stolen bases, but the doubles and triples, too,” Hollins said. “He puts constant pressure on the other team. That’s where his value comes in.”
In today’s game, exit velocity and bat speed are glitzy analytics. Tolbert? He brings versatility and sprint speed.
He might never become a 50-home run hitter batting third for the Royals, but he believes he can still help the major-league club.
“It’s about understanding your job and that everyone has a role on the 26-man roster,” he said.
Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs responds to a Gavin Cross question in his chat.
Eric A Longenhagen: 70% contact rate at AA last year, we’re talking like 35 hit with 50 power. Not great, but not to be dismisse entirely at this juncture. You hope he’s still a corner platoon guy.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic gives the Royals a “B” for their off-season.
What helped or hurt their grade: I’m a little concerned about their starting pitching depth and would like to see them acquire another starter, such as free agent Kyle Gibson.
Storyline to watch: Who’s going to play second base, third base, DH and left field on a daily basis? And, with India, Michael Massey, Maikel Garcia and MJ Melendez, among others, involved, how much platooning will they do at those positions?
Prospects Live has a top 100 prospects list with three Royals listed.
The Athletics sign outfielder Lawrence Butler to a seven-year, $65 million contract.
Mariners pitcher George Kirby will begin the season on the Injured List.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says the Blue Jays’ final offer to him was less than $600 million.
Juan Soto reveals the Mets were not the top bidder for his services.
The Dodgers are expected to extend manager Dave Roberts before the season begins.
Who are MVP favorites and dark horses?
Logan Webb is a throwback, but is he also the future?
Here’s how the Cubs bullpen looks.
Former outfielder Tyler Naquin is joining the Guardians as a pitcher.
Why Terry Francona came out of retirement.
The Athena spacecraft is declared “dead” after toppling over on the moon.
Walgreens is about to be sold to private equity for $10 billion.
Gene Hackman and his wife likely died of natural causes, say authorities.
Your song of the day is The Who with Eminence Front.